News
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
CIAO! Ark all set to Take Over OUMNH Front Lawn
The CIAO! Ark is a large-scale public art installation that will provide an exhibition and performance space during a five day celebration of low carbon living in Oxford in June. Various Oxford city centre locations were under consideration for the Ark and CIAO! is delighted that the Museum is now welcoming it onto its front lawn - a green space in front of one of Oxford’s most iconic buildings. It is an appropriate setting for an installation that represents a meeting place for science and the arts.
The CIAO! Ark is the result of an innovative project in ten Oxfordshire primary schools where environmental scientists and artists are asking children the question - "If you were sailing away on an Ark to a low carbon future, what would you take with you and what would you leave behind?" The children are working with arts organisations such as Pegasus Theatre, the Oxford Playhouse, the Roald Dahl Museum and the Oxfords Literary Festival, as well as with individual musicians, craftspeople, choreographers and film makers to respond to this question. The project received a grant of £150,000 from Arts Council England and has the support of Oxford City and Oxfordshire County Councils as well as a variety of other funders.
Given that 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity as well as the Museum’s 150th anniversary, there’s a lot to celebrate on the Ark as the theme of ‘a positive vision of a low carbon future’ encourages people to think of the many ways in which they can protect species close to home as well as reducing their carbon footprints.
Premises to build the Ark have been secured at the former Green Street Bookbinders in East Oxford and this will commence in early April. Basil Wyatt & Sons Ltd, the Oxford based builders and contractors, are donating their services to restore and renovate the former bookbinders, making the space suitable for building this huge structure.
The Ark has been designed by theatre designer Nomi Everall of Pegasus Theatre and Architecture san Frontières, who have been working with school children to incorporate their ideas of what the Ark means to them. Workshops in community settings around Oxfordshire between now and June will involve participants in creating a wonderful variety of art works to be displayed in a 'the Sea of Troubles' - a visual representation around the Ark of what the children choose to leave behind.
Karen Draisey, Artistic Director of CIAO! commented; ‘We are delighted to be working in partnership on this project with the Oxford University Museum of Natural History in its anniversary year. We are also thrilled by the overwhelming support that the project is receiving from local businesses such as the Green Street Bookbinders and Basil Wyatt and Sons Ltd. As part of a Season of Arts and Science, coordinated by Oxford Inspires and Science Oxford, the Ark will provide people with an opportunity to reflect on the positive aspects of adapting to low carbon living. Very often the arts provide a doom-laden view of climate change but it’s also the case that the next 150 years could see exciting developments in science and technology that allow us to adapt to a greener future and this is what the Ark project will celebrate.’
For further information on the CIAO! Ark Project visit the official website or contact the CIAO! team on .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
