Coming soon Peter Appleton with Origin stories of Islands on the edge of the Known World

The myths and stories of the pre-history of these islands carried value to the people that lived there. Their shared story as a people provided the glue that bound them; a common shared narrative that helped to turn a chaotic world into a coherent shared narrative that reveals their collective norms and shared values. So, stories can be powerful and shape an identity, make sense of the world, give a sense of self, dictate beliefs and influence behaviour and actions.

The islands I speak of are the islands we occupy and know today as Britain and Ireland. Do we as a people hold a common narrative of our place in the modern world, or are we bombarded with conflicting stories from TV, social media, and the press?

This exhibition seeks to take the viewer back into the ancient tales of these islands that defined the character of us as a people and tries to re-establish the common narrative that might still bind us together.

The Mappa Mundi in Hereford Cathedral shows us as a small cluster of islands on the edge of the known world – cold and wet, devoid of people – that is until the Giants arrived and that is where our collective story begins.

Meet the Artists Open Evening on Friday 10 April 2026, 7 - 9 pm Everyone Welcome