Venue
Close and Remote
Starts
Monday, September 13, 2010
Ends
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Address
In and around the town of Barrow in Furness
Location
North West England

Urban Retreat is a series of events, actions and commissions exploring the edges of urbanism. Artists include Lottie Child, Emma Cocker, Karen Di Franco, Sophie Mellor, Laura Oldfield Ford and Clare Thornton. Sophie Mellor will spend two weeks as an urban wanderer relying on the kindness of strangers and the bounty of the land to house and feed her. Clothed in an especially designed survival jacket by Clare Thornton, she will place herself directly in Barrow’s marginalised landscapes, investing in its use and beauty through her interactions with people and place. Around this central, durational performance, there will be a series of free public events and activities – Street Training with Lottie Child; Urban Nature Walk with Martin Norris of South Walney Nature Reserve; Wasteland Drawing Derive with Laura Oldfield Ford; Survival Bag workshop with Clare Thornton. And browse the especially collated ‘Urban Retreat Lending Library’ at Barrow Library, with donated books containing an especially designed book plate by Karen Di Franco. The project will also see the production of ‘Manual of Marginal Places’ with new writing by Emma Cocker. More information at http://www.closeandremote.net