The Colour of Transformation
An international arts project expressing the zeitgeist of the ecological crisis by Global Majority pioneers.
The journey to creating the world we want to live in begins inside each of us, in the dreams and the stories we tell ourselves. But how do we engage when do not see ourselves reflected in the dominant stories, systems & structures that define our collective response to the world’s most pressing issues today?
The Colour of Transformation began life in 2022 through a collaboration with Butterfly Conservation, with the creation of a documentary and artist-performance film that invited audiences to step into a state of radical hope in the face of ecological collapse and chronic nature disconnection.
Through these films, pioneering women of global majority heritage working in the UK nature sector shared personal journeys of transformation, offering examples of systems change and grassroots leadership that are challenging stereotypes about who ‘belongs’ in nature. In doing so, they illuminated expansive ways of thinking about activism and leadership.
This first iteration of The Colour of Transformation has become foundational source material for the studio, evolving into an international arts project, with collaborations and screenings across the UK, US and Trinidad and Tobago.
See projects Imaginal Cells and Alkhemy Of Sound: ((((((Plant ing DIRT(((((((.
Watch the documentary on YouTube and listen to the musical score on Bandcamp.
Wild reimaginings
In 2022, seven Global Majority women were interviewed about their journeys to becoming change-makers within the UK nature sector – the country’s second least diverse sector, after farming. Their stories spoke of personal endeavours to untangle and weed-out the patterns and narratives that are preventing our whole selves from connecting to the natural world.
Spanning natural history to conservation and lands rights activism, the women spoke compassionately, with humour and wisdom, as they challenged audiences to consider what it means to be human in relation to a more-than-human world in crisis, asking: what role do we want to play (and how can we support ourselves to move beyond human-defined boxes and binaries) as leaders, pioneers and change-makers?
The women featured are:
- Chantelle Lindsay – TV presenter and Senior Nature Recovery Officer at London Wildlife Trust
- Dr Jade Adams-White – mental health practitioner and founder of The Jadeite Project
- Jini Reddy – critically-acclaimed author and journalist
- Dr Miranda Lowe CBE – Principal Curator and museum scientist at the Natural History Museum, London
- Nadia Shaikh – ornithologist, conservationist and land justice activist with Right to Roam
- Rhiane Fatinikun – founder of Black Girls Hike UK
- Soraya Abdel-Hadi – award-winning writer and founder of All The Elements
The documentary was initially screened during Black History Month, projected across a building that towered over community-run Meanwhile Gardens in West London. It was followed by a short film integrating poetry, dance and music that responded to the core themes of the documentary; both sister-films inspired by the metaphor of metamorphosis. By unapologetically claiming public realm space for the voices of pioneering yet under-heard women, the screenings sought to contribute to wider efforts to redress the imbalance of representation within discourse concerning humanity’s response to the nature crisis.
The project was supported by an Arts Council England grant supported by Butterfly Conservation and William Morris Gallery, with additional support from Action for Conservation and Patagonia.
Image credits: Ewelina Ruminska, 2022
Creative Team
Bryony Ella: Director, writer, visual design
Bumi Thomas: Vocalist
Ingrid Hu: Costume and set design
Ming: Dancer
Oluwatosin Omotosho: Dancer
Orphy Robinson MBE: Composer
SDNA: Filmmaker
Responses
Watching the film has changed how I feel, I genuinely walked away thinking how I can quit my job and do something more meaningful. I’ve also been reflecting on my role as a white woman who represents relatively powerful voices, and the work that we need to do to challenge and not reinforce inequalities.
Walking through a dark Meanwhile Gardens to almost literally stumble upon a beautifully lit and welcoming community space was a wonderful start. It’s such a pleasure watch a film about the outdoors and feel the cool evening breeze! The background rumble of cars and buses and chat of people walking by contrasted with discussion and visuals on screen of the countryside was a transformational juxtaposition.
The film had agency and opened the space for compassion in shared dialogue.
If you’re a POC wanting to get into conservation, these are your role models…I hope these women know how powerful they are. I cannot even put into words how much their work means to me. Thank you for sharing their stories in the most beautiful way.
This film was thought-provoking and beautiful – everyone in the conservation and environment sector needs to watch it.
The Colour of Transformation is thought-provoking and sad and funny and fierce. A really important contribution to environment and questions of access, representation and inclusion.
It made me feel seen.
I loved that it was an opportunity to celebrate amazing women of colour. However, it also drew my attention to the long way we have to go to ensure that the conservation sector has the diversity it needs to tackle the climate crisis.
The film made me feel Mobilised, empowered, angry, hopeful.
It gave me hope and excitement for the future of our planet and the inclusion of everyone to help save it… The artwork was very powerful and gripping – a feast for the senses.
