Creative Climate Workshops

Climate Museum UK, supported by Lewisham Local, are running a series of free workshops for people who live, work and study in the London Borough of Lewisham. The events listed below will all happen digitally (via Zoom) at specific times for different audiences and ages. Individuals (you!) can book onto these, using the Eventbrite links provided.

We also have funds to run free sessions for schools and community groups, so if you’d like to organise a session for a group we’d be delighted to help. Contact Beckie on email becleach@gmail.com

Making Climate History: a Future Archaeology Lab 

With Beckie Leach McDonald and Justine Boussard

Thursday 18 February 2021, 4.30-6.30pm

This course is for people aged 16+

Imagine you 500 years in the future, curating a historical and archeological exhibition about 2020 and the climate and ecological emergency – what would you include?

Everything we do today is history in the making. The aim of this workshop is to collect a series of objects and pictures that can be exhibited together to create a narrative about the climate and ecological crisis in 2020. The twist is that we are imagining that we are creating a museum in the future, and what the objects we see and use everyday might mean to people living in the future. 

There are a few elements of this workshop: (1) Collecting the objects; (2) sharing and exploring the different objects together; (3) grouping the objects into thematic displays; (4) writing descriptions for displays and objects (what will people say about these objects 500 years from now?). This workshop will include 30 minute break to go out into your local area and collect objects and photographs. 

Register on Eventbrite here.

Acts of River Kindness

With James Aldridge, Lucy Carrruthers & Beckie Leach McDonald

Thursday 11th March 2021, 5-6pm & Thursday 18th March 2021, 5-6pm

This course is for adults (16+).

How well do you know your local river and the other beings you share it with? 

What creative ways could you use to slow down, notice and record your river, and how might this affect your future relationship with it? What do rivers need from us in a future affected by climate change?

Join Artist James Aldridge to explore the ways that we can use our bodies and senses to pay closer attention to river ecosystems, and the visual arts processes/materials that we can use to record what we discover.

In the first of these two one-hour-long workshops  James will share his own experiences of exploring and recording river ecosystems, and demonstrate practical ideas for you to take away and try out. We will draw from resources available online relating to river systems and their relationship with climate change, and video footage of James exploring his own local river, the River Avon. 

The second session will offer a chance for you to share and reflect on your own creative investigations of your local river. What did you notice? How did you feel? What action could you take next? Both  sessions will be tailored to the needs and age of your group and combine hands-on making with individual reflection and group discussion, in a safe and supportive environment.

Register on Eventbrite here.

Climate Museum at Home

With Bridget McKenzie and Lucy Carruthers

Sunday 24 January 2021, 2-4pm

This course is open to anyone aged 16+ and is aimed at those who would like to develop ways of talking to people about the ecological crisis. 

An online session that creates a Climate Museum at Home, bringing people together to talk about the Earth crisis, using objects you have to hand. Museums collect objects because they can tell us so much about past and present times. Objects can be brilliant tools for thinking with. But, if we can’t visit museums or meet in person, we can use objects we find around us. Come prepared for this with paper and pens, and two or three things that you can use as a stimulus for conversation about your climate emotions, stories and solutions. Together we’ll make a Climate Museum.

Register on Eventbrite here.

Acts of Tree Kindness

With James Aldridge & Beckie Leach McDonald

Thursday 4 February 2021, 5-6pm & Thursday 11 February 2021, 5-6pm

This course is for adults (16+)

Inspired by our work with the Urban Tree Festival this year, sharing Acts of Tree Kindness, we are supporting communities to notice, celebrate and look after trees in their local area.

How well do you know the trees on your street or in your local park? Together we can develop creative ways to engage with and record them, using our senses to explore their texture, shape, pattern and colour. 

We don’t have to be experts at identifying trees to appreciate them, our own senses and visual arts processes can provide us with ways of developing a greater awareness of local biodiversity, and its value for humans and non-humans alike.

In the first of these two one-hour-long workshops,  Artist James Aldridge will share some of his own experiences of using art to get to know individual trees, and demonstrate practical ideas for you to take away and try out. In the second session you will have a chance to share your own creative investigations of trees. What did you try? How did your actions affect the way you experienced the tree(s)? What would you like to try next?

Both  sessions will be tailored to the needs and age of your group and combine hands-on making with individual reflection and group discussion, in a safe, supportive environment. 

For a taste of what we might get up to have a look at this blogpost on the CMUK website: https://climatemuseumuk.org/2020/05/16/acts-of-tree-kindness-creative-noticing/

Register on Eventbrite here.

Creative Writing to explore the earth crisis

With Bridget McKenzie and Beckie Leach McDonald

Monday 15 February 2021, 5-6.30pm

This course is for people 16+

Take part in a creative writing workshop to explore the Earth crisis. 

This session will inspire you with three creative exercises. The first will focus on self and emotions. The second will zoom out to imagine experiences and perspectives of others. The third will zoom out further to perspective of the whole Earth. Reflect on the role of creativity to deal with eco-anxiety and to help you change the world. 

Register on Eventbrite here.