TREELINE by Graham Fitkin
TREELINE is a creative musical project devised by composer Graham Fitkin connecting communities to their environments, trees and forests.
Date: Saturday 18 July 2026
Opening Times & Location:
-
Pre-concert: Weeping Ash in Kingsnorth Gardens, 16:30
-
Concert: The Grand on The Leas, 18:00
“We are working with communities throughout Europe following old growth forests and their remnants in 10 countries from Romania to the UK, using music, data collection, field recordings and concert performances to engender greater respect for trees and biodiversity, and increase understanding of why these things are so important."
Treeline comprises a 2500-mile journey through 10 European countries, with concerts and workshops at 20 locations of a new musical work using recordings from specific trees. Communities from Romania back to the UK choose a local tree to ‘profile’.
These communities work with Graham to collect data, including measurements of the tree, its canopy shape, branch structure, images of the tree, ambient audio and also audio recordings from inside each tree. All this information goes into a new flexible one-hour musical work which emphasises different trees at each performance…and Graham will be cycling the entire route! TREELINE WEBSITE
SOUNDS FOLKESTONE are thrilled that Folkestone will be one of Graham’s destinations on this epic journey through Europe. Plus, the concert here in Folkestone will be the UK Premiere of his new work.
As part of our SACCONI RESIDENCY initiative here in Folkestone, we have devised a community project inspired by Graham’s incredible mission to highlight the plight of Europe’s slow-growth forests. Although we don’t have any slow-growth forests in Folkestone, we do have some pretty special trees! And the beautiful Weeping Ash in Kingsnorth Gardens will be the focus of this particular concert.
Graham will be joined in the performance by the Sacconi Quartet, the renowned British string quartet celebrating their 25th year this season and Folkestone’s Quartet in Residence.
An invitation to local community groups and individuals with an interest in conservation, nature and sustainability:
We are inviting 20–30 local environmental groups and individuals to contribute to a unique installation celebrating nature, the environment and all things green!
The finished piece will be created from many individual paper panels joined together to form one large hanging installation. Made from translucent, green kozo paper and displayed in front of a large window, the work will glow with natural light, echoing the experience of walking through woodland, where sunlight filtered through chlorophyll-rich leaves creates the distinctive green light of the forest canopy. The completed piece will be exhibited at The Grand during Graham’s performance.
Each participant will receive a paper panel featuring part of a hand-drawn network of tree branches. We invite you to respond creatively within the ‘Treelines’ using whatever medium feels right for you. You don’t need to be an artist to take part!
There will also be an opportunity at the event for those community organisations to display information about their group, to meet like-minded people, socialise and plot their next green project together!
Panels need to be completed by the end of June, preferably so that there’s plenty of time to construct and install the final piece. If this sounds like something you’d like to get involved in, then please get in touch ASAP with our project leader, Rhian Hancox, and she will send you more detailed information. rhian@soundsfolkestone.co.uk
There is no cost to participate and tickets to the concert will be free for participants. Tickets are also on public sale here: www.soundsfolkestone.co.uk
See the links below for more info on the Sacconi Quartet and their Residency in Folkestone:
Treeline Funders: Vaughan Williams Foundation, The European Nature Trust, Hinrchsen Foundation, City of London Corporation, Nylon Films, Highly Sensitive Tree Foundation, Tim Schumacher, Regis, Rausgegangen, Circle4Change, Chapman Charitable Trust.
