Hilbre Island: a creative laboratory for art, science and sustainability

A new partnership between Liverpool John Moores University and the Centre for Art, Science & Sustainability (CASS) plans to build upon existing research activity on Hilbre Island and encourage exciting new collaborations across a range of disciplines. 

Islands as Creative Laboratories

More than 30 Liverpool John Moores University individuals and partners were cast away to Hilbre Island for the day to take part in a symposium at the Centre for Arts, Science and Sustainability to mark the beginning of the new partnership. 

The Islands as Creative Laboratories symposium brought together academics, artists, scientists, environmental practitioners and community partners on Hilbre Island to explore its potential as a unique site for interdisciplinary research, creativity and public engagement. 

A hub for learning, research and creative practice

The new partnership between the university and the Centre, which is part of the British Art and Design Association, will continue to help the remarkable archipelago thrive as a hub for learning, research and creative practice. The partnership with LJMU will also help expand focused courses, events and research activity across the arts, sciences, sustainability and ecology on Hilbre Island - which is an internationally recognised site for its unique biodiversity.  

LJMU academics across the fields of art, science and sustainability and peers from the University of Sunderland and University of Liverpool used the day to focus on potential collaborations and to discuss what’s next for Hilbre and how research and opportunity can be turned into reality. 

Our history with Hilbre Island stretches back decades with students and staff enjoying the remarkable ecology of the tidal landscape.   

Professor Mark Power

LJMU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mark Power visited the island earlier this year to agree the partnership, he said: 

“Our history with Hilbre Island stretches back decades with students and staff enjoying the remarkable ecology of the tidal landscape.   

“As we have derived so much from the Island, I think it’s only fitting that we work together with partners to ensure it remains a unique space for teaching, learning and creativity across the arts, science and sustainability.” 

LJMU’s work on Hilbre Island 

LJMU has a long-standing history with Hilbre Island, with projects on the island in recent years including: 

• A collaboration between the Low-Carbon Eco Innovatory (LCEI) The British Art and Design Associations and Friends of Hilbre Island are working on a refurbishment of buildings that will see the use of renewable power and sustainable water-use for the site. 

• Under the leadership of Liverpool artist and alumni Terry Duffy and Dominic Wilkinson, Programme Leader for architecture in the School of Arts and Creative Industries, the Centre has transformed a series of semi-derelict 19th century buildings into a working research Centre.     

• Biological and Environmental Sciences students have been part of activities to study the changes in the intertidal zone of Hilbre Island and assess bird abundance and foraging impact on the island.

• The Hilbre Arts, Science and Sustainability Project combines research, teaching, consultancy and creative practice and generates partnerships between LJMU and local civic organisations. Local stakeholders are working with LJMU researchers to build a specialist study centre which will allow artists and scientists to use the island as a creative research space, looking into its environmentally sensitive nature, its extreme weather contrasted with its proximity to urban centres which make for an unusual ecosystem and opportunity. 

• LJMU students and researchers in a range of subjects visit the island all year round as part of research and their studies, from marine biology and astrophysics, to creative writing and art.

About Hilbre Island 

Hilbre Island is a tidal island which lies at the mouth of the Dee Estuary and forms part of a designated Local Nature Reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest. Accessible on foot from West Kirby (approximately 10 miles from Liverpool City Centre), on the Wirral, at low tide, the island is a popular destination for walkers and nature enthusiasts drawn to its unique coastal landscape.  

The island is renowned for its wildlife, flora and fauna, from migratory bird species to colonies of grey seals frequently seen around the shoreline.