Across 2018 - 2019, I worked with botanical designer Zosia Berkieta-Lewis (formerly The Plant Room, now Studio Terra Flora), to make HERBARIUM. This was a collaborative, creative practice-based feminist exhibition and installation project, which ran from 11th - 24th July 2019, at Room 700 in Leeds Central Library.

For HERBARIUM, we explored the life and work of Ida Roper (b. 1865, d. 1935), a pioneering field botanist. Ida established her herbarium (a collection of preserved plants stored, catalogued and arranged) of dried British flowering plants in 1893. She added to it until her death in 1935, at which point it contained over 10,000 specimens. In 1935 Roper bequeathed her life’s work to the University of Leeds, where it was held in the Miall Museum. The Miall Museum closed in 2012, and her books, papers and correspondence were transferred to Special Collections at the University, and her herbarium was given to Leeds Museums and Galleries.

We offered creative responses to Ida’s life and our engagement with her archives. We created a large-scale 3D botanical art installation, exhibited Ida's original materials with new interpretation, offered two free public, site-specific workshops on natural dyeing and creative responses to archives, a zine making workshop at the university, and handmade zines for exhibition visitors to take away.

HERBARIUM traced a clear path through archival holdings – archival interpretation – creative practice – archival exhibition – public engagement – display of public work. Not only did we exhibit these rare and beautiful archival materials, but we also interpreted and responded to them, creating something new, as a result.

Our partners were the University of Leeds Special Collections team, Leeds Museums and Galleries, Leeds Central Library, illustrator Kristyna Baczynski, textile artist Ffion Taverner, design studio The Archipelago and professional photographer Joanne Crawford.

 

We were also able to offered two paid internships on this project, courtesy of IGNITE funding. Our botanical artist internship was awarded to Katie Bennett-Rice, and Stephanie Bennett secured our events and exhibition internship.

Our funding for this project came from the School of Media and Communication Impact Fund, the Centre for Practice-Led Research in the Arts, and the Cultural Institute's IGNITE fund, all based at the University of Leeds.

All photos courtesy of Joanne Crawford.