My Beach Kaleidoscope workshop features in a publication called Imagining Multispecies Belonging.
The workshop was designed to motivate participation and engagement around the concepts of reciprocity and relationality between human and nonhuman worlds.
Everyone collects small items from the beach, places them in a kaleidoscope and enjoys viewing the resulting patterns. A discussion then focuses on what people might ‘gift’ back to the beach environment.
The workshop creates a space for people to reflect on their connection to place and other species. They experience being on the beach, discovering materials both natural and manmade and reflect on their feelings and responsibilities to place and other species. The kaleidoscopes become discursive objects that can conjure scenarios through the experience of creation and use. There is a lovely element of surprise when they are completed.
People can work together. The discussion in the group would be guided towards collective responsibility and generating ideas around collective action.
The following materials are required for each person to make a kaleidoscope:
One cardboard tube, three equal lengths of reflective card or mirror, masking tape, scissors, two plastic tube ends that fit over the cardboard tube (one for viewing with a small hole and one to contain the found items), one clear circle of plastic. (Ready made kits can be bought from here: https://www.bakerross.co.uk/kaleidoscope-kits or use recycled plastic food packaging and empty cardboard tubes).
The workshop instructions
- Pick a location on the beach and make a note of what you see. Take some photos too if you like.
- Collect some small items that interest you from the beach, placing them in the ‘gift’ bag supplied. You will probably find the more interesting things along the strandline (this is where waves carry debris including seaweed and driftwood, accumulating just above the limit of the highest tides).
- Make your beach kaleidoscope (see overleaf for instructions).
- Take tiny pieces of your items and place them in the end of your kaleidoscope (they need to be fairly small to be able to move around in the space so you may need to use scissors!).
- See the magical results through the kaleidoscope.
- Apart from your gift bag goodies, what other gifts does the beach and the sea provide for people and what gift might you consider offering back to them in exchange?