Return to Nature

Throughout the past year getting outdoors and exploring the green open spaces close to home has become more important than ever. For a long time, we were told to stay at home and the only break from this was to go for our daily allotted hour of exercise in our local area. Those who found themselves visiting the parks and green spaces on their doorsteps found a return to nature that offered an escape from the pressures of the unfolding pandemic.

Now that the U.K is beginning to reopen, photographers Mario Popham and Joe Roper have been working with people from across the Wigan borough to explore what coming outside again and immersing yourself in the green landscape means to them. Commissioned by Wigan Council and Open Eye Gallery for Wigan Arts Festival 2021, the two photographers have been inviting people who have built a connection to these natural spaces to participate in the creation of photographic work.