Marshy Mud Flats and the Call of the Curlew is an exhibition of collages and paintings by Fiona Spirals in St Mary’s Higham, a medieval church on the edge of Higham Marshes, North Kent. There will be a talk by ornithologist Simon Ginnaw, and a songwriting workshop inspired by the curlew’s song run by The Ashen Keys. A new soundscape created by musician David Bowdler accompanies the exhibition.

Fiona will be in residence during the exhibition, making work and greeting people daily. Fiona has been engaged with this beautiful building and its setting over several decades. For this exhibition, the church becomes an imaginary vessel, an Ark protecting and cherishing the rich biodiversity of the North Kent Marshes. However, many of the birds here are endangered and on The Red List. This Ark has witnessed thousands of years of birds and here we are in 2025 confronted with the loss of so much. In this exhibition Fiona is particularly gripped by curlews, who are known for their elegant curved beaks and plaintive cry, yet we are likely to lose them in the next ten years if we don’t help them.

In the Ark of St Mary’s, Fiona will share drawings, collages, photographs and poems, to engage people in this place and its wonderful species. There will also be information about our marsh, and, in partnership with the national group Curlew Action, specifically about curlews. Simon Ginnaw, Nature Reserve Warden and Guide at Elmley Nature Reserve, will talk about curlews and birdlife of the Thames Estuary and what we can do to help. Rochester-based folk group The Ashen Keys are offering a special song-writing workshop inspired by the exhibition.

This project has been evolving over a few years. Fiona is a well-known local artist, involved in many projects. Here she gathers together artists and people who love and want to protect our precious wildlife.