Return to nature
Earth Day Exhibition & Outdoor Programme (Norwich, 2017)
Event Curation, Environmental Exhibition Design & Visitor Experience
About the project
Return to Nature was a one-day exhibition and public programme created to coincide with Earth Day. A natural site in central Norwich was transformed into a temporary outdoor venue for installation art, sculpture, performance, poetry, talks, and free workshops. The project brought together artists working in harmony with nature to raise awareness of environmental issues and encourage public engagement through creative participation.
Artists involved: The Earth Issue, KIN, Alex Park-Reeve, Adam Popli, Genevieve Rudd, Cordelia Spalding, Elizabeth Fleur Willis.
Considerations
Create a clear visitor journey with a timed programme that made multiple activities easy to follow.
Balance artworks and participation, so installations, talks, performances, and workshops felt cohesive.
Design for an outdoor site, ensuring signage and materials were practical, durable, and suited to the setting.
Keep information lightweight and accessible, guiding visitors without overpowering the natural environment.
Key components & design decisions
Spatial planning: Mapped placement for installations, performances, and workshop areas to support flow and avoid conflict between experiences.
Wayfinding + information design: Produced simple, readable signage and event information to guide visitors through the programme.
Event identity + promotion: Designed promotional materials aligned with the Earth Day theme to communicate the project clearly and attract a broad audience.
Outcome
The result was an accessible, community-focused outdoor exhibition that used design and curation to transform a public green space into an immersive Earth Day experience. By combining environmental artworks with hands-on workshops and talks, Return to Nature encouraged active participation and strengthened public connection to local nature and environmental awareness.
“Return to Nature brought the community of Norwich into a patch of green that had become overlooked, maybe because it seemed an overwhelming task to reclaim a space that had been neglected and, subsequently grown wild.”