Creatures of the Don
Director: Malaika Cunningham
Writer: Joseph Houlders
Community Producer: Sally Proctor
Sound Design/Composer: Lee Affen
Illustrations: Kate Morton
In collaboration with:
Emily Thew, RivelinCo
Linda Bloomfield, RivelinCo
Alban Krashi, Opus Independent
Sara Hill, Opus Independent
Melissa Lacy, Sheffield Hallam University
This project was commissioned by RivelinCo.
Beginning in August 2026 a team of writers, music producers & scientists will be leading a series of drop-in workshops and walks to learn about the stories and creatures of the River Don.
The creatures of our mythologies are powerful forces: they make mountains when they fall asleep, they cause earthquakes when they cry. This project asks a number of questions: ‘who would the creatures of the River Don be?’; ‘How do they shape the landscape?’; and ‘How can they help us think about the future of the river?’ We’ll be working with the residents of Winn Gardens to explore all of this for the next year or so.
All this work will make its way into a brand new artwork created with the residents of the Winn Gardens Estate in 2027. More on this soon!
This project is a collaboration between RivelinCo, The Bare Project & Opus Independent’s River Dön Project.