Over a 15-month period from 2004 to 2005, VARC commissioned photographer Kate Bellis and sculptor Sally Matthews to spend extended time with farming families in Tarset, Northumberland. The project sought to record and celebrate the enduring relationships between people, animals, and the landscape of the uplands, capturing the realities and rhythms of hill farming life across the seasons.
Kate and Sally immersed themselves in the daily routines of local farms, working closely with residents to build trust and understanding. Their collaboration resulted in a compelling body of photographs, drawings, and sculptures that reveal both the beauty and the challenges of rural life in Northumberland’s hill country. Alongside their own creative practice, the artists also led workshops that engaged local residents of all ages, ensuring that the community was an active participant in the making of the project.
At the project’s conclusion, a complete set of Kate Bellis’s hand-printed photographs was presented to the Bellingham Heritage Centre, adding an important visual record to the area’s historical archive and serving as a lasting public resource for future generations.
Gathering culminated in both a touring exhibition and a full-colour publication. The exhibition opened at Highgreen, Tarset in August 2005 before touring to Queen’s Hall Arts, Hexham; the Collins Gallery, Glasgow; and the Robert Sandelson Gallery, Cork Street, London, between September 2005 and February 2006. Since its initial tour, the exhibition has also been shown in Derbyshire and Brecon, Wales, continuing to reach new audiences and contexts.
The accompanying book, Gathering, features 80 pages of photographs, drawings, and sculptures, alongside an essay by Michael Simmons, offering further insight into the creative process and the lives represented.
Funded by VARC, Arts Council England, Northumberland National Park’s Sustainable Development Fund, and Gordon Opportunities for Local Development (GOLD), the project also received valuable support from Queen’s Hall Arts, Hexham, LITTORAL, and The Hill Farming Initiative.
