Over three months, I worked with Tyntesfield National Trust, a group of young people from the Hartcliffe based community group, Heart of BS13 and sound artist Jono Gilmurray to create a sound and art installation for Tyntesfield’s Victorian aviary.

I ran a series of workshops with a group of young people who helped to paint components of the art installation and create bird collages which sat in the aviary, amongst the artwork.

Together, we explored the history of the building and the bird life that would have inhabited it. We also delved into the significance of birds to Tyntesfield’s wider history and how the mining of seabird droppings (guano) for fertiliser made William Gibbs his fortune.

The project also gave the opportunity for the group of young people to learn new creative skills and have their artwork displayed to the public in a National Trust property. The project celebrated the young people’s talents and created the space for a group of young people who are often underrepresented in the arts, to be seen.

The final artwork not only explores these histories, but created opportunities and conversations, and encourages us to learn from Britain’s colonial past by acknowledging the environmental and human cost involved with the accumulation of wealth underpinning much of Britains society.

It leads us think about how we can look after nature and our birdlife in future and create space for marginalised communities by reimagining how Britain’s colonial properties could be used in the future.

Find out more information here.