Introduction

Leeside was a creative collaboration between Natural England and its Protected Site Strategies and Arts and Culture, University of Exeter, taking place between November 2024 - July 2025. This initiative supported creative practitioners to explore nature rich Sites of Specific Scientific Interest with a broad range of stakeholders, bringing together University of Exeter research academics, Natural England officers and a range of local communities to undertake creative explorations of the protected sites and their surroundings and generate engaging creative outputs.

Impact and legacy were key priorities for the commissions, with the intended outcome of encouraging community empowerment for future engagement in the management of protected sites, and informing relevant policy around protected site strategies.

One site selected was Challacombe Farm on Dartmoor. This commission was awarded to poet Saili Katebe and Devon-based choreographer Richard Chappell who developed Challacombe Chronicled, a new work that brought together dance and poetry, to respond to the farm’s natural and cultural heritage.

About the site: Challacombe Farm

Challacombe Farm has a long history; it is recorded in the Doomsday Book, and appears in documents written in 1244 and 1303. Covering 200 hectares, it is both in the Dartmoor National Park and part of the Duchy of Cornwall Estate. Run by Naomi Oakley and Mark Owen, the couple apply sustainable farming practices, producing grass-fed and certified organic beef and lamb, “whilst conserving and enhancing the wildlife, landscape and archaeology that makes it such a special place.”

About the artists

Saili Katebe is a writer, performer and workshop facilitator often writing under the pen name The Blissful Nomad. Born in Zambia and now based in the South West of England, his work celebrates the musicality of language, the possibilities of performance and the power of storytelling. His work has been featured on BBC Arts and BBC Radio Bristol.

Richard Chappell is an internationally renowned choreographer who has led his own ensemble since 2013. Based between Wales and the South West of England, Richard’s creative process is rooted in collaboration, co-authorship and emotional connectivity. Richard loves to work in community settings, creating ambitious choreography for intergenerational community casts.

Research and Development

Saili and Richard spent time talking to Mark and Naomi at Challacombe Farm about their conservation approach, with in-depth explorations of the protected site and what they valued about the farm. This was twinned this with meetings with Dr Adrian Colston (Conservationist and Rural Social Scientist) to discuss his research on stakeholder attitudes to the varied conservation approaches on Dartmoor Commons, and with Ellie Jones (Archivist at Exeter Cathedral) to learn more about Anglo Saxon records of Challacombe. Through these they delved deeper into the environmental and historical stories of Challacombe.

Saili and Richard collaborated with company dancer and climate activist Marla King to create interwoven poetry and movement performances responding to these stories.

Returning as the seasons changed, the team walked among the different biodiverse precious habitats on the farm including trees, hay meadows, bogs, and ponds, collaboratively developing poetic and choreographic reflections that explored the abundance and unique spread of plants, insects, birds and moss found there. combining these with music from folk musician Ben Moss, the final work sensorially explored the landscape, images and textures of Challacombe Farm.

Workshops

Between April – June 2025, Saili and Richard co-delivered poetry and dance workshops at Exeter Phoenix, the Moor Imagination Centre in Buckfastleigh and at Challacombe farm on Dartmoor.

They supported a community cast of all ages, both new to and with experience of dance and poetry to create their own written and choreographed responses to the landscape. These workshops collected community responses to the sites and enabled the community cast to create their own work as part of the commission, performing alongside Saili, Richard and Marla both in the live performances at the end of the project and in the final film.

Final Performances and Film

Collaborating with filmmaker Daniel Martin, the team captured the choreographed pieces of poetry and dance. The community cast, supported by RCD producers and choreography support, also worked with Daniel to film their responses.

There were three public opportunities to experience this work live.

• A site-specific walking performance at Challacombe Farm featuring the community cast as well as the artists. The piece invited audiences to move through the landscape, encountering poetry and dance as part of the journey.

• A performance at the Moor Imagination Centre (MIC) in Buckfastleigh featuring Marla, including a new performance by dancer Charlie Fryer and live music from folk artist Ben Moss, and a cast of community dancers.

• A performance at Exeter Green Phoenix Festival featuring Marla, the artists and members of the community cast.

Creative Collaborators

RCD Dancer: Marla King

Filmmaker: Daniel Martin

Sound Recording Support: Dan Markey, Dheeya Raghavjee

Composers: Larch (Matthew Allmark and Kai Hellstrom)

Composer: Ben Moss

Producer: Clare Parker

Community Cast Choreography Support: Clare Parker, Charlotte Eaton

Company Manager: Kaitlyn Howlett

Community Cast Members: Sarah Trotter, Rita Cripps, Emily Alice Spivey, Esme Lovell, Hannah D’lavari, Ian Fuller, Tracey Fuller, Nick Viney, Maz McNamara, Millie Parker, Liz Lyall, Lydia Baldchin, Charlie Fryer

The commission is funded by Natural England, and delivered through a partnership between Natural England and Arts and Culture, University of Exeter, with support from the University of Exeter’s Biodiversity and People Network.