Main Areas of Focus

My interests are wide-ranging, primarily in how human beings affect and are affected by the natural world of which we are part, and the related theology and psychology of connectedness.

Writer

Poetry. Articles and blogs on environment, nature, attentiveness, applied theology, economics, arts, and anything that interests me

Artist

Creating beautiful and thought-provoking art as a means of supporting care for planet and people, nurturing a sense of place, and building community

Consultant

» Website development and training
» Energy efficiency and renewable energy consultancy
» Research and reporting

Latest News and Produce

What I’ve recently produced. What I’m working on. What’s in the pipeline.

Published Writing

"Some of our conversations"

Some of our conversations have become songs — delight, appeal, lament, contentment with a job well done

Blog

"Who shatter upwards"

A poem for International Women's Day 2026. Women and under-represented minorities are more likely to be appointed to leadership roles during a crisis.

News

Hot off the press... The Silken Twine zine

The very first issue of The Silken Twine, by the poets of the Black Ven (Exeter) Stanza of the Poetry Society.

Academia

“Living the questions” again in 2023/24

Teaching on the Medical Humanities Special Studies Unit at Exeter Medical School, introducing fourth year students to conceptual and environmental art; looking at meaning-making and how we turn ideas into art; making art.

Performance/Event

Uncut Poets, March 2026

I chose to interweave poems about family and science for my open mic, including "QED", on the subject of buying presents for my dad.

Exhibition/Installation

"Let's do something nice today" for "Get On Board 50"

Something nice happened today: "Get On Board 50" went up at Studio 36.

Recording

"...and the Greatest of these is Love"

In their second album, Antiphon presents world premiere recordings of three choral works by Michael Walsh: an unaccompanied Mass of the Holy Trinity; a full-scale Requiem Mass; and The Way of Love, a setting of five love poems by Rupert Brooke. We recorded it in July 2017 in the crossing and Lady Chapel in Exeter Cathedral.

Talk/Workshop

Prayer and Bible reading groups

As part of starting a new blog devoted to prayer and spiritual life, I have moved over the material on related workshops and group work.

Random Work Generator

There are a number of threads running through all my work. Here’s a random sample from each.

Attentiveness

Four Haiku and One

redefining pink – bursting magnolia buds stretch their baby fists

Environment

Press Release - "Knitting exhibition shows climate change to be ‘Up in the Air’"

An innovative art installation goes on show this week to bring alive the greenhouse gases that are causing climate change. Local artist Clare Bryden has been knitting larger than life versions of the particles and making card games. The exhibition, which will be on display from 11-24 July at the Glorious Art House in Fore Street Exeter, is designed to be a playful way of sparking people’s interest in the science and issue of climate change.

Justice

Ethics on hold?

Clare Bryden. Ethics on hold? Third Way Magazine, November 2013.
Is the smartphone in your pocket fuelling violence on the other side of the world? Clare Bryden asks some uncomfortable questions about our complex relationship with gadgets – and investigates new ways to connect more ethically.

Making

Press Release - "Campaigners’ knitting exhibition reveals incinerator is not a woolly issue"

An innovative community art installation goes on show this week to bring alive the impacts of Exeter’s new ‘Energy from Waste’ incineration facility. Members of the community have been knitting larger than life versions of the particles that will be emitted from the new facility. The exhibition which will be on display at the Real Food Café in Paris Street, is designed to tell people about the incinerator, encourage Devon County Council to ensure it is operated properly over its 25 years contract and think harder about their future waste management strategy.

Place

Surname migration

The Great Britain Family Names website allows you to find out where your surname comes from, and how many people share it. Bryden isn't that common, but what interests me is the geographical spread.

Play

Visit a mythical land - our own

Clare Bryden. Visit a mythical land - our own. Review of “Mythogeography: A Guide to Walking Sideways” by Phil Smith. Reform Magazine, April 2013.

Public Engagement

"Particulart" goes to Oxfordshire part 2

This weekend, there are going to be not one… not two… but yes OK two Particulart events in Oxford as part of Low Carbon Oxford Week, and they’re both brand new exhibitions and both FREE!!

Science and Data

"Green|Blue" featured in the Church Times round-up of Greenbelt

The Church Times editor was kind enough to pop round... and not once but twice, as I was still setting up the first occasion. So I thought it was quite likely I'd be in the review, but it was still nice to see my name in there.