Art in Environmental Education

The panelists gathered on Wed 4 November and after being introduced, each of our guests spoke for 5min before we opened the discussion up to Q&A.

TIMESTAMPS
2.49 min – Introductions
8.00 min – Presentations
48min – Discussion

Our Guests

Wendy Davis 

Founder and project co-ordinator at Andover Trees United, Wendy graduated in Education Studies  and accumulated 30 years teaching experience, 10 years of which were spent developing learning outdoors. Her work with students won awards from Growing Schools,  Learning Through Landscapes,  Year of Food and Farming, CPRE Hampshire and the Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots & Shoots ‘Mission Possible’ programme. In 2011, she founded Andover Trees United and as UK coordinator for UN Environment Programme  Plant-for-the-Planet, Wendy also helps 8-14 year-olds to train their peers as Climate Justice Ambassadors.

5MIN PRESENTATION: 23MIN IN

Susan Francis

Susan Francis is a multidisciplinary artist, curator and writer creating objects, installation, film and drawing. She has exhibited nationally and internationally since the 1990s and more recently, after five years as an Associate Artist at CAS Andover, she became our programme curator, delivering a very varied programme  of exhibitions, and community outreach events. As well as her experience of producing fine art for exhibition, Susan also has extensive experience in education, arts and health, teaching at all levels, and delivering a prescription arts programme across 5 GP surgeries in Wiltshire over a two year period. All of this informs her approach to developing an inspiring and engaging programme at CAS, North Hampshire’s socially engaged contemporary art organisation which I am sure she will introduce shortly in relation to Ash Tree Stream which is currently on show in our gallery.

5MIN PRESENTATION: 8MIN IN

Bridget McKenzie

Bridget McKenzie founder of Climate Museum UK it exists to support people to play, make, think & talk about the Earth crisis, and to open imaginations to possible futures.

Bridget  is a curator and consultant dedicated to Regenerative Culture as a force of hope.  She has 30 years of experience in running, developing and evaluating learning and digital programmes in museums, heritage, arts and science. This includes managing learning services at Tate and the British Library. Bridget wants to talk to us today about developing ecological capacities to enable wellbeing and hope.

5MIN PRESENTATION 14.30MIN IN

James Aldridge

Is a visual artist working with people and places. He is interested in exploring and facilitating embodied and situated approaches to learning. Since graduating from UCA, Farnham in 1996 with a Bachelor of Arts with Honors, James’ has provided professional development for artists and educators in schools, arts and heritage organisations, facilitated community consultation projects for English Heritage and the National Trust, and  worked as a visiting lecturer at a number of Universities. He is currently exhibiting his work with Andover Trees United and 5 Andover schools in the gallery at CAS Andover. That project, Ash Tree Stream, is the reason we are gathered here today as it is one of his responses to the ecological crisis. James will be talking to us about how art can give us ways to experience ourselves as part of what we have come to call Nature and The Environment.

5MIN PRESENTATION: 40MIN IN

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Further info:
Social Media: @CASartists
Discussion: #AshTreeStream
Andover Trees: https://www.andovertrees.org.uk
Climate Museum UK: http://climatemuseumuk.org
CAS: www.chapelartsstudios.co.uk/about

About

CAS Artist James Aldridge, Wendy Davis from Andover Trees United, CAS Curator and Artist Susan Francis, and Bridget McKenzie, Founding Director of Climate Museum UK explore the value of art and artists within environmental education. This event is hosted by Maija Liepins, CAS Engagement Manager.

“Art can give us ways to experience ourselves as part of what we have come to call Nature/The Environment.” – James Aldridge, CAS Artist

“Embedded practice is essential for community development – but this event is also so valuable for sharing practice beyond the local community – this online event tonight has been inspirational and provided some useful language (especially from Bridget) for describing things that are being developed in my area. so thank you everybody.”

“Art and developing the imagination is an important contribution to, and outcome of, environmental education.” – Bridget McKenzie, Climate Museum UK

“Really valuable insights into how the speakers all work in this area of art/environment/education. :)”

“Education occurs at least in part as a dialogue with a place and has the characteristics of good conversation” – David Orr, 1991, ‘Ecoliteracy’

“Role of artist: James so brilliantly talked about “children experiencing themselves as nature” : that is a very different approach to dominant teaching “about” the environment .. that kind of conceptual leap is what artists can do !”