A project connecting people with low vision to nature has concluded after 18 months.
The 'Inspired by Nature' initiative, steered by Babylon ARTS, partnered with organisations such as Ely Museum, the National Trust's Wicken Fen Nature Reserve, and Highfield Littleport Academy.
It was supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The scheme aimed to enhance access to the arts and heritage, fostering inclusivity and accessibility at Babylon Gallery, Wicken Fen, and Ely Museum.
A significant outcome of the project was the creation of a 'Nature Group', in collaboration with CamSight and Vision Norfolk.
This group, comprising individuals with low vision and blindness, participated in sensory walks, boat trips, and workshops led by artist Tom Adams.
Together, they developed an audio piece titled 'The Lantern Men', which was a central feature of the 'Sensing Nature' exhibition held between February and March 2024.
The 'Sensing Nature' challenge encouraged local communities to engage with nature and submit their creative impressions for consideration in the exhibition of the same name.
The exhibition was curated by Babylon Arts' 'Young Associates' group, known as the Basecoat Collective.
Two members of the group were awarded digital badges for 'Audio Describing & Recording for the Visually Impaired', a first from Badge Nation, for their work on seven artworks in the exhibition and ten artworks from the Babylon Summer Open.
Additionally, Babylon Arts produced 'raised drawings' of artworks on display for tactile access by visitors with visual impairment.
Project partners at Wicken Fen and Ely Museum also benefited from these raised drawings, enhancing accessibility for visually impaired visitors.
Ely Museum organised handling sessions for the public and the low vision group, allowing them to touch artefacts related to working the Fenland landscape.
The museum also expanded access to its collection through the raised drawings.
Babylon Arts collaborated intensively with Highfield Littleport Academy, conducting a series of workshops led by artists Kaitlin Ferguson, Amy Wormald, and Lyn Pryor.
The workshops resulted in the creation of prints, ceramics, and a large-scale artwork titled 'Deep Time', which now hangs in the school hall.
The artwork, which portrays the landscape of Wicken Fen and the fossils beneath, incorporates some of the children's own prints.
The project also led to several accessibility improvements at Babylon Gallery.
These included enhancements to lighting and the doorbell, as well as changes to the labelling, print, signage, and brochures within the exhibition space.
Following training from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), a workplace poster was designed to guide staff on engaging with colleagues and customers with low vision.
The project revealed a previously untapped and enthusiastic audience, as demonstrated by a comment in the visitors' book during the 'Sensing Nature' exhibition: "The effort made for accessibility is genuinely heartwarming. No improvements necessary."
The project culminated in Babylon ARTS achieving the RNIB's Visibly Better Employer standard.
This recognition signals Babylon ARTS as an organisation that supports and welcomes individuals with low vision or blindness to the workplace, committing to making necessary changes to facilitate their access.
As it stands, Babylon ARTS is the only cultural organisation in the country to have been awarded the Visibly Better Employer standard.
A spokesperson from Babylon ARTS said: "Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been privileged to deliver a programme that developed creative approaches to facilitate connection and engagement with nature for people with low vision, children, young people, and the public.
"We are delighted to have completed this project with some truly transformative outcomes and increased awareness."
For more information about the project and to read the 'Nature Group' case study, visit the Babylon Arts website.
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