Beaford is proud to be part of Celebrating Devon’s World Class Heritage, a project led by the Devonshire Association and supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project brings people across the county together to explore and enjoy the remarkable landscapes, histories and creative traditions that have earned Devon its international recognition through UNESCO.
As part of this year-long celebration the Devonshire Association commissioned Beaford to host two bursary placements for young local artists during the autumn of 2025. Each artist has spent time researching, learning and creating new work that shines a light on one of Devon’s globally significant heritage designations.
One bursary has been designed to focus on the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, a place where nature, community and sustainable living come together in a landscape of outstanding beauty and importance. Aaban Aslam’s illustrative narrative, Tracing The Rivers, explores and celebrates the identity of this special area.
The second bursary draws its inspiration from Exeter’s status as a UNESCO City of Literature, a celebration of the deep literary roots and vibrant contemporary writing culture to be found in the city and across Devon. Nathan Steward’s long poem, Three Hare Song, is a contemporary reflection in words and images on writers’ past responses to this rich cultural landscape.
This page launches the new work created through these placements. Each piece offers a fresh and imaginative response to the world class heritage on our doorstep, created by emerging artists who live, work and study in our communities.
Aaban Aslam
North Devon UNESCO Biosphere Bursary
Aaban Aslam (left) is a North Devon student and a rising graphic novelist whose illustrated stories have been enjoyed by thousands of readers and featured by the BBC. His work is known for its strong sense of place and character, and he has built an enthusiastic following for his thoughtful visual storytelling. This bursary gives Aaban the opportunity to deepen his connection with the landscape that shapes his life and community, shifting his focus from imagined worlds to the lived experiences of the people who care for the land. Through conversations, drawing sessions and visits within the biosphere, he has developed an illustrated narrative that reflects the voices of farmers, families and long standing guardians of the environment. His project aims to celebrate the identity of North Devon and to reveal the powerful relationships between people, their stories and the natural world that surrounds them.
The brief: To create new work inspired by the Beaford Archive and the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere that reflects local lives and shows the people of North Devon to themselves.
Nathan Steward
Exeter UNESCO City of Literature Bursary
Nathan Steward (right) is a University of Exeter student and an emerging author, poet and editor whose work has gained both regional and national attention. His writing has been recognised in several competitions, including the Creative Futures Award in 2025, and he has been commended in the respected Writers of the Future Contest. Nathan is inspired by the literary traditions of the South West, drawing on voices such as Laurie Lee, Ted Hughes and especially Alice Oswald, whose layered approach in Dart informs his own creative practice. For this bursary he has combined Beaford Archive images with contemporary reflections to create an accessible digital piece of writing and visual response. Audiences are invited to explore the work online and at locations linked to the authors who are featured in the Literary Map of Exeter and Devon. Through this project he hopes to encourage readers to discover the richness of Devon’s literary heritage and to explore these works for themselves.
The brief: To create new work inspired by the Beaford Archive and Exeter City of Literature’s Literary Map that explores local stories and connects place and imagination.
