Natural Selection community projects

by Finn White, engagement officer for communities

Our upcoming Natural Selection exhibition is spreading far beyond the walls of this museum. It’s funding activities all over the city, pollinating projects that fuse nature, art and community.

Getting BAME youth into nature
We’re working with Green & Black to take a group of BAME young people out among the ancient trees and rare wildflowers of Folly Farm. They’ll be learning how to photograph the wonders of the wild and build connections with the natural world around them.

Wildlife photography with schools
Iain Green of Wildlife Wonder is working across six schools that often face barriers to visiting our museum. Children will be taking pictures of the wildlife around them before coming together to share their work at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery.

Family fun at the farm
A whole day of fun at Lawrence Weston Community Farm: making nests, using plants to create colour wheel s and hatching clay birds. We’ll also be running a free coach trip to the museum for local residents.

Nest trail in St George
Artist Dee Moxon will be working Summerhill Academy to produce an amazing nest hunt in St George. Having explored different wildlife homes, children will produce their own nests for this family-friendly trail.

Wild working in St Werburghs
St Werburghs city farm will be working with disadvantaged teenagers to produce nest-themed bush craft inspired by the natural world and the museums collections. They’ll also be delving into our fascinating natural history stores.

Bird box building at Blaise
Avon Wildlife Trust have worked with local scouts to build bird boxes at Blaise Museum. Once some eager birds have moved in, we’ll be live-streaming their progress in the museum.

Asian elders explore the Gorge
Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife project are partnering with Dhek Bhal. Women from the group will explore the Gorge and Downs, finding out the ways in which people have collected, preserved and displayed plants. They’ll then be producing their own nature-inspired art and pressing their own plants.

All of these projects will intertwine with the exhibition and its themes of art, nature and beauty. To find out more, contact [email protected]

Image: © Simon Warner