About Roam River Roam
In the UK today, we are witnessing drastic changes to the wellbeing of our waterways, with 75% of the country's rivers identified as in poor health for people and the planet.
For the past 18 months, artist Liz Wewiora has been working as a photographic artist in residence with different communities located along the rivers Sett, Goyt, Mersey and Irk. The residency explores individuals' relationships to their local river and its surrounding public green spaces. It invites us to consider how, like the different points of the river, we are all interconnected.
Socially-Engaged Artist in Residence at Stockroom
Liz Wewiora
At Stockrooom
For the River Mersey strand of the programme, Liz worked in collaboration with babies, young children and mothers at the children’s library and sensory room here in Stockroom.
Children and babies enjoyed responding to the project through creative photography and craft-based workshops, using Stockroom’s own archival imagery, audio, photo collage and video. Meanwhile, new mums were given baby sensory gift packs and invited to write a letter, using handmade recycled and seeded paper, to their children about their hopes for their future rivers.
The exhibition brings together a selection of the artworks made by the babies, parents and children, creating a collective message about what we hope for our future waterways.
Students and graduates from the University of Salford’s MA Art and Design programmes were also invited to engage with the programme, learning more about socially engaged art practice and action-based research. Huge thanks goes to graduates Jessica Robinson and Matt Mullins for working on the Stockroom strand of the project with us.
The Wider Project
Roam, River, Roam is a practice-as-research project by artist and producer Liz Wewiora, which forms part of her wider current PhD in collaboration with the University of Salford and Open Eye Gallery.
Alongside Liz’s work at Stockroom, she also worked with groups in New Mills and Ancoats exploring the local rivers there.
High Peak Community Arts in New Mills
High Peak Community Arts in New Mills, Derbyshire, explored the sounds and sensory green and blue space elements of the river through craft and alternative photographic processes. The result was a collaborative film about the rivers Sett and Goyt. The film piece also led to the title of the overall project – Roam, River, Roam – based on one of the participants’ poems.
Many Hands Craft Collective
Liz has also worked alongside the Many Hands Craft Collective (an over-60s craft group in Ancoats, Manchester) and film-maker Fiona Brehony. They explore the shift in the landscape around the river Irk as a wave of regeneration hits the area. Fiona produced a collaborative documentary film, whilst the group and Liz created a large fabric protest banner as a call to action to protect our rivers, with support from textile artist Lou Miller.
Exhibitions
In addition to the exhibition at Stockroom, which is on display from 09 February 2026, works in progress from all three projects are on display at Open Eye Gallery (Liverpool) as part of their LOOK Climate Lab programme, and who partner on Liz’ PhD, until 29 March.
Elements of all three projects are also on display at Manchester Central Library in partnership with Manchester Histories, from 21 February - 21 March, and includes a sample of the handmade paper letters rivers written by our very own Stockroom mums.
Thanks goes to all of the students and graduates who have also taken part in the programme over the past 18 months including Anna Wijnhoven, Jessica Robinson, Nia Hoffmann, Issy Sempill and Matt Mullins.
