Atmospheric Forces is an artwork by artists Sue Palmer and Loughborough-based Sheila Ghelani. It is about the relationships between the times we live in, and the forces that shape our lives such as minerals, air, colonialism, and human-nature relationships.

The initial development of the work began in 2020 through ‘Work in Progress’ – a joint project between the University of Reading’s Department of Film, Theatre & Television and South Street Arts, funded by Arts Council England. It was further developed through a series of week-long residencies in four locations, including in Loughborough through Radar in July 2024, which saw the artists host a series of drop-in sessions in the Martin Hall Exhibition Space.

These residencies informed the development of a final performance work, which was realised at Loughborough University in October 2025. 

The collaborative work of Sheila Ghelani and Sue Palmer is shaped through research, conversations and exchanges with people and materials. Their collaborative work Common Salt has been shown around the UK including the Wellcome Collection, Queen’s House RMG, Museum of London Docklands, Manchester Library, Glasgow Hunterian and Somerset Libraries, supported by Arts Council England. Their book Common Salt, with contributing writers including Alan Read, Deepa Bhasthi and Alice Proctor, was published in partnership with the Live Art Development Agency in 2021.