Art and Biodiversity Partnership

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ART AND NATURE SUMMER SCHOOL 2013

This year’s Art and Nature Summer School was a great success. Artists Isabella Martin and Kaitlin Ferguson brought together a diverse programme, collaborating with UEA scientist and spider specialist Katherine Kite and wildlife expert Tim Holt Wilson, as well as drawing from their own practice as artists.

Over four days Isabella and Kaitlin took a group of eleven 8-12 year olds on a journey of biodiversity through art. The Summer School explored the lake and land surrounding the Sainsbury Centre, as well as the Collection itself. The programme centred on uncovering the many layers that make up the landscape, learning about various species, as well as looking into the past of the site, and imagining the future. Collaboration was a guiding concept for the week: between art and science, between the working methods used in each, and between the children as they worked on projects together.

Workshops included creating a giant spider sculpture based on examining species under microscopes, nest making for future animals using foraged materials, experimental drawing of tree canopies and memory mapping. The school culminated in an exhibition curated by the children. The exhibition presented what the children had learned through the week, highlighting their proficiency in thinking, making, and their collaborative skills.