The Museum of East Anglian Life is searching for up-and-coming artists to develop inspiring natural art installations to respond to and highlight the exciting wildlife ecosystem on its grounds. 

By showcasing the fauna and wildlife found on the riverside, the museum hopes to connect people with the importance of natural resources. The museum received more than £35,000 funding from the ScottishPower Foundation to create the ‘River for All’ project.

The Museum of East Anglian Life is one of 16 charities to receive funding from the ScottishPower Foundation, which supports projects that make a positive impact on people and communities as well as helping the advancement of arts and culture, citizenship, education and environmental protection across the country.

Work is already underway on the creation of accessible pathways along the riverbanks and the museum has appointed a conservation officer, Tom Peer, to oversee the project. He aims to provide lifelong learning opportunities for visitors and to enable people to experience and protect nature.

The museum has also employed a team of Kickstart trainees, creating paid work placements for young people on Universal Credit and providing them with an opportunity to gain conservation experience. Their work is providing access to previously inaccessible woodland and rivers by creating pathways, installing new footbridges and introducing fencing.

 Jenny Cousins, Museum Director said:

“This is an exciting opportunity to help fulfil our mission to engage visitors with the environment and with culture through an exciting new natural art trail along our beautiful river. We’re very grateful to the ScottishPower Foundation for their support.”

Melanie Hill, Executive Officer and Trustee at the ScottishPower Foundation, said: 

“This is a really exciting time for the Museum of East Anglian Life as it transforms itself into the UK’s national food museum and takes visitors on a journey from field to fork. The River for All project will be an important part of that story and will help visitors learn about how eco-systems support rural communities.

“We’re proud to support the conservation work at the museum and the creation of the new sculpture trail is a terrific opportunity for artists to bring that story to life and inspire visitors for years to come. It will provide a fantastic experience where visitors can reconnect with nature and explore the fantastic outdoors East Anglia has to offer.”

Artists are being asked to submit a 500-word brief about how they will support an ecologically responsible design. The artist brief is available to download from http://eastanglianlife.org.uk/river-for-all-project-artist-search/

The deadline to apply is 17 August.