Workshop: Exploring Urban Ecology through Art

Overview:
Join us for an exciting and hands-on drawings and making workshop that invites participants to explore the rich stories of kittiwakes and other urban wildlife in Newcastle and Gateshead. Participants will dive into the relationship between wildlife, architecture, and urban spaces, using artistic expression to capture the presence of kittiwakes within the city’s landscape.

Objective:
To create a space for local artists and residents to engage with urban ecology through drawings and paper models, highlighting the interaction between kittiwakes and urban environments. We’ll explore creative ways to imagine and design structures and spaces that better support local wildlife, contributing to a more sustainable future for both humans and nature.

Activities:

1. Drawing Session: This guided drawing session will involve creating your own mini nature journal (chapbook) so you can capture your own observations of urban wildlife and architecture including kittiwakes. You will learn to observe and record your sightings and thoughts through an innovative drawing session. The importance or drawing can be summed up as follows: Drawing is observing – observing is understanding – understanding is empathy – empathy is love. This session will help you to love the wildlife around you. Chapbooks and pens will be provided and watercolour sets will be available to use.
2. Design and Adaptation: The second half of the workshop will focus on reimagining Newcastle and Gateshead’s urban environment for kittiwakes. Participants will brainstorm ways to adapt spaces to better support kittiwakes and other wildlife, visualising these ideas through artistic interpretations.
3. Reflection and Sharing: Attendees will be encouraged to present their work with drawings and paper models and discuss their artistic process, sharing ideas on how urban ecology can be incorporated into future city design and planning.

Expected Outcomes:

• Participants will work on a piece of artwork that celebrates the coexistence of kittiwakes and urban architecture.
• Participants will learn how to create their own nature journal which they can use outside the workshop for their nature observations.
• Workshop participants will gain new insights into the role of art in environmental advocacy.
• The works produced will contribute to the ongoing conversation about the future of urban living and wildlife conservation.

Why Attend?
This workshop is a chance to connect with fellow artists, deepen your understanding of urban ecology, and contribute to a creative conversation on making our cities more wildlife-friendly. Your art could inspire others to consider how small changes in urban environments can lead to a more sustainable future. You will also gain an appreciation for the wildlife of the city and how and where to look for it.

This workshop is part of the research project: Navigating Urban Ecologies, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council at Northumbria University, in collaboration with the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Arts and Wild Intrigue.

Target Audience:
Anyone into wildlife, ecology, drawing, architectural or urban design.