Productive Land art exhibition at Sussex Barn

For Productive Land in 2025, we are building on the success of the May 2024 Art and Agriculture exhibition and have developed the theme as well as broadened the number of artists taking part.

The term 'Productive Land' refers to an area that can support agriculture. Traditionally this means that it is capable of growing crops or supporting livestock. It is often characterised by fertile soil, access to water, accessibilityj and suitable climate conditions. These days agricultural activities are much broader than crops and livestock.

As South Stoke farmer Ryan Haydon says “Food production is still the fundamental purpose of agriculture, but the work of farming today has evolved to further: Farmers are now encouraged to create a ‘green and pleasant land' for the increasing number of leisure seekers and to support biodiversity by creating woodlands, field buffers of wild flowers and new hedgerows.”

Wild flower field margins provide numerous benefits, including attracting pollinators and aiding in natural pest control.

Woodlands also offer many benefits to farming, including: Providing shelter for livestock in harsh weather conditions and crops to reduce wind damage, improve water efficiency, reduce water erosion and even reduce spray drift from pesticides. Woodlands are used for recreational activities, such as walking, cycling, and camping, attracting visitors and generating other sources income for the farm.

Ryan Haydon continued “South Stoke farm has had to constantly react to market forces, and diversification has evolved in many forms, but my family and I are the ultimate custodians of this spectacularly beautiful corner of the English countryside and we are committed to preserve it for generations to come.”

James Stewart, Zimmer Stewart Gallery curator says “So, for us Productive Land is the brief given to the 22 artists invited to submit works for this unique exhibition. The artists can interpret this in their own way, and the range of works we will be showing represent the very different experiences, knowledge and skills that they each have. The submitted works are inspired by memory of particular places, the interplay of human and natural forces, biodiversity and of course agriculture. It is clear that as well as appreciating the works for what they are, we can also delve deeper into the processes the artist used and the subject matter itself.”

All the artists taking part have a connection to Sussex.

The exhibition in 2025 will take place from 12 to 16 June 2025 at South Stoke Barn, South Stoke, near Arundel, BN18 9PF, and will be open everyday from 11am to 6pm.

On Friday 13 June there will be a Talk on Art and Agriculture: Productive Land led by Ryan Haydon with James Stewart and Nick Bodimeade in support of The Sussex Snowdrop Trust (thesussexsnowdrop.com). Tickets from The Sussex Snowdrop Trust cost £25 and include champagne and delicious canapés provided by Ren's Kitchen.

Diana Levantine, Co-founder of The Sussex Snowdrop Trust said “It is so generous that Ryan and Tanya Haydon are hosting this special evening for the charity. We look forward to hearing more on the subject of ‘The Productive Land’ with James from Zimmer Stewart Gallery and Ryan. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to raise awareness about the vital support the Care at Home Team provide for local children with a life-threatening illness. It was a fantastic evening last year and one not to be missed!”

The artists taking part in Productive Land are: Emily Ball, Matt Bodimeade, Nick Bodimeade, Pippa Blake, Tom Farthing, John Harmer, Emma Hurst, Frances Knight, Andrew Milne, Karin Moorhouse, Paul Newland, Lucinda Oestreicher, Piers Ottey, Deborah Petch, Andrew Roberts, Tiffany Robinson, Melanie Rose, Tania Rutland, Kate Sherman, Catherine Somerville, Phil Tyler and Andy Waite.

Full details of the exhibition and the artists taking part with images are on the Zimmer Stewart Gallery website (zimmerstewart.co.uk)