About urban wilderness cic
Established as Feral Spaces in 2016, Urban Wilderness constituted as a CIC in 2018 and went on to establish their embedded community work in Longton as The Moony Club CIC in 2022.
We are founding co-directors Laurel Gallagher, Isla Telford and Jenny Harper. We apply a methodology that is co-creative, socially engaged and follows a collaborative process of action, reflection and adaption
Our embedded community work builds meaningful relationships between people and places while developing capacity in underserved communities.
As a collective of creatives, we offer unexpected solutions, taking risks while remaining authentic to ourselves, the people and organisations we work with
visit us at the moony club
Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during term time and by appointment during school holidays.
contact
ADDRESS
The Moony Club, 15 Bennett Precinct, Longton Exchange, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, ST3 2HT
Laurel Gallagher is a creative director responsible for education, partnerships and dissemination. A visual artist with a background in arts education, Laurel is passionate about young people’s rights to public space and creative autonomy. Laurel holds a research fellowship with the Centre for Understanding Sustainable Prosperity and co-authors research papers with academics.
Isla Telford is a cultural producer and events manager with a commitment to bringing art into the public domain. Isla leads on fundraising, programme planning and project management, working closely with artists, community partners, and young people to transform concepts into artworks, events and workshops. Isla is a member of Without Walls Green Production consortium, and is also Production Director of 6 Towns Reloaded Carnival.
Jenny Harper directs Urban Wilderness’ financial and legal processes, leads on commercial and in-house design work, exhibition installation, and strategic evaluation. Jenny is a documentary photographer interested in real stories and how people interact with each other and places. She brings our projects to life by capturing artists and communities through photography and film.
urban wilderness cic - support staff
Jay Harper, Financial management
Sarah Bonham, Event production
Blythe Taylor, Workshop facilitator
Daby Obiechefu, Workshop facilitator
urban wilderness cic - Non-Executive directors
Nicola Winstanley, socially engaged arts advisor
Charlotte Foster, media and marketing advisor
Cynthia Coady, employment advisor
URBAN WILDERNESS CIC - ADVISORY BOARD
Longton Town Forum, Community Group
Sarah Chevolleau, Director of Staffordshire Association for Black Lives Equality (‘SABLE’)
Youth Forum, 8 - 17 year olds Art Club members
Susan Clarke, Artistic Director of B-Arts
Gemma Thomas, Director of Appetite
Rowan Hoban, Director of Wild Rumpus
Chris Thompson, Chair of Foxlowe Arts Centre
Lisa Tomkinson, Community Development at Community Ventures
Becki Kremer, Artist
Martin Brown, Senior Lecturer Staffordshire University
Allison Walters, Director and Principle Landscape Architect at awSCAPE
Associate Academics
Dr Deidre McKay, Professor of Sustainable Development at Keele University
Dr Jenny Hallam, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Derby
Dr Ben Anderson, Lecturer in Twentieth Century European History at Keele University
publications
Hallam, J., Gallagher, L. and Owen K. (2022). ‘I'm not the best at art’: An exploration of children's growing sense of artistry within an outdoor, arts-based intervention. Thinking Skills and Creativity. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2022.101038
Hallam, J., Gallagher, L. and Owen K. (2021). The secret language flowers: insights from an outdoor, arts-based intervention designed to connect primary school children to locally accessible nature. Environmental Education Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2021.1994926
Hallam, J., Gallagher, L., and Harvey, C. (2021). 'I don't wanna go . I'm staying. This is my home now.' Analysis of an intervention for connecting young people to nature. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127341
Hallam J., Gallagher, L. and Harvey (2019). ‘We’ve been exploring and adventuring.’ An investigation into young people’s engagement with a semi-wild, disused space. The Humanistic Psychologist. https://doi.org/10.1037/hum0000158
We gratefully acknowledge the support of our funders:
Urban Wilderness CIC is a partner in Without Walls, a network of organisations bringing innovative outdoor arts to towns and cities across England. Find out more on withoutwalls.uk.com."