Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Event to bring climate change novel to life
Dr Lucy Burnett’s novel, Through the Weather Glass, is a re-writing of the classic Icarus story, which tells the fictional tale of Lucy’s struggles to understand environmental change during a 2,500 mile solo cycle ride from Salford to the Greek Island of Ikaria, where Icarus fell. The book is a hybrid novel – combining a range of different genres of writing and art-forms, including fantasy travel writing, poetry and documentary photography.
With the support of Arts Council England and the Centre for Culture and the Arts at Leeds Beckett, Lucy will be inviting members of the public to engage in an interactive version of her book which aims to get the audience to think about climate change in new, creative and playful ways.
Taking place within Trinity Kitchen, from 10am to 5pm as part of the Leeds Big Bookend festival, participants will be invited to pedal a bicycle to power a TV screen, watch an animated Google earth film, listen to excerpts from the book, browse some photographic artwork or pen their responses to the installation onto paper feathers and pin them to Icarus's wings.
Lucy explained: “Rather than seeking solutions or persuading the audience of a point of view, the Through the Weather Glass installation playfully invites the public to participate in creating more positive stories about climate change than we usually hear.”
Fiona Gell, Coordinator of the Leeds Big Bookend Festival, said: “We are delighted to welcome Lucy Burnett's stunning installation, Through the Weather Glass, to the Leeds Big Bookend Festival 2016. Her work is thought-provoking, innovative, great fun and very energetic. You won't have seen anything quite like it ever and it will stay with you for a long time after, which is what good art does. Come along to Trinity Kitchen on Saturday, get pedalling and be part of this unique art project.”
The installation is going on a tour of book festivals and book spaces around the UK throughout 2016, beginning in Bradford last weekend.
Lucy added: “Last weekend in Broadway Shopping Centre in Bradford was a huge success. The public responded superbly, with participants aged 6 to 86 pedalling the bike. By the end of the day Icarus's wings were brimming with feathers. It really felt as though the installation had taken flight and I can't wait to share it with the people of Leeds this weekend.
“The aim isn't to persuade people of any particular agenda regarding climate change, but rather to invite people to participate in thinking through what the evidence of environmental damage means. Too often people feel disenfranchised by the climate change agenda of targets and international conferences, or feel frozen by the apocalyptic stories that are told. This installation aims to bring the agenda right back down to earth, and to encourage people to think in playful, creative ways about how we can respond and move forward from here.”
The full list of tour dates is as follows:
- Saturday 4 June – Leeds Big Bookend – Trinity Leeds, 10am – 5pm
- Monday 13 June – Crossing the Tees Book Festival, The Neptune Centre, Berwick Hills, Middlesborough, 10am – 5pm
- Tuesday 14 June - Crossing the Tees, Stockton-on-Tees Central Library, 10am-5pm
- Wednesday 15 June, Crossing the Tees, Hartlepool Central Library, 10am-5pm
- Saturday 18 June – Edinburgh Festival of Cycling – Central Library, George IV Bridge, 10am-5pm
- Saturday 25 June – Hebden Bridge Arts Festival, Blazing Saddles Bike Shop, 10am-5pm
- Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 August – Amy Johnson Festival, Hull, venue and times tbc
- Friday 9 and Saturday 11 September – Tebay Services Northbound, Penrith, Cumbria (all day)
- Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 September – New Mills Arts Festival, Spring Bank Arts Centre, High Peak, Derbyshire, 11am-4pm
- Friday 30 Sept – Sunday 2 October – Tebay Services Southbound, Penrith, Cumbria (all day)
- Saturday 8 October – Durham Book Festival, Clayport Library times tbc
- Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 October – Off the Shelf Sheffield, Winter Gardens times tbc
For more information please email Lucy Burnett on lucyburnett75@gmail.com or call 07766 737521.