Art in Action
Every July at Art in Action, up to 400 artists, craftsmen, performers and musicians gather together in Waterperry Gardens, Oxfordshire, to demonstrate their skills and show their work. In the course of four days, 25,000 visitors attend the fair.
For the past few years we have been privileged to run the Bee Marquee at Art in Action, featuring exhibitions, displays of bee friendly flowers, hive demonstrations and a daily programme of talks by experienced beekeepers.
This is a wonderful opportunity for us to engage with the public and raise awareness of the issues faced by bees today. Visitors gain a sense of what can be done, individually and communally, to be of service to the bees.
Art in Action is a unique event. With an emphasis on creativity rather than commercialism, it celebrates music, art, and positive change. It is the perfect setting for us to share our own work, which seeks to promote an appreciation of the Bee for its own sake, and to empower people to make choices that are good for the environment. Chief event organiser Simon Buchanan is an accomplished sculptor and was recently appointed the steward of the Waterperry Estate.
Art in Action 2016 will take place from 14-17 July. This year we are planning to include more demonstrations, such as Sun Hive and log hive making, and talks.
Demonstrations and displays at Art in Action
This log hive has a 30cm diameter hole and a volume of 58 litres; the walls of the hive are very thick which supports the bees' warmth maintenance efforts in a superb way. Keeping a steady temperature is key to a bee colony's health.
The hive was made by Matthew Somerville of beekindhives.uk and was shown to great public acclaim at Art in Action in 2015.
We were delighted to find that the number of people wishing to inquire deeply into the honeybee's preferences is very great indeed!
Bee-friendly flowers and plants
Every year we complement our exhibitions with a display of bee-friendly flowers and plants. We let people know that they don't need to become beekeepers themselves in order to help the bees. By planting bee-friendly plants (raised without the use of neonicotinoid pesticides) anyone can improve the lives of pollinators.
