The CALENDARS project and adapting to seasonality

The CALENDARS project (Co-production of seasonal representations for adaptive institutions) aims to start working with the University of Bergen gardens from Autumn 2020, to together explore how the gardens adapt to changes in seasonality (see also: https://www.uib.no/en/calendars-project). CALENDARS studies diverse social groups and institutions in Bergen - from fishermen to climate science centres, museums, schools, artist collectives and gardeners - to uncover the seasonal objects, practices and representations that guide how people operate in these spheres. The project wants to go further and ask institutions, like the university gardens, to critically think about whether these seasonal representations are in step with the seasons they actually experience now, in the face of various climatic, social and natural changes. How are seasonal changes challenging the way people operate the gardens and study the plants within? To do this we will deploy a set of creative methods, including creating new ‘primstavs’ - traditional Norwegian calendar sticks - fitted to todays seasons.