Many of the poems in The Matter arose from a collaboration with Dorset-based visual artist – Helen Garrett which will culminate in the exhibition Primordial Dance at the Bridport Arts Centre from 29/11/25 to 20/12/25.
I came to work with Helen through a remarkable sequence of coincidences – and the creative conversations we’ve enjoyed have expanded and transformed the scope of my writing.
This exhibition of new works by Helen Garrett is inspired by ancient landscapes and archaeological finds. Through painting and drawing, her work explores materiality of place – both in the UK and the Aegean – and our relationship to the land. She examines the power of ancient imagery and how and why it continues to resonate today.
Accompanied by poems by Kate Innes, the exhibition draws a parallel between archaeology and the creative process. Hidden landscapes are revealed within the layers of paintings or conjured up through the stripping away of words. Both strive to distil image and idea into their most essential, elemental form.
Primordial Dance refers to a dance across time, the past as a constant presence in the landscape of today. But it also hints at ideas of movement and transformation. For Garrett, painting is also a kind of dance, between action and inaction, in the search for the essence of what really matters.
Garrett’s paintings and Innes’ poems consider how the past allows us to step out of our lives, our own time, for a moment and to imagine other ways of living. They form bridges across past and present, and draw us into a conversation between landscape, environment and ourselves.
Monday 8 Dec, 11am: Primordial Dance – Exhibition Masterclass: Helen and Kate will explore elemental materials and the role of the subconscious in uncovering our hidden selves through image-making and creative writing.
Saturday 20 December, 11am, Ancient Hauntings: Join Kate to explore the world of archaeology that inspired her latest novel for children, An Ancient Haunting, set in Crete during the excavation of the Palace of Knossos. Recommended age: 9+.
Sat 20 Dec, 6-8pm, Winter Solstice Celebration: Enjoy an evening of readings by Helen, Kate and guest poets, with live music– and a last chance to see the exhibition.
Helen Garrett - Befriending the Mystery is an ArtScape Documentary about Helen Garrett’s preparation for her solo show at the Bridport Arts Centre and her collaboration with writer – Kate Innes
The film will premiere at the Bridport Arts Centre as part of the Private View event for Primordial Dance – Saturday 29th November 6pm. Tickets available here.
ArtScape is a film company that makes documentary films featuring the arts, landscape, geology, archaeology and history. Their films explore Dorset's unique cultural heritage and the places and people that bring it to life.
