The project
Arcadia Revisited aims to explore the ‘essence’ of Jaywick – the social, cultural, historical and environmental elements that contribute to a sense of place. Drawing on the ancient Greek concept of ‘arcadia’ as an idyllic vision of the wilderness, Arcadia Revisited looks again at the original utopian vision that led to the creation of holiday communities such as Jaywick. During summer, David and Alex worked with the people of Jaywick to develop a creative project which investigates what this arcadia vision means today and what it could mean in the future.
This vision will be shared with the professionals of Essex County Council and Tendring District Council.
This is a cross-disciplinary project. The resulting partnerships will be established through creative participation, as well as the resulting new approaches that could inform future practice in the redevelopment of coastal areas. It will also develop a methodology for analysis and visioning for future developments taking into account the valuable social and physical heritage of an area.
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“Jaywick is a place with a unique history and heritage that deserves to be better known, a place where the community has created a DIY holiday resort of immense character. I'm hoping that any work we do at Jaywick will support this community of residents and visitors alike to sustain a relationship with the stark beauty of the marshes and the ever changing seascape as the environment and society changes in the future.”
Alex Murdin
“Despite the established consultation processes within planning, there still remains a perceptual divide between external consultants and ‘local residents’ understanding of place, value and community. This project will not resolve this issue, but it may serve to create prototype mechanisms to re-evaluate the existing hierarchies of information and raise questions about the historic weaknesses in transparent communication between those who are designing landscape and those who live within it.”
David Cotterrell
