Exploring how art and science could support public engagement with climate change
National Museums Scotland partnered with the Scottish Government’s Public Engagement Team within the Domestic Climate Change Division to deliver Sewing Hope: Quilts for Climate Change at the National Museum of Scotland, as part of the wider Climate Change for All programme.
The project began through collaboration between National Museums Scotland’s learning and engagement team, climate scientist Sian Henley from the University of Edinburgh, and artist Laura Johnson. Together, we explored how art and science could support public engagement with climate change, particularly for children and families.
The project also connected with the museum’s exhibition Rising Tide: Art and Environment in Oceania, which highlighted how communities in Oceania are responding to climate change.
Through a series of workshops, participants explored museum collections, exhibition themes and Sian Henley’s research before creating quilt squares that expressed their hopes for the future using sustainable and recycled materials. Workshops took place during school holidays, with invited community groups, and through support from the Scottish Government Climate Engagement Fund. Seven museums across Scotland also produced quilts inspired by their own collections: Arctic Convoy Museum, The Devil’s Porridge Museum, The Great Tapestry of Scotland, Kilmartin Museum, Paxton House, Strathnaver Museum and West Highland Museum.
The quilts were stitched together in partnership with an award-winning sustainable enterprise, the Edinburgh Remakery. Alongside inspiring creative responses to climate action, the project produced a co-created toolkit for museums wishing to deliver similar work. The project demonstrated the value of bringing together artists, scientists and museums to create meaningful public engagement with climate change.
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Families returned months later to see their work displayed in the museum, highlighting the strong sense of ownership and pride created through participation. The quilts continue to have a legacy across Scotland, including the planned display of the West Highland Museum quilt at a local hospital.
Main image: © Andy Caitlin