To celebrate Earth Day 2023, King’s Cross has devised an exciting programme of free interactive and educational events across the estate, each speaking to this year’s theme: ‘Invest in our Planet’.
Leading the weekend programme will be an Earth Day ritual on 22 April created by this year’s artist in residence, Lucy Orta. Celebrating and honouring biodiversity through a collective dance, visitors can enjoy three intuitive, culturally rooted performances throughout the day, where dancers will whirl to the beat of a drum in a romantic, joyous ritual bursting with energy. Dancers will be dressed in lavish costumes, created with beautiful botanical prints which mirror the motifs of three striking new draperies adorning the iconic Granary Building (pictured).
A culmination of Lucy Orta’s year-long residency at King’s Cross, the 60-foot draperies, titled Fabulae Naturae, will become the backdrop to the special Earth Day performances. The critically acclaimed British artist has created the draperies as part of her Lost Species project at King’s Cross, which pays homage to the interdependency and diversity of wildlife, whilst drawing our attention to the significant species loss our planet is facing. The draperies will eventually be repurposed into a limited-edition collection of accessories, ensuring that the ephemeral artworks are completely recycled.
The King’s Cross estate will also see an exciting range of other installations, markets and art exhibitions programmed across the weekend, giving visitors and families plenty to see and do.
Fair’s Fayre Market: Friday 21 – Sunday 23 April
The popular King’s Cross Canopy Market will get a makeover for Earth Day weekend with a range of stalls that collectively address cultural and environmental sustainability and the climate crisis. In a partnership with University of the Arts London’s Climate Emergency Network and its postgraduate community, the market will offer a host of delicious street food stands and fresh produce, as well as jewellery, ceramics, accessories and homewares. There will also be mask making workshops over the weekend and placard making on Saturday 22 April, which families are invited to take along to the Earth Day ritual on Granary Square.
The Waters Are Coming: Tuesday 18 April – Monday 24 April
An immersive installation in the Granary Square fountains will highlight how sea levels are predicted to rise over the next 100 years, in some places by up to two metres. Created by Phil Barton, MA Art & Science at Central Saint Martins, the fountains will be programmed to echo the tides in various cities and countries around the world – from Maputo to Los Angeles and Fiji to Mumbai. The outer jets in each set of fountains will be lit in blue to demonstrate the current tides and the inner jets will be lit in red to demonstrate the predicted high tides.
Reflections on water: Saturday 22 April
Part of Global Generation’s Voices of the Water heritage project, visitors are encouraged to enter into a reflective encounter with water on the Floating Garden between 1-3pm on Earth Day. People can climb aboard the barge, located opposite The Lighterman, to share their personal and cultural stories of water, reimagine the ecology of the canal and make a wish for the future of our planet.
The Wild Escape: Monday 3 April – Friday 28 April
The Wild Escape exhibition by the Art Fund, alongside partners Camley Street Natural Park and the British Library, is a creative showcase of primary school children’s work. The exhibition features young people’s drawings, plus images of wildlife found in museum and gallery collections that have inspired the project. Found on the outdoor art benches, the artworks will form an epic collective artwork unveiled on Earth Day alongside the work of well-loved UK artists, including Yinka Shonibare, Es Devlin, Mollie Ray and Rana Begum.
Sustainable Planet: Monday 17 April – Wednesday 31 May
In a competition with Westminster University, ten winning students’ creative work will be showcased in an open-air exhibition on the Lower Stable Street Lightboxes, each raising awareness of important environmental campaigns.
Families looking for fun and free things to do over the Easter holidays can head to the Visitor Centre on Stable Street, which is the start of an immersive family trail with an Earth Day twist. Parents and their children will uncover hidden secrets and amazing art, with challenges to complete along the way.
As part of King’s Cross’ commitment to reducing plastic use – one of this year’s Earth Day pledges – visitors can refill their water bottles at six newly branded water fountains across the estate or by stopping by more than 15 participating food and beverage outlets, including Dishoom, German Gymnasium, Caravan and Lina Stores.
For more information please visit: https://www.kingscross.co.uk/event/earth-day-at-kings-cross