Standing alone at the edge of a dark lake, a single step rises from the water. Hesitantly you start your journey. One by one steps emerge in front of you. They lead you out into the water, disappearing behind you. You concentrate on the action of stepping. Water laps close and sploshes as the steps recede.

The action of your walking drives the steps to rise and fall. Each one pushes down a little to provide the force to raise the next. You feel the working of the linkages through your feet. It takes focus and balance. It's un-nerving at first but you settle into the rhythm of it.

At the centre of the lake the steps end. Your focus shifts from action to reflection. You look up – maybe for the first time. You are completely cut off from the shore and you've come much further than you thought. The water seems infinitely deep and the shore remote. You are small, isolated and unreachable. This is the purpose of Progression, take your time.

Is Progression real?

Yes. We've built several prototypes and we're getting close to perfecting the mechanism. Now we're trying to find the perfect site for the permanent version, which will be outdoors in a lake. The photographs on this website are from prototype versions.

Where can I see it?

Occasionally we show the prototypes publically in galleries - keep an eye on this website for details of the next showing. We're working on finding the perfect site for the permanent version right now.

How is it managed?

Visitors will be taken to Progression by a guide. Without the guide you can't walk on the steps (the mechanism will be locked under the water). Unfortunately it wouldn't be practical or safe to just leave it open all the time.

How deep is the water and how big is the lake?

The water is about 2 feet deep but it seems much deeper because it's dark. We're planning for a lake about 100 feet (30 meters) in diameter. It'll take about 40 steps to get to the middle.

How does it work?

It's a purely mechanical system of linkages (connected levers). All of the energy to drive the steps comes from the person walking on it. Each step pushes down about 50mm under your weight. Beneath the water an enclosed mechanism amplifies that movement and uses it to raise the next step from the bottom of the water. The same motion compresses a spring just enough to push the step back down once you've gone past it.

Is it scary?

A lot of people find it frightening or experience vertigo especially at the beginning, but once you get used to how it moves walking on it becomes more meditative.

Can I change my mind half way and go back?

Yes, there's always one step in front of the one you're on and one behind so you can turn around any time.

Is it safe?

You can fall off, in which case you get totally soaked and rather cold but nothing much worse than that. In the worst case the guide is there to help you out.

How is it funded?

Progression is mostly funded by private donors. We've already raised about two thirds of what will be needed to build a permanent version of it so we're getting on with starting and we'll raise the rest as we go along. There will probably be a small cost to visitors so that we can keep it running but we'll keep it as low as we can. Progression is a labor of love, nobody is trying to get rich from it.