Blackburn artist trekking to the Arctic (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Blackburn artist trekking to the Arctic

2:40pm Saturday 2nd August 2008 in News By John Anson, Features editor

ARTIST Rebecca McKnight has set herself the ultimate challenge — a 300 mile trek across the roof of the world.

The Blackburn-born 28-year-old aims to turn her expedition through the Canadian Arctic into a unique art project, providing she can raise £50,000 for her trip.

But, as she tells us, she hates the cold and is scared of polar bears.

YOU would have thought that merely surviving a 40-day trek through some of the most inhospitable landscapes in the world would be challenge enough.

But for Rebecca McKnight, survival is just a starting point for a project she’s called Th’Arctic.

“For me it’s much more than just an expedition to cross from one point to another,” said Rebecca, “As an artist I want to use the expedition as the basis for a whole series of projects. The expedition itself will even be an on-going art project.”

Rebecca, 28, hopes to embark on her epic journey in March.

She aims to take part in an unsupported expedition from Resolute Bay to Greise Fjord in the Canadian Arctic, travelling between the two northernmost Innuit communities in the region.

“Unsupported means that you have to haul everything you will need for the whole expedition on a sled,” said Rebecca, a former pupil of Westholme School and Meadowhead Junior School in Blackburn.

Thanks to a grant from Arts Council England, Rebecca has already been able to spend three weeks in the Scandinavian Arctic learning survival techniques and experiencing what it will be like for her journey.

“On the trip we’ll need to take on 4,000 calories a day to survive,” she said. “Temperatures could drop to as low as minus 50.”

As part of her training, Rebecca worked with experienced Arctic explorer Mark Wood, who will lead next year’s expedition.

“We spent time learning how to cross-country ski, navigation and even how to bear-proof our camps,” said Rebecca.

For her trip and its various spin-off projects, Rebecca needs to raise a total of £50,000 and she is optimistic that local businesses will support her.

Her first sponsor is personal trainer David Brownley, from The Fitness Works, Salford, a former trainer with the Army who is an expert in Arctic survival.

“I know that David will get me fit enough to cope with the trek,” said Rebecca.

“But I’m still frightened of polar bears, I fear the cold and I have a fear about the whole mental side of the expedition — will I be able to cope?”

But in spite of her fears, Rebecca is relishing the challenge and the opportunities such an expedition offers her as an artist.

“The expedition for me is just the start of things,” she said.

“While on the trek I will be creating daily blogs on the website (www.rebecca-mcknight.co.uk), recording a video diary and taking photographs.”

But Rebecca has also set up plans for various subsidiary projects, including Th’Arctic Education in which she aims to visit local schools to give talks and involve pupils in various projects, and Th’Arctic Social, a journalism project to which would-be writers and existing writers will contribute and a series of exhibitions and talks.

Rebecca is currently artist in residence at the University of Salford and has recently set up her own marketing business.

She has previously undertaken youth projects with Blackburn and Darwen Council.

“When I return from the expedition I will have so much that I can pass on and use in talks to both schools and also to businesses,” she said.

“Without sponsorship, none of this will happen but I am confident that I will raise the money.

"I know that sponsors will certainly get value for money.

"I don’t expect anyone to come up with the whole amount, although that would be nice, but they could sponsor individual elements of the project or offer sponsorship in kind.”

For further details about Rebecca’s expedition, visit www.rebecca-mcknight.co.uk.

Anyone interested in sponsoring any part of the project can contact her on 01254 277190.