Climate + Change
Exhibition

In December 2013, photo.circle - in coordination with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), GlacierWorks, Thinc Design and various local partners in Nepal - organized an educational-oriented exhibition with a focus on the Himalayas of Nepal, their glaciers, ecosystems and watersheds. The exhibition, titled Climate+Change, was based on a large selection of photographs, images and film with a learning context based on ICIMOD’s knowledge gathered over the last 30 years. The objectives of the exhibition was to promote dialogue among scientists, people and policy makers living and working in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. This exhibition occupied the exhibit space of the Nepal Art Council building until mid-April 2014. In September 2014, the second edition of the exhibition was launched in Pokhara’s International Mountain Museum.

Arts and education program

An arts and education program was also designed for the exhibition to provide an innovative learning experience for young people and the general public. Activities were designed to allow young people to understand and engage with the various issues highlighted by Climate+Change. The framework of the program emphasized project-based, student-centered instruction in an interactive learning setting. Sessions were designed around topics directly related to the exhibition and the current socio-political issues that surround it. Sessions also attempted to tie these issues into school curricula. This kind of approach fostered a deeper level of inquiry and sought to provide a personal and meaningful experience to the students and teachers.
The arts and education program was designed, implemented and managed by Niranjan Kunwar and Sharareh Bajracharya.

Objectives of the Climate+Change arts and education program were:

1. involve children, youth and adults in the conversations, scientific observation and study of issues related to climatic and larger changes happening in our Himalayan Hindukush region through educational tours of the exhibition and hands-on activities
2. engage, train and educate school teachers using the exhibition’s wealth of resources so that they can in turn take the knowledge back to their classrooms and communities
3. provide regular art workshops that will be designed to allow participants to engage with issues of Climate+Change in creative ways
4. organize opportunities for participating school groups to delve more deeply into issues related to Climate+Change through in-depth, long-term curricular work