By Kate Hodges
18th May 2022
EVENT, DO, MAKE WHAT’S THE BUZZ?
Friday is World Bee Day, which aims to get the world buzzing about the importance of bees and beekeeping. Find our ideas for bee-themed project-based learning here and our guide to beekeeping here. Bees are vital links in the food and food security chain, and contribute to the mitigation of climate change. They’re also awfully cute! Why not show your love for the fuzzy, striped creatures by making a bee hotel, creating a bee-friendly garden or crafting this adorable tin-can bee.
EVENT GREEN FINGERS
The punk rock little sister of the sedate Flower Show, the Chelsea Fringe has been held since 2011. London’s annual celebration of alternative planting and nature is an idiosyncratic event that celebrates the best in community and guerrilla gardening, and encourages links between gardens and art, literature, music, cookery, history, crafts and ecology. Whether you take a peep into one of London’s secret gardens, learn about foraging in the city on a wild food walk, poke your head into a community garden, join Griff Rhys Jones on a video tour of Bloomsbury’s squares, visit a pea-themed fair, or create an artwork inspired by the fascinating Crossbones graveyard, the festival is packed with things that make you gasp with pleasure, as well as inspire you to dig out your fork and trowel.
EVENT THE BIG PLASTIC COUNT
This week, thousands of people across the UK are taking part in the biggest ever investigation into household plastic. Together over 150,000 people are collecting the evidence needed to push the government, supermarkets and companies to tackle the plastic crisis. Organised by Greenpeace, it’s simple to join; tally up your plastic use and submit it via their online form. Find out more here
EVENT GODDESS POWER
The incredible looking Feminine Power: The Divine to the Demonic exhibition opens at The British Museum this week. The show takes a cross-cultural look at the profound influence of female spiritual beings within global religion and faith, and brings together sculptures, sacred objects and artworks from the ancient world to today, and from six continents, highlighting the many faces of feminine power – ferocious, beautiful, creative or hell-bent – and its seismic influence throughout time. Perfect for home ed families and teens, it’ll be bound to spark discussion, artistic inspiration and act as a spur to explore the history and cultural resonance of these stories more deeply. Marina Warner takes a deep dive into it here. Oh, and – shameless plug – my book Warriors, Witches, Women, which explores similar ground is also available now too!
EVENT CUT YOUR FRINGE
Arts Festivals are back with a vengeance this month, and with them, come the Fringes. The blending of digital and real-world events means that even if you’re on the other side of the country, you can join in the fun. The Brighton Fringe includes Tree Confessions, a streaming play that you can listen to under any tree, huge family picnics in Pavilion Gardens, free accessible story times, all-you-can-beat workshops, kids cabaret, and tons of Spiegeltent shows. Find lots more kid-friendly events here
WHAT WE’RE READING Japan’s 72 Microseasons: “The traditional Japanese calendar marks the passing of the seasons and changes in the natural world through the names given to different times of year. There are 24 major divisions, or sekki, from Risshun (Beginning of spring) in early February until Daikan (Greater cold). Originally taken from Chinese sources, these are still well-known around East Asia.” Find inspiration in these tiny, fleeting periods, marked by natural events and maybe create your own calendar?
Read more here
