A Dyeing Wish

An inspirational story for the dark days of winter.

A remarkable five-year project called Three Acres of Colour is taking place on a farm in Wiltshire. The figurehead is acclaimed fine-art photographer Garry Fabian Miller who has been inspired by early 20th Century natural weaver and dyer Ethel Mairet to attempt to grow at scale weld, woad and madder - the dye-plants which yield the primary colours, yellow, blue and red.

Three Acres of Colour is set against worldwide anxieties about chemical dyes and against Garry's personal story as he undergoes treatment for bladder cancer after a life given to the toxicity of traditional dark room colours.

While farm-owner Sarah Griffin hopes to find a new source of income, Garry is reinterpreting one of his final dark room works, The Ark, in a new textile version, created by Bristol-based design and weaving studio Dash and Miller and using wool dyed from the project.

Contributors include master potter and writer Edmund de Waal, gardener and dyer Tania Compton, head gardener Les Brindley, farm manager Mike Mundy and the Dash and Miller team, Emma Loughton, Molly Hayden, Juliet Bailey and Libby Kates.

With a specially commissioned soundscape by Emily Levy inspired by the natural music of the handloom and of the larks which sing above the Three Acres of Colour field, performed by Riaan Vosloo and Richard Ormrod.

Photo credit: Nicholas J R White

Presented and produced by Beaty Rubens
A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 4