Nottingham Green Partnership Exhibition brings sustainability research to life through art and community engagement
More than 200 people attended the Nottingham Green Partnership Exhibition at Nottingham Contemporary this month, exploring how art and creativity can help communicate sustainability research in new and accessible ways.
By Julia Head | Published on 28 May 2026
Categories: Press office; Research; School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences; School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment; School of Art & Design; Nottingham Business School;
The one-day public event was part funded through Nottingham Trent University’s Research Investment in Culture and Environment (RICE) scheme and was led by Dr Jacqueline Kirk and Dr Katja Hock, working with NTU’s Centre for Responsible and Sustainable Business.
The exhibition showcased how NTU researchers are using interdisciplinary and arts-based approaches to help make climate and sustainability research more engaging for non-academic audiences.
At the heart of the event was WISPSERS (Widening Inclusion Spaces for Participation in the Evolution of Research in Sustainability), an initiative that interprets NTU’s sustainability research into visual and interactive forms. Three artistic responses to research from across NTU’s Nottingham Business School, School of Art & Design, School of Animal, Rural & Environmental Sciences and School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment were presented as installations designed to make complex sustainability research easier for the public to understand and engage with.
Visitors were able to explore the work through these installations and respond to what they saw, with many highlighting how the visual approach helped them understand the ideas more clearly. Comments included: “to see this visually really makes the point hit home” and “a great way of making you think differently about concepts and ideas".
Alongside the installations, the exhibition also featured a showcase of sustainability innovations from across Nottingham, presentations on climate action, and a series of free planting and craft workshops.
Visitors were invited to share their hopes for Nottingham’s sustainable future, with all contributions feeding into the Nottingham Environment and Climate Assembly to help inform ongoing citywide climate discussions.
Dr Kirk and Dr Hock said the event demonstrates the value of bringing together research, art and public engagement, helping to open up sustainability research and encourage wider community participation in climate conversations.
Academic leads: Dr Jacqueline Kirk, Dr Katja Hock
Participating academics: Professor Emily Burton, Dr Rachel Macrorie, Dr Kate Simpson
Artists: Caprice Burcher, Jess Lewis, Daizy Stevens, Imarni Boyer-Nugent, Natalie Chung, Abigail Hutchinson-Dodd, Ella Martin, Hannah Taylor, Yang Jiang, Sarah Jouni, Showthamini Shanthakumar.