A violinist and composer has been chosen to become this year’s Artist of Residence for the district.

Ellie Wilson, from Leytonstone, will be the second person and first musician to hold the prestigious title as part of the Waltham Forest Borough of Culture programme.

The composer will be responsible of the People’s Forest project throughout the year focusing on celebrating Epping Forest through several creative interpretations.

“I found out in January and it was announced in March,” said Ms Wilson. “I grew up in Waltham Forest and lived in the area all my life know the area very well.

“There’s just so much in the Forest where do you start? I have chosen to be inspired by the stories about Epping Forest for my creative influence.

“It’s all about the human interaction with the Forest throughout the centuries, there is so much history here it’s about trying to make people more aware of these stories throughout music.”

The musician is planning to create an album by combining the natural sounds in key areas of the ancient woodland with compositions from playing the violin.

Stories surrounding the Forest as a sanctuary for Londoners during the Blitz, Great Fire and the Plague living amongst wildlife centuries will be closely documented.

Loughton Camp an well-establsihed Iron Age settlement will also provide key influences to creating an artistic installation at The View in Chingford which will launch this autumn.

“Guests will be given headphones and absorb the sounds by reading the stories I was influenced by, she explained. “Some ponds in Epping Forest have been created from World War Two bombs that were dropped which has now been reclaimed by nature and wildlife.”

Ms Wilson also revealed her biggest most personal influence in the Peoples Forest project is the story of her five-time great uncle, Thomas Willingale.

In dedication to her ancestors’ efforts to preserve the 1,000-year-old forestry, a folk song will be written highlighting his efforts of securing the Forest Act of 1878.

Ms Wilson explained: “It’s always been a thing I have known in the family through my grandmother has told me but its has been until the beginning of this year I have put some more research into it.

“This is the perfect story with a folk song, folk music is a big influence as I am with the band, Stick in the Woods, but classical is also another big influence on me.”

Alongside writing and producing an album for the Waltham Forest Borough of Culture event, the Leytonstone violinist regularly posts about her research on her blog.

“There’s so much inspiration it trying to condense it down and pick out the bits that I want to be influence by,” she continued. “It’s about getting people more interested in their local history and explore the more off beaten track of the forest.

To find out more about Ellie, visit www.elliewilsonmusic.co.uk or https://wfculture19.co.uk/ to learn more about Waltham Forest Borough of Culture events.