Lancaster University art academics and soil scientists have helped to contribute expertise, inspiration and creative support, to a new exhibition launched at the National Trust's Sizergh on the edge of the Lake District.
The new exhibition, called SOIL, involves a programme of events, including exhibitions, guided walks and a children's trail, that all explore the importance of soil.
The team at Sizergh are collaborating with artists, publishers and farmers as well as Lancaster University academics to celebrate the world beneath our feet. At Sizergh the National Trust cares for 675 hectares of soil which is the equivalent of 1,670 football pitches.
In Sizergh's historic Great Barn, an exhibition from a creative collective of local and national artists sees immersive artwork and sculpture celebrating soil. Among the artists whose work features is Elizabeth Clough - local artist from Morecambe Bay who has collaborated closely with Lancaster University researchers.
Clough's artwork is part of an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Impact Accelerator Account funded project themed on "culture innovation", which is led by Dr Nathan Jones, a Senior Lecturer in Fine Art at Lancaster University. The AHRC project is being delivered in partnership with Deco Publique, an art and culture company based in Morecambe who commission, curate and produce ambitious new work, cultural programmes and festivals.
Elizabeth Clough's resulting artwork is a series of drawings, sculptures, large beads and pendulums made from natural clay foraged on the Sizergh estate and an interior chamber made by Clough and exhibited in Sizergh's historic Great Barn, collectively titled BURROW.
In October 2025, Clough facilitated workshops and an immersive installation at LICA, supported by Dr Jones. Bringing together researchers, artists, farmers and land-based practitioners, the workshops used immersive and participatory methods to explore soil, ecology and farming, which contributed to the development of the sculptural work exhibited in the barn.
In addition to farmers and cultural leaders, the workshops, which explored topics of soil and toxicity, were informed by researchers from Lancaster University's Centre for Sustainable Soils including Professor John Quinton, Professor Jess Davies and Professor Richard Bardgett, as well as Dr Jones and Dr Jen Southern from Lancaster University's School of Arts and also Dr Stuart Sharp from Lancaster Environment Centre.
Professor Davies said: "As soil scientists, we're passionate about raising public awareness of the importance of soil sustainability, and working with the team at Sizergh was a brilliant opportunity to reach new people as part of a fun and thought-provoking day out. But a hugely valuable part of this for us has also been engaging with the artists - it brings new perspectives on the world we study every day and helps us see soil in new ways too."
Dr Jones said: "Contemporary art offers a set of methods for observing and helping us connect more deeply with the natural world. Liz's work invites an intuitive and almost primal relationship with the earth under our feet, and the workshops we led opened up space for this way of looking to be combined with insights from the sciences of soil, and the farmers who work with it."