The Colour of Transformation
An international arts project expressing the zeitgeist of the ecological crisis by Global Majority pioneers.
The journey to creating the world we want to live in begins inside each of us, in the dreams and the stories we tell ourselves. But how do we engage when do not see ourselves reflected in the dominant stories, systems & structures that define our collective response to the world’s most pressing issues today?
The Colour of Transformation began life in 2022 through a collaboration with Butterfly Conservation, with the creation of a documentary and artist-performance film that invited audiences to step into a state of radical hope in the face of ecological collapse and chronic nature disconnection.
Through these films, pioneering women of global majority heritage working in the UK nature sector shared personal journeys of transformation, offering examples of systems change and grassroots leadership that are challenging stereotypes about who ‘belongs’ in nature. In doing so, they illuminated expansive ways of thinking about activism and leadership.
This first iteration of The Colour of Transformation has become foundational source material for the studio, evolving into an international arts project, with collaborations and screenings across the UK, US and Trinidad and Tobago.
See projects Imaginal Cells and Alkhemy Of Sound: ((((((Plant ing DIRT(((((((.
Watch the documentary on YouTube and listen to the musical score on Bandcamp.
Wild reimaginings
In 2022, seven Global Majority women were interviewed about their journeys to becoming change-makers within the UK nature sector – the country’s second least diverse sector, after farming. Their stories spoke of personal endeavours to untangle and weed-out the patterns and narratives that are preventing our whole selves from connecting to the natural world.
Spanning natural history to conservation and lands rights activism, the women spoke compassionately, with humour and wisdom, as they challenged audiences to consider what it means to be human in relation to a more-than-human world in crisis, asking: what role do we want to play (and how can we support ourselves to move beyond human-defined boxes and binaries) as leaders, pioneers and change-makers?
The women featured are:
- Chantelle Lindsay – TV presenter and Senior Nature Recovery Officer at London Wildlife Trust
- Dr Jade Adams-White – mental health practitioner and founder of The Jadeite Project
- Jini Reddy – critically-acclaimed author and journalist
- Dr Miranda Lowe CBE – Principal Curator and museum scientist at the Natural History Museum, London
- Nadia Shaikh – ornithologist, conservationist and land justice activist with Right to Roam
- Rhiane Fatinikun – founder of Black Girls Hike UK
- Soraya Abdel-Hadi – award-winning writer and founder of All The Elements
The documentary was initially screened during Black History Month, projected across a building that towered over community-run Meanwhile Gardens in West London. It was followed by a short film integrating poetry, dance and music that responded to the core themes of the documentary; both sister-films inspired by the metaphor of metamorphosis. By unapologetically claiming public realm space for the voices of pioneering yet under-heard women, the screenings sought to contribute to wider efforts to redress the imbalance of representation within discourse concerning humanity’s response to the nature crisis.
The project was supported by an Arts Council England grant supported by Butterfly Conservation and William Morris Gallery, with additional support from Action for Conservation and Patagonia.
Image credits: Ewelina Ruminska, 2022
Creative Team
Bryony Ella: Director, writer, visual design
Bumi Thomas: Vocalist
Ingrid Hu: Costume and set design
Ming: Dancer
Oluwatosin Omotosho: Dancer
Orphy Robinson MBE: Composer
SDNA: Filmmaker
Responses
Watching the film has changed how I feel, I genuinely walked away thinking how I can quit my job and do something more meaningful. I’ve also been reflecting on my role as a white woman who represents relatively powerful voices, and the work that we need to do to challenge and not reinforce inequalities.
Walking through a dark Meanwhile Gardens to almost literally stumble upon a beautifully lit and welcoming community space was a wonderful start. It’s such a pleasure watch a film about the outdoors and feel the cool evening breeze! The background rumble of cars and buses and chat of people walking by contrasted with discussion and visuals on screen of the countryside was a transformational juxtaposition.
The film had agency and opened the space for compassion in shared dialogue.
If you’re a POC wanting to get into conservation, these are your role models…I hope these women know how powerful they are. I cannot even put into words how much their work means to me. Thank you for sharing their stories in the most beautiful way.
This film was thought-provoking and beautiful – everyone in the conservation and environment sector needs to watch it.
The Colour of Transformation is thought-provoking and sad and funny and fierce. A really important contribution to environment and questions of access, representation and inclusion.
It made me feel seen.
I loved that it was an opportunity to celebrate amazing women of colour. However, it also drew my attention to the long way we have to go to ensure that the conservation sector has the diversity it needs to tackle the climate crisis.
The film made me feel Mobilised, empowered, angry, hopeful.
It gave me hope and excitement for the future of our planet and the inclusion of everyone to help save it… The artwork was very powerful and gripping – a feast for the senses.
