Isle of Man Biosphere Artist in Residence 2023/24
A year with nature…
In the autumn of 2023 I was chosen to be the next Isle of Man Biosphere Artist in Residence. A prestigious year-long position in collaboration with Manx Wildlife Trust and UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man and supported by the Isle of Man Arts Council. This page documents that year.
UPCOMING EVENTS
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UPCOMING EVENTS 〰️
The Exhibition • 16th to 20th September • Ground Floor, Santander Work Café, Douglas, Isle of Man
A pop-up exhibition by Ali Hodgson celebrating the end of her year-long position as Biosphere Artist in Residence. The exhibition will include carefully curated collaborative work generated by players of the 'Biosphere Game', designed by Ali to reimagine our future together on the Isle of Man in relationship with nature and our biodiversity crisis. No booking necessary, the exhibition is free and open to all.
Public Drop-in Game Session • Wednesday 18th September • 2:00 - 5:00pm • Santander Work Café, Douglas, Isle of Man
An opportunity for businesses, individuals, or anyone interested in sustainability and collaboration, to see the REIMAGINING our Biosphere game in action and talk to it's creator Ali Hodgson about how it works or any of the other work Ali has been involved in as part of her position as the 2023/4 Biosphere Artist in Residence. This event is free and no booking is required - just show up!
Biosphere Builders: Creative Games for Change • Saturday 21st September • 2:00 - 5:00pm • Kerroo Brewing Co, Port Erin, Isle of Man
Join us for an unforgettable afternoon of creative collaboration with Biosphere Artist in Residence Ali Hodgson, the Keird Collective and Manx Wildlife Trust as we co-create an installation map of our vision for a nature-positive future on the Isle of Man that will be filmed and animated in real time. Expect ice-breakers, creative challenges, new friends, drinks, snacks and DJs to entertain us while we play! Booking essential.
REIMAGINING Our Biosphere
REIMAGINING our Biosphere is a customisable bioregional game developed by Ali Hodgson as part of her year-long position as the Isle of Man’s UNESCO Biosphere Artist in Residence.
Grounded in Regenerative Design principles and whole systems thinking, the game is designed to develop our capacity to collectively reimagine our future, while taking into account the whole human/ecological system that we are all part of. Players are invited to participate in ways that help cultivate a holistic perspective to change in which nothing significant is left out. The game can be used as both a light-touch public engagement tool with people of any age or background, as well as a deeper facilitation method for communities, corporates and policy makers. Visit the Biosphere Game page to find out more about this innovative project.
Photography: Amoré du Plessis Photography
Playing our way into potential…
Since the game’s launch in May 2024 in the Isle of Man (the only whole country to be awarded UNESCO Biosphere status), it has been played with over 500 people and a further series of events are scheduled in the coming months to reach many more, bringing together leaders from the sustainability sectors, business, policy making and the creative industries to collaborate, share and explore our future potential.
Game sessions have been held in collaboration, co-facilitated or hosted with and by organisations such as Manx Wildlife Trust, Earthscope and Net Zero IOM (the Isle of Man Government’s Climate Change and Transformation Team) to REIMAGINE a nature-positive future.
Photography: Amoré du Plessis Photography
Drawing Nature
“It inspired me to draw again and appreciate our local wildlife.” - Drawing Nature Participant
In collaboration with Manx National Heritage and the Manx Museum, I ran a series of drawing classes in the Natural History department to explore Manx nature and our personal relationships to it, though the medium of drawing.
Participants were given a series of creative drawing challenges to first familiarise themselves with the collection, then dive deeper into their own relationship with nature on the Isle of Man through their personal stories and connections with it.
Read the latest Biosphere Artist in Residence blog: Telling Tales - Why Imagination and Storytelling Might Just Save the World
October 2023
I am thrilled to announce that I have been chosen as the next Isle of Man Biosphere Artist in Residence.
The year-long residency is in partnership with the Manx Wildlife Trust and UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man, and kindly funded by the Isle of Man Arts Council.
The residency aims to connect new audiences with Manx nature, through the medium of art and to enable people of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy our culture and the arts, as well as inspiring them to act for Manx nature.
