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Inspiring conversations about landscape and people, the Talking Tent was set up as part of the Dorset National Landscape 60th anniversary celebrations and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

During 2020 many people rekindled their love of natural landscapes and enjoyed both walking and relaxing in outdoor spaces near to where they live. Having time to sense the slowly unfolding seasons also allowed people to reconnect with strong memories of past experiences in the places they know and love in Dorset.

The Talking Tent project was led by storyteller Martin Maudsley and landscape poet Sarah Acton, and aimed to capture seasonal connections and personal relationships with the landscape past, present and future. The Talking Tent pitched up – virtually and for real – across Dorset, gathering collective stories, memories and hopes for the future. Martin and Sarah asked – do you have a special place, a fond memory, a story from times past? Do you feel a connection to Dorset’s outstanding landscape and places?

You can listen to the responses they received by clicking on the podcasts on the Talking Map below:

Talking Map

They are tricksy people that can lead you astray

Talking tent

Test They are tricksy people that can lead you astray

Head into the ‘leopard’ light of the holloways and discover the the world of the Colpixies with storyteller Martin Maudsley

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What’s left is purely the sounds of the sea

Talking tent

Test What's left is purely the sounds of the sea

Geoff Parkes explains how a wild swim thirty years ago, in the waters off Durdle Door, shifted his perspective and changes his life.

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Seasons are a reflection on what’s going on in each of us.

Talking tent

Test "Seasons are a reflection on what's going on in each of us."

Under the iconic Cerne Giant, Sarah Acton enjoys a conversation with Jane Still that weaves together the stars and saints and seasons.

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The jigsaw of our landscape

Talking tent

Test The jigsaw of our landscape

Inspired by the layers of the landscape and witnessing seasonal change, Dave Dixon and Martin explore how walking enriches us with positivity and a sense of gratefulness for the places…

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What spring means to me – thoughts from Sarah Acton

Talking tent

Test What spring means to me - thoughts from Sarah Acton

Talking Tent host Sarah Acton talks about what spring means to her and encourages you to share your own thoughts and memories of spring.

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The Talking Tent project used the seasons to get conversations started – with Spring and Summer stimulating many stories and poems from Martin and Sarah which helped to  spark memories.

Delcombe in Spring (c) Tony Gill

Let's talk about Spring!

May Day is a seasonal celebration that is both ancient in origin and with customs and traditions that continue into modern-day life. It rejoices in the brighter, warmer days that lead us into summer and the vibrant growth of vegetation and flowers in the outdoor world. Hear some of the Spring stories we collected in the Tent.

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Swyre Head (c) Oscar de Wit Dorset AONB

Let's talk about Summer!

As spring rolled into summer, Martin Maudsley and Sarah Acton share stories, poems and their own feelings about summer.

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Who's in the Talking Tent?

Meet our Talking Tent hosts – storyteller Martin Maudsley and poet Sarah Acton – we love working with them and you can find out more about them here

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Stories so far ...

60 years in the making

Talking Tent is part of the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty 60th anniversary activities to celebrate and protect the places we love and find new ways to create connections within the living landscape in years to come.

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We are grateful for the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund