Aid & Abet – North West Cambridge Residency, The Soft Landscape

A year-long, practice-led artist residency by Aid & Abet at North West Cambridge, developed in partnership with the University’s Department of Land Economy. The project explored landscape transformation, place-making, and human–environment relationships through interdisciplinary artistic research and public engagement.

This project involved artists working closely with the University and local community to creatively explore how a former agricultural site was changing into a new neighbourhood. Using sculpture, photography, film, drawing, and writing, the artists documented and reflected on how people relate to landscape and place.

The project demonstrated how practice-led artistic research can contribute meaningful insight into processes of landscape transformation and place-making. It highlighted the value of slow, process-based methods in fostering interdisciplinary dialogue, community engagement, and alternative forms of knowledge production.