The first of the workshops saw participants exploring the relationship between urban wildlife, architecture, and urban spaces in Newcastle and Gateshead.
The session began with an introduction by the research project: Navigating Urban Ecologies, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council at Northumbria University. Then the wonderful Dan Turner - see his post about kittiwakes here - spoke about kittiwakes on the Tyne and brought with him some specimens for us to view.
Dan Turner’s specimens of kittiwakes.
That done we were straight into a creative session led by myself and Zoe Allen - see here website here. The participants were asked to create pieces using the supplied media. My side of the session brought into play the “Chapbook Process” which I use for nature journalling. This provides a concertina journal that allows for drawing, painting and collage work. I was really happy to see some familiar faces from my previous workshops who were well versed in the “Chapbook Process”.
An example spread of my chapbook using the “Chapbook Process”.
Through a mix of artistic expression and architectural design, participants will investigate how cities can better coexist with wildlife, focusing on kittiwakes and their role within urban environments. It was lovely to see such a variety of responses including fold outs, collage, model making and drawing.
I was especially delighted to see some of the participants engaging with drawing for the first time and creating lovely drawings. My role really is just to offer a little bit of coaxing and I aim to see the style that each person has so that I can bring this out and show them how to develop this style as their own.
A first time drawing by one of the participants.
The second workshop is coming up and will be focusing on the Kittiwake Hotel inviting you to explore sustainable, functional architectural solutions that integrate with the urban landscapes of Newcastle and Gateshead. Participants will engage in a design challenge to create the Kittiwake Hotel—a structure that offers safe, natural habitats for kittiwakes while enhancing urban biodiversity and aesthetics. You can book here.
