The Reflection Pool International Conference takes place as a key event bringing together practice, research and activism in the field of nature, culture and science. It is part of the Silence of the Bees program of Leeuwarden-Fryslân European Capital of Culture 2018.

After an introduction in the town hall of Achtkarspelen by Anke Coumans, moderator, lecturer Image in Context, Knowledge Center Art & Society Academie Minerva / Hanzehogeschool Groningen, follows an online interview with the Australian artists of the Oratorio Nigel Helyer & Jon Drummond and with dr. Hauke Koch from Kew Royal Botanic Gardens. Then you step live into a digital tour through The Hive and there is a presentation by the Slovenian artist Tomáš Gabzdil Libertíny and the Frisian poet Jan Kleefstra. We conclude this with a discussion about the power of synergy between nature, culture and science.

In the afternoon you will visit the Oratorio, a sculpture in which you are immersed in music generated by bumblebees and the exhibition ‘words and watercolour’, followed by an active program in which you roll up your sleeves. The afternoon program in De Kruidhof will be concluded with a networking reception after dinner and a musical evening with a choir, a tractor, Fanfare Joost Wiersma and the Academy for Pop Culture around 20:15.

The Reflection Pool is a conference that will provide scientists, artists, academic researchers, agriculturalists, conservationists and communities a special opportunity to pool and reflect on the experience of collaboration. There will be plenty of opportunity for entering into discussions!

September 22 symposium ‘Turn the tide for the bee’
On Saturday 22 September, the symposium ‘Turn the tide for the bee’. During this Bee Symposium we want to challenge each other and join forces to come up with and implement surprising local solutions for the bee mortality problem. This symposium is for concerned citizens, artists, governments and entrepreneurs who want to help to prevent bee mortality. You are also warmly invited for this. You can register for this symposium here. Pay attention; this day is in Dutch!