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.

News

Pitch Me!

I had this little idea of Paying It Forward during 2019. I'm offering up to 3 hours of my time to help you with something inspiring, worthwhile, bonkers, thought-provoking, or maybe even useful. So it's not wholly altruistic, as I want to have fun too!

Blog

Catching the wind

Mucknell Abbey, Worcestershire, 10 March 2011 - The anticyclonic frost and cold of the beginning of March has become cyclonic bluster and low cloud. I take advantage of the force 5-ish sou'westerlies, and reach for my kite.

Article

"Looking slant" for Science and Belief blog

Ruth Bancewicz of the Faraday Institute asked me to write a piece for the blog "Science and Belief – A blog about the positive interactions between science and faith". I finally took the opportunity to write up my reflections about "Green|Blue" more fully.

Exhibition/Installation

"Listening to Silent Spring" at Mikrofest

Mikrofest was a free mini festival to launch Kaleider’s new home. I took the opportunity to trial an installation of "Listening to Silent Spring" in a couple of bird boxes in the building.

Performance/Event

"Compline: A contemplative journey through Lent" in St Martin'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 Bach, Barber and Saint-Saëns, and musicians Ruth Molins, Sophie Brewer (Flute), Emma Welton (Violin), Catherine Bradley (Cello).

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

Workshop on "Slow Bible Reading"

workshop was on the ancient monastic practice of Lectio Divina, part of a Prayer & Spirituality Day at Exeter Cathedral.

Academia

“Live the questions now: control, connectedness and making conceptual art”

Giving fourth year students at Exeter Medical School an introduction to conceptual and environmental art, looking at meaning-making and how we turn ideas into art, making art.

Random Work Generator

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

Attentiveness

Blackberrying for beginners

Clare Bryden. Blackberrying for beginners. Resurgence Magazine, Sep/Oct 2013.
Shortlisted essay from the Resurgence & Ecologist Nature Writing Competition.

Environment

"Freefall Climate Graffiti" Workshop 1: Climate Science and Street Art

This week and the next two weeks Cleo Heard and I are running workshops with the Freefall youth group in preparation for painting the Phoenix graffiti wall with the UK Climate Projections during Art Week Exeter. As well as climate science and street art, Workshop 1 also covered design for colour blindness.

Making

Lecture - "Particulart, or the art of knitting, chemistry, meditation and gentle protest"

Last night, at somewhat short notice, I stepped into a breach and gave a St Michael’s Lecture. I liked the title so much, I adopted it for the work.

Place

"Songs in the Neighbourhood"

Along Broadfields Road in St Loyes, the roads are named after English composers and it’s always summer. A goodly number came and joined Sine Nomine in serenading the neighbourhood with the music of each composer on their eponymous street corner.

Play

"Angel of the SW"

Set on a high point within Ludwell Valley Park, Exeter, the Angel's weathered steel reflects the rust-red warmth of the local stone. It serves as a focus and an anchor, helping to tether us and give us a sense of place in an ephemeral and rapidly changing world.

Public Engagement

Knit-your-own carbon dioxide workshop

As part of the Particulart: Up in the Air exhibition, Diana Moore of Particulart and Knit-Stop ran a knit-your-own carbon dioxide workshop.

Science and Data

Working with gold, weaving with data - talk content

Further to yesterday's post about my five-minute talk "Working with gold, weaving with data" at Exeter City Futures, I thought I'd share more of the talk content.

Social Justice

Talks and media - Exeter Pound

Exeter Pound is the city's own currency, aimed at supporting independent enterprises and promoting a more flourishing local economy. From 2015-16 I served on the Board of the Exeter Pound Community Interest Company.