A Meeting of Minds

Over the past two years, I have come to know the River Wandle better. This extraordinary urban chalk stream gathers such passion from the local community and has a rich history of industry and textiles that shaped South London's development.

It was fitting that local artist Jo Sharpe designed the poster for our UK River Summit, with her stunning painting taking centre stage. The artwork was inspired by her regular walks with her dog Tilly through Beddington Park, where the Wandle meanders through ancient parkland away from urban development.

Jo welcomed many people to her stand at the UK River Summit at Morden Hall on July 8th. With her son Edward volunteering for the day, they became very much part of our team, embodying the community spirit that makes these events work.

The painting proves evocative not only of the day itself, but of the River Wandle where our event has been based for the past two years. As the proud new owner of this beautiful piece, I arranged to meet Jo and Tilly in Beddington Park earlier this week to see the location that had provided inspiration and learn more about Jo's work.

She met me at Hackbridge Station and we drove to Beddington Park. We walked to the café, crossing the river on several occasions along paths that Jo knows intimately. She showed me some of her latest work and talked about her hopes to collaborate with Elly Platt, a fellow exhibitor at the UK River Summit and an artist and activist devoted to the River Wandle,.

On our way back, after we had wandered once again along the banks of this urban chalk stream, Jo took me to the bridge where the view had inspired her painting. Standing there brought the artwork even more to life. I could see exactly where Jo had added her artistic license, introducing the anglers and boats that weren't physically present but captured the spirit of how people connect with this and other stretches of water.

This encounter reminded me why art plays such a vital role in our work. Jo's painting doesn't just document the Wandle - it invites people into relationship with it. Her poster drew people to our Summit who might never have attended a traditional environmental conference. Through her brush, she creates the emotional connection that policy papers and data alone cannot achieve.

The River Wandle continues to be our teacher, showing us that urban waterways can inspire the same passion as pristine countryside streams. In Jo's hands, it becomes not just a geographical feature, but a call to care for the waters that flow through our communities.

Art and rivers, it turns out, both have the power to bring people together around something larger than themselves.

Jo’s work can be found at www.jo-sharpe.co.uk

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