Guernsey’s Wild Escape

Guernsey Museums and Guernsey Arts are hosting Guernsey’s first and only Wild Escape event.

The Wild Escape is a major new national initiative to highlight wildlife and art. The event will take place on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 March at Guernsey Museum in Candie Gardens.

The weekend programme is a mixture of talks, workshops, trails and pop-in activities. Visitors can learn more about local wildlife from the experts, such as the Pollinator Project. There will be talks in the theatre throughout the weekend and drop-in activities hosted by artists including Penny Dawes, who is inspired by Guernsey folklore and nature in her work. In the Discovery Room there will be different activities each day, including creating a large collage from recycled materials. Sunday is Mother’s Day and visitors can pick up some free wildflower seeds and paint a terracotta pot as a gift.

Sustainability is at the heart of the weekend.

Jade Kershaw from Guernsey Arts said: “We have thought very carefully about the materials used – from the art workshops to the directional signs. For one small example, if we need signs, we have chosen to avoid laminating so that we can recycle the paper afterwards.”

The organisers have received funding from the Wild Escape, which has made it possible to provide free art workshops. The workshops will be held on the terrace outside.

Jo Dowding from Guernsey Museums said: “We wanted to make the workshops as accessible as possible and this has been made possible by the generous funding. I would encourage anyone interested to take a look at the schedule and sign up.”

Artists include Bridget Spinney, Sharka Lee, James Colmer and Rae’s Willowcraft. To book a place, follow the links from the Wild Escape webpage.

This weekend was specifically chosen to coincide with two separate wildlife exhibitions on display.

Visitors can enjoy the Bailiwick Wildlife Photography Exhibition in the greenhouse gallery, followed by the Wildlife Photographer of the Year on loan from the Natural History Museum, London.

The Wild Escape is made possible by lead support from Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants, with additional support from Art Fund and a group of generous individuals and trusts.

The Wild Escape at Guernsey Museum is on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 March 10.00-16.00. Normal admission charges apply and entry is free with your Discovery Pass. Workshops are free.