'The Migration Habits of Stones' is an international public art project that Alyson began in 2001. Funded by the Arts Council, and made possible by a wonderful group of friends and colleagues, the project is a study of the ways in which stones move around the world and how they occupy a central and often sacred place in most cultures. So far the outcome of the project is three works of art. Each one is a stone with the words, 'And stones moved silently across the world' carved into them by Alec Peever. The stones have been sited in the U.K., U.S.A., and Australia.

Click here for information about the Migrating Stones project.

By increasing the pavement widths in Milsom Street, Bath, the council created a new space within the city. In celebration of the new space, the council's ci:te project invited stone carver Alec Peever to create a lasting art work that would further enhance the street and the city. Alec worked with Alyson Hallett and together they have given Bath a poetical pavement which draws on the city's beginnings and future as a spa.

Alec has hand carved Alyson's poem with hammer and chisel into the paving, adding individual words at the edges of the site. Their powerful collaboration has given Bath a public work of art that is available to everyone, every day, at any time.

Poem carved into Milsom Street pavement, Bath.

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"I wanted people to feel that they were being spoken to in an intimate way...to feel a sense of wonder literally arising from the stones beneath their feet."

Alyson Hallett

Stone Carver: Alec Peever
Funded by CI:TE project

All text and poems by Alyson Hallett,
stone carving by Alec Peever

with Opus Glass Design

The text for this window was written by Alyson Hallett and by young people who attended workshops run by Alyson in the local youth club.

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"Glass is the salt of intellect – a seeing through,
its transparency pushes into dark corners."

Derek Jarman, Chroma

When I was poet-in-residence at The Small School in Hartland I wrote and sited a poem at one of the garages in the village. Jeff, the owner of the garage, was happy for me to put the poem in the display board providing I put my name at the bottom of it so that people didn't think he'd started writing poetry.

St. Matthias Campus, University of the West of England

Whilst I was Visiting Writer at the University of the West of England I wrote poems and text on the library windows. Shadows from the words and letters sprawled across the floor and bookcases.

After winning a competition the following poem was sited in the city centre of Bristol.

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This poem was written onto the windows of the Watershed for the Year of the Artist conference when I was writer-in-residence for Arts Council England, South West for the Year of the Artist.

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