* Today, 24 July, 2007, 22.13 pm, after a day with a clear sky (magnificent skies in and around Sheffield, breath-taking landscape of clouds), as blue sometimes as a quiet sea, BBC news pouring again on the disaster, the flooding of rivers Avon, Thames and Severn, the flooding of villages, towns...

The view of some English people taking their situation with tears, distress, and also a good sense of humour, but particularly the view of an English town turned into an island (Tewkbery ) allows for these suggestions to be put forward to readers (related to the (former) Creative Sheffield project):

Redesigning our landscape following the natural trend of climate change, rather than opposing it:

As artists, we will continue to work together with Nature, even when Nature has apparently turned into a Revengeful Gaia. If the natural trend of climate change in England and beyond is for towns to be turned into islands, let’s design some possible ways to take advantage of these scenarios, these newly created landscapes and (why not) future beauty spots.

Here we will have a confrontation again between old and new ways of redesigning or regenerating towns, but as flood-artists and redesigners, what could our contribution be?

* Maps: using updated available maps, comparing data from several environmental sources, allowing for some sensible research to be carried out before... embarking in the actual drawing or designing.

* Then, drawing and painting this map, creating pro-models and patterns. Possibly starting with Sheffield, where floods have already occurred.
Asking ourselves this question:

* How would this drawing express my “ideal”, my best Utopian view of Sheffield as a new town to live in? Perhaps not all of Sheffield, but focusing on the already flooded areas and following the River Don upstream and downstream including its affluents. Drawing those areas as “islands”, turning the districts into a New Venetia, with a difference: this Venice would be created by Nature together with artists, turning a “disaster” into a “(wo)man-made” design. Obviously, for this design to be later used with a proto-model, we’d need it to be as accurate and close to real as possible. But first we’d design our best town. Here many persons could contribute as architects, urban planners, painters, musicians, poets, etc.

* Predicting, as artists, the way a new flora and fauna will emerge to change the landscape.

* Perhaps a new Yorkshire .

If you like the above, think about the suggestions and let me know if you’d be interested in developing them.

Amparo Arrospide

 http://www.poetrylifeandtimes.com/