Standing Ground is an immersive installation by Urban Projections and composer CJ Mirra, created during a residency with the Harley Foundation on the historic Welbeck Estate. The piece invites audiences to reconnect with the natural world - celebrating its rhythms, resilience, and quiet power in the face of ecological change.

Developed through collaboration and exploration, the project brought together artists, scientists, and community participants. Working with ecologist Simon Pickles, zine artist Harry Hempsall, and clients from Aebal Care and Support Services, the team journeyed into a 16th-century woodland to record the living soundscape of the forest. Participants used microphones and cameras to document the subtle language of nature, uncovering the therapeutic impact of simply listening and being present.

These field recordings formed the backbone of the work. Forest sounds were shaped into rhythmic textures; snare-like snaps, low-frequency rumbles, and layered ambient tones - merging natural acoustics with electronic production to create a textured, immersive score.

The project also drew inspiration from Welbeck’s veteran trees - centuries-old witnesses to change. Archival photographs from the 1870s reveal their enduring presence. In response, young artists from the Proto-Type Collective worked with AI to co-create evolving visual sequences, translating these symbols of endurance into generative imagery that moved in tandem with the sound.

Standing Ground offers a quiet, reflective experience. It’s a hopeful space - one that encourages care, awareness, and a sense of shared responsibility for the future.