Rivers4Life

Our exciting new education project is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Our Rivers4Life exhibition is now OPEN!

Come and visit our family-friendly exhibition which has lots of things to engage audiences of all ages, including some beautiful costumes of river creatures for dressing up, and lots of hands-on activities for children!

The exhibition is open 7 days a week from 10am to 4pm, until 27th September, at the Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes. Entry is £5 for adults and FREE for children under 16.

With an exciting mixture of river facts, challenges and solutions, films, sound stations, artefacts, community and schools artwork, interactives, photography, an underwater installation, and a gorgeous stop-frame animation, it's a real celebration of our beautiful rivers!


Here's what visitors have to say:


“What a comprehensive exhibition - the way it all linked together like a seamless flow was so impressive. And the fact that you’ve involved so many children and young people in it was marvellous – as they are the future custodians of our rivers. The whole experience is really enjoyable.”


“An exhibition that makes sense to young and old. My girls and I have spent ages here and we will be back! Well done for including young people, who are our future.”


“I have really valued this exhibition with the bright, clear posters and great information.”


“Loved the children’s contributions!”


"Incredible display. Inspiring, practical – a real lesson on conservation and sense of place."

More about Rivers4Life

The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players they support projects that connect people and communities to heritage. Their vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more; heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. Heritage has the power to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past. Find out more at www.heritagefund.org.uk.


Thanks to National Lottery players the 3-year Rivers4Life project will enable us to work with schools and communities along the rivers Wharfe, Swale, Ure, Nidd and Ouse, and their tributaries. Through the project we will be collaborating with artists to inspire children and communities about everything to do with rivers and wildlife using the arts to connect with new audiences, and extending our education and engagement programme.  Alongside our river sessions, there will be workshops to engage schools and community groups through visual art, soundscapes, theatre, stop-frame animation and music; we'll also be running guided walks and family activity sessions during school holidays.


If your school or community group is in the catchments of the rivers of the Yorkshire Dales, please email education@ydrt.co.uk to enquire about Rivers4Life workshops or booking the Rivers mobile classroom  to visit your school in 2026-7. 

Year 1 - 2025

YDRT Rivers4Life mobile education van

In Year 1 of the project, in addition to our rivers workshops with the mobile classroom, we worked on some amazing arts projects linking groups with rivers and wildlife! School and community workshops have involved collaborating with fabulous artists including Ashford Cottage Design, filmmaker, animator and community artist Finn Varney, Falling Stars Theatre, Music Box, and Soundscape artist David de la Haye. The finished pieces are included in the Rivers4Life exhibition at the Dales Countryside Museum, Hawes, over the summer of 2026.

Year 2 - 2026

Everyone loves rivers

In Year 2 of the project, the Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes, are hosting our family-friendly Rivers4Life summer exhibition showcasing the work of the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust, and including art produced in the Rivers4Life schools and community workshops, photography, artefacts, sound stations, films and interactives! The exhibition is open to the public every day from Saturday 6th June to Sunday 27th September 2026, 10am to 4pm. 

We have enjoyed performances in Hawes and Ripon of "Tributaries" - an exciting bespoke community theatre performance about the River Ure written and produced by by Fell Foss Theatre, featuring poetry, prose and music.

We will also be continuing our programme of schools workshops and guided river walks. Contact education@ydrt.co.uk for more information.

Year 3 - 2027

Water butt

In Year 3 we will be working with two local schools to install Sustainable Drainage Solution (SuDS) features such as rain gardens and water butts, in school grounds.  There will also be training opportunities for teachers and group leaders to learn about river wildlife and freshwater invertebrate sampling.  If you work at a school in our catchment and you'd like to find out more about the SuDS installations or teacher training sessions, please get in touch: education@ydrt.co.uk. 

Rivers4Life Events

  • Rivers4Life exhibition

    The Rivers4Life exhibition is now open at the Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes and runs until Sunday 27th September. The exhibition is a celebration of our rivers and wildlife, showcasing the amazing artwork, films, music and photography which have been produced as part of the Rivers4Life project. It is also an opportunity to find out about the challenges faced by our rivers and the projects that we are working on to address these. Further details of opening times and admission: https://www.dalescountrysidemuseum.org.uk/exhibitions/

  • Felted Rivers - free event! 5th August

    Wednesday 5th August 2026


    Make your own needle-felted river scene, to coincide with the Rivers4Life exhibition at the Dales Countryside Museum, Hawes. Included in museum admission. 


    Family drop-in sessions from 1pm to 4pm.

    No booking required.

  • Watery Weavings - free event! 6th August

    Thursday 6th August 2026

    Dales Countryside Museum, Hawes.


    A free family art workshop on rivers and wildlife, linking with our Rivers4Life exhibition. 

    Morning session 10.30am to 12.30pm

    Afternoon session 2pm - 4pm. 

    Spaces are limited so please book ahead to avoid disappointment. Book your FREE place at https://www.dalescountrysidemuseum.org.uk/events/

  • Rivers2U education van pop-up - free event! 26th August

    The Rivers2U mobile classroom van will be visiting the Dales Countryside Museum at Hawes between 11am and 3pm on Wednesday 26th August. With our rivers table model, displays and a sample of freshwater invertebrates to discover and identify, come and talk to our staff and find out about our local rivers and streams.

    No booking - drop-in event!

  • Rivers and wildlife walk for young people 18 - 30 - free event! 6th September

    Join us for a relaxing walk, chatting about rivers and spotting wildlife while soaking up some fresh air and meeting new friends.

    For 18 to 30s. A 7.5 mile walk from the Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes. Free event. Booking essential - click here to book

Rivers4Life Photography Competition

A big thank you to everyone who entered our photography competition. We were blown away by the standard of your beautiful images! 

The competition is now closed and the final stage of judging completed, selecting the winning photographs featuring our Yorkshire Dales rivers and wildlife. The five winning images from each of the four seasons are on display in the Rivers4Life exhibition at the Dales Countryside Museum. The Rivers4Life 2027 calendar of the winning photographs is now available to purchase for £10 through the shop at the Dales Countryside Museum or by contacting us on enquiries@ydrt.co.uk (£10 + p&p).

Education Resources

Find out more about further education resources we have available:

Some feedback from the groups we have worked with:

  • Hunton & Arrathorne CP School

    ”The children really enjoyed it and I felt there was a fun atmosphere in both the initial workshop and then the final performance, helped by the enthusiastic delivery of the team."  

    (Falling Stars Theatre workshop and performance of the River Project).

  • Hawes Community Primary School

    ”The children loved the whole process from drawing, to cutting the lino and printing it at the end. A brilliant experience for the children - they loved it and so did I!"  

    (River wildlife lino printing workshop).

  • Boroughbridge Primary School

    ”Extremely inclusive - our SEND children were fully involved and engaged."


    "I enjoyed everything about the whole experience!" (pupil)


    (River wildlife and Music composition workshops).

  • Women's group, Refugee Council

    “The women (enjoyed) talking about their own connection to rivers in Afghanistan and sharing it with each other, (giving a) sense of empowerment. Felt like a good springboard in connecting to the rivers project."  (Group leader).


    "Before I came here, I was feeling unhappy. Now I come here and I'm happy."  (Participant).


    (A series of textile and art workshops on the theme of rivers and wildlife).

Since January 2025 our Rivers4Life education project has engaged with:

Schools

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Community groups