Reflections from Penrith on Rave on for the Avon.

Two years ago, almost to the day, Green Screen, Alhambra in Penrith premiered Rosa

Prosser’s short film of View from the River’s Big Swim: Eden, Source to Sea. So it

was very special for us to be in that space again, watching the brilliant

Rave on for the Avon, reflecting on all that’s happened in the year since.

Confession – this was our second viewing of Charlotte Sawyer’s film, a ‘joyous documentary about Bristol’s clean water campaigners’. (Guardian film review, Wed 22 nd Jan). Sustainable Keswick invited us to their Alhambra back in June to watch it and join in with the Q&A afterwards.

We loved it then, and it’s even better for a second viewing. You feel you’ve got to know the characters on a deeper level, their fierce love for this most beloved patch of the Avon, the obstacles they’re up against – and it’s the sheer creative perseverance of this community, with the health of the river close to their hearts, that leaves the viewer so inspired.

Aggie, swimmer and newest member of citizen science group Conham Bathing swims in her favourite part of the Bristol Avon. Still from Rave On For The Avon,

Whatever their ‘thing’, be it mono-finning mermaidly across the Bristol Channel, devising sampling tests to take to Wessex Water HQ, building a beautiful bench for the year round swimmers, or just showing up for every Avon-inspired event in their joyous, clamorous numbers, these guys doing it the Bristol way make you want a dose of whatever it is they’re on.

Eva and Becca of citizen science group Conham Bathing take a sample of the Bristol Avon. Still from Rave On For The Avon,

We joined the Q and A panel afterwards, and it was clear the film had warmed the audience to the core. Filmmaker Charlotte Sawyer, and CEO of Eden Rivers Trust, Elizabeth Radford, fielded a wide variety of questions including how to deal with agricultural run-off affecting the Eden, the creation of good buffer strips and how best to engage those with the power and the money to change things.

To make them see why this matters. Whilst it can be dispiriting to think – all this work on the part of brilliant, clever, energetic activists – for so little, if any, change – there is no denying the power, the hope and the community to be found in the business of protecting our precious waterways.

View from the River intend to continue their river guardianship work, along with their wonderful group of volunteers, sampling the Eden at 12 different sites. They’ll be taking their short film with accompanying talk to more groups in the Eden community and will soon begin a collaboration with a secondary school in Carlisle.

You can follow us on Instagram @viewfromtheriver.

Kit Hollings

View from the River

Thank you from Director of Rave On For The Avon Charlotte (left) to Kit, Jenny and Karen for a lovely swim in the lake pictured above.

Karen Johl organiser of Penrith's Green Screen said of the film

I think it is easy to get disheartened when we think about the state of the environment. But as Joan Baez says “action is the antidote to despair” and this film shows just what the joy of being in community with a purpose can do to try and make a difference both for ourselves and for the planet.

Rave On For The Avon will soon be available to watch online, please join our mailing list to be informed when we can announce the date.