It’s a joy to see the first signs and seeds of Spring bursting into the seasons with the next few months incredibly busy for so many of us – am working on various features, including an interview with Issam Kourbaj Urgent Archive at Kettle’s Yard, as well as a look at Chilean artist Francisca Aninat at the Women’s Art Collection.
Watch out for a new poem that is being exhibited at an exhibition curated by Ania Ready this April at the Fairway Gallery at Oxford University Press, inspired by Sophie Brzeska. My piece is called You Don’t Need A Manifesto To Begin and will be shared as a poster style text. It’s been written along with participants on my Women In Art writing classes and draws inspiration from writings by Brzeska as well modern day artists and their muses such as Mickalene Thomas.
We are exploring work in shows and collections at Tate Modern, Tate Britain and the Women’s Art Library at Goldsmiths University. Please do get in touch to find out about future Women In Art workshops on ruthie@ruthiecollins.co.uk – all genders are welcome.
Wonder of Eels
I’m delighted to be touring North Norfolk as an author with support from the Broads Authority visiting schools, groups and families as part of Wonder of Eels thanks to funding from North Norfolk District Council.
We are working up to an exhibition this May at Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s Cley Marshes Visitor Centre celebrating the European eel and exploring the landscape in the area as habitat to this beautiful species as part of World Eel Day 2024. Huge thanks to former National Trust ranger Carl Brooker who is sharing reminiscences of his love for biodiversity, eels and knowledge of the landscape surrounding Cley Marshes as part of the project to inspire children to create works that will be shared at the show.
Natural Wonder Workshops – Easter
It’s been a year since I started running many of these fully-booked Natural Wonder holiday sessions for children fast with many familiar and new faces.
These sessions are directly inspired by my Natural Wonder poetry collection which Arts Council England funded as a way to pilot ways to make literature and the natural world accessible to communities, children and families. I use participatory arts processes and apply them to literature and conservation, with children having the chance to take micro action to support regenerative ecology and restore biodiversity as well as outdoor play in a natural space.
This Easter, as well as our usual sessions inspired by the Cary’s Meadow Fairy Door Trail am running two new creative sessions at Lion House Studios inspiring connection to nature through celebrating flowers and also through celebrating rivers and seas.
If you work with children who are eligible for free school meals or are yourself – please check out the sessions and pass on the info or book directly here.
