This edition celebrates the Summer Solstice by reflecting the buzzy energy around the work of our collective. These are tough times, but there is also plenty of work taking place on imagining better futures, resisting the old story of domination and separation from nature, and educating each other.
Read on for a small glimpse into some of our Members’ work on these themes, plus some exciting upcoming events.
Climate Museum UK news
Bodies of Water Symposium: Regenerative Art Practice 11th September, Liverpool
Tickets are now on sale for this symposium, co-curated by CMUK associate Justine Boussard and UP Projects, and taking place during the closing week of Liverpool Biennial.
The symposium includes discussions and participatory workshops dedicated to exploring regenerative practice in the context of public and socially engaged art, and to raise the ambition for what it means to be environmentally responsible – both technically and culturally. Bridget McKenzie and James Aldridge will both lead workshops as part of an exciting line-up. We hope to see you there!
CMUK’s ‘Green Narratives’ Training for Museums Development Midlands
The Green Narratives programme, developed and delivered for Museum Development Midlands, is well underway! Our Members, Clémence Aycard, Kathy Moore and Justine Boussard are now in the delivery phase of this training programme exploring how museums can harness their collections to respond to the Earth Crisis, from understanding the planetary emergency to looking at collections with an Eco-lens, exploring climate psychology, and designing appropriate displays and interpretation.
The first workshop will be delivered in July. Trainers will be joined by participants from 5 museum services: the Barber Institute of Fine Arts (Birmingham), Black Country Living Museum, Creswell Crags, Culture Leicestershire and Derby Museums.
New look Climate Museum UK website
We have just redesigned our website – we hope you like it! It should now be much easier to access our resources and projects, connect with our Associates as well as read our reviews.
Something not quite right on the website? Let us know
News from Climate Museum UK members
Amateur Ancestor Storytelling
Justine Boussard
Amateur Ancestor Storytelling – Online Series
Join Justine for the first online performances of the Amateur Ancestor stories, short stories that delve deep into the history of one object to look for clues about the future. Each event will feature a 15 minute story, a 15 minute quiet reflection following a prompt, and an additional 15 minutes for sharing for those who wish.
Tickets are available for all three events, on Wed 23rd July 8pm, Thu 4th Sept 8pm and Thu 23rd Oct 1pm. This is a fundraising event series so each story will be dedicated to a charity, starting with Choose Love who support refugees and displaced people across the globe.
New Amateur Ancestor Story at Unplugged, Late Night at the Discovery Museum, Newcastle on 18th July
Where would we be without seeds? Justine will debut a new story exploring how seeds changed human life, and where we might go next. This will be part of an Unplugged night, where visitors will be invited to turn off their phones.
An Eco Lens on Things
Kathy Moore
An Eco Lens on Colchester Natural History Museum
CMUK is supporting Colchester and Ipswich Museum Service (CIMS) redevelopment of their Natural History Museum. Bridget and I are leading their work with Teachers and Young People as well as acting as critical friends, looking at their gallery displays and interpretation.
GEM (Group for Education in Museums) has invited Bridget to deliver a keynote on Thursday morning and a workshop on Wednesday afternoon at their annual conference. Naturally, it won’t be an ordinary keynote, it will be buzzing with energy and passion about our approach and the new work we will be sharing and exploring more in the workshop, which I will be helping with.
| Finally, I’m buzzing about being part of a new “docu-panto” show with lovely music, jokes and challenge, by the Common Lot in Norwich. |
The Art of Rewilding
James Aldridge
James is working with Wiltshire rewilding organisation Found Outdoors, to offer The Art of Rewilding.
The Art of Rewilding is a series of three one-day art and ecology workshops using visual arts methods to explore the relationship between ecological and human well-being.
Each day will focus on a different aspect of the land at Found Outdoors and introduce participants to new materials and equipment, to explore, record and share the plant and animal life found living there.
Its second exhibition, Waters Rising, took on a new challenge by tackling the pressing topic of floods. Perth is built along the River Tay, the longest of Scotland’s rivers, a fishing haven that is prone to bursting its banks. Read more on our blog.
Workshops in this series:
Thursday 8th May – Animal Tracks and Signs
Saturday 12th July – Mapping and Mark Making
Tuesday 23rd September – Understanding Trees and Leaves
Radical Spirits in Norwich
Bridget McKenzie
Radical Spirits of Norwich workshop, at Norwich History Festival
Bridget is leading a creative writing and zine-making workshop as part of the new Norwich History Festival. Summon the spirits of some of the radical change-makers of the City in the past, introduce them to the current predicament of the Earth Crisis, and ask for their ideas. July 20th, American Library in The Forum, Norwich.
Climate Museum UK 