Nil by Mouth; Art, science, food and sustainability event at Scottish Parliament

Nil by Mouth (2013-14) brought together artists, scientists and food producers initiated by Mike Bonaventura, Chief Executive of the Crichton Carbon Centre. The Crichton Carbon Centre’s focus is on sustainability and how to communicate to as many people as possible in as many ways as they want.

Nil by Mouth – Scottish Parliament – Arts in Scotland TV

Many of us are currently under-informed about the issues driving the need for rebalancing the economic, environmental and social aspects of development. Working with Wide Open as Producers, the environmental art charity, the Crichton Carbon Centre is exploring the role of art and artists in broadening public engagement with the sustainable development agenda

As part of the Nil by Mouth programme, recent Edinburgh College of Art Graduate Hans K Clausen was in residence on South Uist in the Outer Hebrides. Clausen’s experience in the workshops with the scientists learning about food security and sustainability led him to explore South Uist from a different perspective.

He discovered that many of the artists living on the island are also crofters and food producers. His contribution to the event at Scottish Parliament was 15 wheelbarrows of new work by these artists, including one from himself.