Inspire Nature

The Inspire Nature action research project explores how museum objects and images encourage creative encounters with nature and stimulate inter-disciplinary experimentation and enquiry. 

University of Cambridge  Museum (UCM) educators worked collaboratively to develop a series of training sessions and digital resources for primary schools (pictured above). Through the five strands of Rocks, Trees, Water, Skies and Perspectives, the programme connects objects from across the UCM with themes from the Fitzwilliam's 'True to Nature' exhibition which opens in May 2022. The project was created in early 2021 when the museums were closed due to the pandemic.

Phase 1 (Jan 2021- June 2022)

Focused on the design and development of the remote learning programme to explore:

1. How are museum resources and sessions being used to support creative teaching and learning in schools?
2. How can hybrid museum learning programming in museum support new approaches to working with objects and collections?

Participating teachers gave feedback through the use of online polls and surveys during and after the sessions and in a series of semi-structured interviews. The research team then followed up with participating schools and teachers a year later to explore how the project had been developed in different settings. 

Phase 2 (June 2022- July 2023)

The second phase of the project took place in Summer 2022 and aimed to capture young people's voices and experiences in relation to the key themes of the project. A group of 10 children from a local primary school spent a week as 'Art Activists-in-Residence' at The Fitzwilliam Museum exploring and responding to the True to Nature exhibition. During this time, they will work with curators, scientists, artists and museum educators to explore how museum objects and collections can help us to better understand our relationship with nature, the environment and the changing planet. 

Noble, K. (2021) Challenges and opportunities: creative approaches to museum and gallery learning during the pandemic, International Journal of Art and Design Education https://doi.org/10.1111/jade.12380

Kate Noble, Senior Research Associate Museum Learning

Sarah- Jane Harknet, UCM Evaluation Co-ordinator

UCM Educators: Imogen Alexander (Kettle's Yard), Naomi Chapman (Polar Museum), Rosanna Evans (Fitz), Alison Giles (Whipple), Chantal Helm (CUBG), Rob Law (MAA), Justyna Ladosz (MOCA), Haley McCulloch (CUBG), Holly Morrison (Fitz), Bronwen Richards (CUBG), Nic Skipper (Sedgwick), Jacqui Strawbridge (Fitz), Roz Wade (Zoology), Nicola Wallis (Fitz) and Jenny Williams (MAA)

Jane Munro, Keeper of Paintings, Drawings and Prints and the True to Nature exhibition team