The Biosphere Artist in Residence programme brings together the vision of a sustainable future for Ellan Vannin (the Isle of Man) by bringing people closer to nature and promoting our unique Manx culture and distinctiveness as central to the Island’s image both nationally and internationally.
This post is a real privilege. For me, it brings together so many aspects of my practice, bridging my background as both an illustrator and a communication designer rooted in social and ecological design principles.
I want to use the residency as an opportunity to take our Island’s movement towards sustainability beyond its current cultural and economic narrative, exploring and introducing some of the principles of ‘regenerative culture’ with a specific focus on our unique flora and fauna and their interconnections with each other and ourselves.
Birds of the Isle of Man | Eeanlee Vannin |
Birds of the Isle of Man | Eeanlee Vannin |
Curlew | Grey Wagtail | Swallow | Arctic Tern | Oystercatcher | Robin Goldfinch |
Curlew | Grey Wagtail | Swallow | Arctic Tern | Oystercatcher | Robin Goldfinch |
Herring Gull | Tree Sparrow | Starling | Hen Harrier | Puffin | Kingfisher | Chough |
Herring Gull | Tree Sparrow | Starling | Hen Harrier | Puffin | Kingfisher | Chough |
Birds of the Isle of Man
The first quarter of my residency has seen the development of a body of work dedicated to the unique bird species we have here on the Isle of Man. With help from Manx Wildlife Trust, I have gathered data and drawn a selection of our nation’s birds, both visiting and resident, and created a series of products from the artwork, currently exclusively available in the Manx Wildlife Trust gift shop in Peel, the Isle of Man. It has been sobering to discover how many of these species, many of which I assumed to be widespread, are actually on the Red List for Isle of Man Birds of Conservation Concern.
Eeanlee Vannin
Eeanlee Vannin means Birds of Mann in Manx Gaelic. I have also created a clothing range based on the Birds of the Isle of Man series in both Manx and English. The Eeanlee Vannin tote bag was also a recently featured product at an event in London created by the Hong Kong social design collective Enable Foundation. To see the full range you can visit the Manx Wildlife Trust online clothing store vis the button below.
Previous Events
Pooil Vaaish Christmas Market, Mount Murray Golf Club, October 2023
Artreach Artisan Fair, Artreach Studios, Peel, November 2023
Laxey Christmas Market, Laxey Pavilion, November 2023
Eco-Christmas Crafts Workshop, Wildlife Watch, Onchan, December 2023
Christmas Gift OBJECTS-FESTIVAL, London / Hong Kong, December 2023
Drawing Nature, Manx Museum, March 2024
REIMAGINING our Biosphere, Tynwald Day, July 2024
Drawing Nature, Manx Museum - June 2024
REIMAGINING our Biosphere, Festival of the Sea - Port Erin, Isle of Man, 13th & 14th July 2024
Biosphere game presentation at the Inter-Island Environment Meeting, Jersey, 5th - 6th September 2024
Virtual game presentation at EuroMAB 2024, Climate for Change: UNESCO Biosphere Reserves for Sustainable Futures, Germany, June 2024
REIMAGINING our Biosphere, Douglas, May 2024
Coming soon…
Planning for Biosphere Artist in Residence events, exhibitions and projects is in full swing for 2024! If you or your business is interested in being involved in any way, be offering space, sponsorship, expertise or collaboration, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with either myself or Manx Wildlife Trust - we would love to hear from you and use the residency to elevate the status of our Island’s unique biosphere, inhabitants and connections.
Press
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Spotlight - Manx Radio
An interview with Howard Caine at Manx Radio about my appointment as Biosphere Artist in Residence. Listen to the full interview here.
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Interview - Manx Independent
An interview with the Manx Independent discussing how I intend to inspire people to step into a deeper relationship to nature through art.
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Isle of Man Today
A feature peice in Isle of Man Today about my appointment as artist in Residence. Read the full piece here.
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Top 10 - Isle of Man Today
My top 10 recommendations for reading and listening, inspired by my position as Biosphere Artist in Residence.
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3FM Interview
A video interview at the Laxey Christmas Market about my recent work with Manx Wildlife Trust and the importance of supporting local business. Watch the full interview here.
