In this blog, Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme adviser Kai Hu reflects on the process of creating a framework to measure the impact of artist residencies in conservation projects.
Art has the power to transform the way we see and engage with the world. It encourages new ways of thinking, challenges existing perceptions, and fosters a deeper connection with both our surroundings and each other. By engaging the senses and emotions, art can transcend language and cultural barriers, prompting reflection and inspiring change.
The relationship between art and nature conservation is longstanding, rooted in a shared mission to explore the complex interactions between humans and the natural world. Art’s impact can be profound, uniting communities, reshaping cultural narratives, and stimulating economic growth. However, these impacts are often difficult to measure, particularly within the realm of conservation, where the influence of art can be subtle and unfold over time.
To date, the Cambridge Conservation Initiative’s (CCI) Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme and Arts, Science and Conservation Programme (ASCP) have supported 12 Artist Residencies across Europe. These residencies have not only addressed ecological and environmental challenges, but have also seen artists embedded into the communities living in these landscapes. Although the potential of these residencies to influence audiences and further conservation is recognised, a lack of effective monitoring and evaluation often fails to demonstrate their impact, and improved methods are needed.
Over the past five months, as part of my MPhil in Conservation Leadership at the University of Cambridge, I undertook a placement with the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme and the ASCP to better understand the influence of the artist residencies and ways to improve the impact measurement. My focus has been on creating an evaluation framework that captures and communicates the often subtle but powerful influence these residencies have on conservation and communities. While a provisional framework is in place, the journey is far from over – further validation and refinement are needed before we share the work.
In this blog, I will take you through the process of developing the framework and the insights I have gained along the way.
What is art, really?
As an academically trained designer, I’ve always viewed art as the embodiment of pure expression, free from the need to serve a function, which I believe is in stark contrast to design that is driven by purpose. I assumed that most artists would echo this sentiment of separating art’s creative freedom from its utility. However, my interviews with artists, scientists, and other stakeholders revealed a much richer and more complex narrative.
I began each interview with a “million-dollar” question: “What is art?”, expecting varied answers. Unexpectedly, however, the responses were as consensual as they were enlightening.
Many artists suggested that art is not just about expression or interpretation but about responding, inquiring, and imagining. Moreover, art extends beyond the reach of science, challenging and intervening in the world we are living in.
Mila Dias, a community member involved in the Greater Côa Valley artist residency with Rewilding Portugal, captured this sentiment beautifully from a participant’s perspective: “The artwork is more than just a visual thing; through the Treasure House, art became a means to revive the spirit of lost communities, uniting nearby villages and reshaping local tourism in the process.”
Art, then, is not only a solo performance of the artist but also a multi-directional dialogue that can have significant social functions. It stimulates the local economy and enriches cultural identity. As a result, when shaping evaluation frameworks, it is imperative to look beyond the final product. We must consider the creative process and the broader systemic implications it generates through the multi-directional interactions within the residencies.
Imagining the unimaginable: What if you had an unlimited budget?
One of the most thought-provoking elements of my placement was a speculative workshop designed to push the boundaries of what artists believe is possible, challenging their preconceptions and sparking debates. I posed a series of questions, such as “What if the Mona Lisa never existed, and instead, a painting depicting the majesty of nature was at the centre of the Louvre?” and “How might we bring the values of art to rangers working in national parks?” But the question that led to the most intense debate was: “What if you had an unlimited budget to create an artwork to support landscape restoration in your local area?”
The responses were nothing short of extraordinary. Artists’ ideas went beyond the surface art presentations, integrating more deep considerations of the environment and the community. Ideas included introducing political coalitions and building a platform for collective wisdom generated by different residencies, many of which would be difficult to achieve under typical financial constraints. One innovative suggestion, to me, was to champion residencies that use only sustainable, non-harmful materials, making any residency a gentle, non-invasive presence in the landscape.
This interesting question highlighted a challenge facing both the art and conservation fields regarding how to support creative practices that push boundaries without financial limitations. Moving forward, in addition to supporting artists with their residencies, finding ways to sustain meaningful and engaging practices and further ignite creativity without overburdening artists with financial worries could led to more impactful results.
How might we realise a 200-year vision?
“Cairngorms Connect have a 200-year vision as an overarching belief for our future. We need to be working intergenerationally and involving various perspectives for a long period of time to make things work” Sydney Henderson, Communications and Involvement Manager for Cairngorms Connect, told me during my fieldwork in Aviemore, Scotland this summer.
This ambitious vision highlights a common challenge discussed in many of my interviews: the tension between the demands of immediate results at the end of a residency and the long-term impact that the artists aim to achieve. To address this, we must rethink our approach to evaluation:
- How can we create frameworks that capture the impacts of residencies over an extended timeframe?
- How can we ensure that the creative work initiated by these residencies continues to resonate and evolve within communities long after?
- How might we better use the power of “co-” (cooperation, collaboration, coproduction, coordination…) to include more voices from the community in the selection and evaluation process of artists, ensuring a more equitable and empowering role for local communities to take positive actions?
These questions will be at the core of discussions with the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme, ASCP, and other experts, as we strive to refine a more robust and forward-looking evaluation strategy, not only for our CCI programmes, but with a view to influencing the wider art and conservation sectors.
The end of the beginning
This placement has been a journey through multidisciplinary perspectives, each offering new insights into the attempt to create an evaluation framework for the Artist Residencies Programme. As I move forward to the next phase of the project to further validate these outcomes and co-develop more tools with stakeholders, I invite you to join me in this ongoing process. Together, we can better connect art and cultural practices with conservation and bring more positivity to the field.
This research was partially funded by Cambridge Masters in Conservation Leadership, and King’s College, Cambridge. Kai Hu is a member of the 23/24 cohort of the Cambridge Masters in Conservation Leadership, recipient of the Robert Sansom Scholarship in Conservation Leadership, and 23/24 Entrepreneur-in-Residence student at King’s College. His placement was with CCI, ELSP, and ASCP, and he is currently working with the group to continue the work. Before Cambridge, Kai worked as a design strategist to help brands turn future visions into reality through human-centric research, cultural strategy, and smart designs.
