Great Yarmouth-based community artist Genevieve Rudd has spent much of the past year in hospital with an acquired brain injury. Here, she explains why she is developing a new creative walks project in Norfolk/Suffolk, which will be neuro-impairment inclusive
It would be no exaggeration to say that community artist Genevieve Rudd has been out of action this past year, having acquired a brain injury that resulted in major surgery and long-term hospitalisation. Genevieve, who was born and raised in Gorleston, had set up Under Open Sky in 2021, a not-for-profit social enterprise which set out to create spaces to explore the changing coastal climate. However, last year she experienced an aneurism which led to months of rehabilitation.
During her hospitalisation, Genevieve desperately missed getting out and about in nature, making art, so, as soon as she was able to, with support, take short trips out or spend time in the hospital gardens.
Informed by this traumatic health experience, and her extensive previous work leading and developing participatory arts and wellbeing programmes with communities, she intends to – with support – develop a new programme.
Ambulatory Imaginations will be a neuro-impairment-inclusive creative nature project for, with, and by people with neurological impairment in Norfolk and Suffolk.
Genevieve says: ‘Ambulatory Imaginations is inspired by my experience of brain injury which lost me my ability to walk, and I’ve spent the last few months trying to relearn whilst coming to terms with a new identity.’
The aim is to connect with nature and make art together in mobility-inclusive and sensory-inclusive ways in 2025. She adds: ‘Walking has always been a very significant part of who I am as I used to lead walking projects, and loved walking for my own pleasure and health.
‘I’d love the chance to connect with other people with similar life and health experiences so that we can connect and be part of connecting with the natural world together.
‘I believe that having mobility or sensory differences shouldn’t be a reason for being excluded from nature. I love the idea that a walking project could be led by a recovering hemiplegic; that creative sensory experiences could be led by an artist with sight loss and hemisensory loss.’
Genevieve reflects: ‘I’ve spent eight of the last 12 months inside in hospital environments. It’s through these experiences that I have renewed appreciation for my love of creativity and being out in the world, in nature. I’m moving my body – as much my barriers allow me to.’
If you are or support someone with a neurological condition – Genevieve and her team would love to hear from you in a scoping survey. Your input will help them develop the project and apply for funding to pilot activity in Spring 2025. Visit Ambulatory Imaginations scoping survey – December 2024 and follow @ambulatoryimaginations on Instagram for updates.
Featured image of Genevieve looking over the promenade railings at Gorleston
Leave a Reply