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.

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

Writer

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

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.

Performance/Event

"Compline: A contemplative journey through Lent" in St Olave's Church

The ancient close-of-the-day service of Compline, with plainchant and polyphony. Hosted by Margaret Aagesen Hughes (Soprano) and Clare Bryden (Alto). Featuring the music of Barber, Bach and Pergolesi, and musicians Ruth Molins (Flute), Emma Welton (Violin), John Draisey (organ).

News

15 minutes of flame

This week I've been doing a tiny bit of press for Prayerdle

Article

Good money after bad

Clare Bryden. Good money after bad. Church Times, 1 October 2021.
Clare Bryden suggests ten ways to use personal finance for a better world

Blog

Five books that have formed me

I have a great debt of gratitude to Thomas Hardy, Margaret Craven, Rainer Maria Rilke, the author of the Cloud of Unknowing, Richard Powers, and many others.

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.

Exhibition/Installation

"Climate Blocks" for "Get On Board 16"

Studio 36 has a wonderful noticeboard out front, hosting a continually changing series of shows of work by local artists. For Board 16 the wider Studio 36 community was invited to submit work relating to climate change.

Academia

“Live the questions now” 2020/21

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.

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.

Random Work Generator

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

Attentiveness

In search of pseudo-sacred spaces

Yesterday was the feast day of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of the environment. So it's appropriate that I spent the afternoon walking with Phil Mythogeography Smith in search of sacred and pseudo-sacred spaces.

Environment

Rainfall as blessing

During Lent 2015, Eco Church South West is promoting a Carbon Fast, focusing on water. You can sign up to daily emails containing an action, bible reading and reflection. I wrote about rain as a blessing for today's reflection.

Making

We made a font!

Over the last few months, I've been collaborating with local artist Steven Bramble on producing an alphabet and font for the Quarry Pod.

Place

The quite interesting-ness of pillar boxes

Look up post boxes on the internet, and you stumble into a strange and fascinating place.

Play

"Particulart: Greenhouse Effect" at Low Carbon Oxford Week

The overall aim of Particulart is to engage people with environmental and social issues and challenge the status quo through the power of knitting, science, and public art. In addition, “Greenhouse Effect” aimed to promote public awareness and provoke reflection on climate change and the underlying science, through appealing to different ways of accessing information – words and numbers, sight and touch – and enabling playful interaction.

Public Engagement

Working with gold, weaving with data

Exeter City Futures' Connect events are an opportunity to share ideas on the big problems that they believe Exeter needs to solve as it transitions towards becoming energy independent and congestion free. At the Autumn Connect, I presented my developing vision for a programme of art in St Loyes, aimed at nurturing a sense of place and building community.

Science and Data

"Freefall Climate Graffiti" Workshop 2: Preparing the Wall

While the Freefall youth group took it in turns to bluewash the Phoenix graffiti wall... the Met Office knitting group gave the others a crash course in crafting, and much crochet and more pompoms were created.

Social Justice

"Where have we put our treasure?"

I explore where our treasure lies in today’s world for the Bright Now Blog run by Operation Noah.