A new strand to the DARE More programme kicked off on Friday 7 December, when Dr Robert Knifton, Academic Fellow in Museums Galleries & Heritage at the University of Leeds, delivered the first lunchtime salon at Opera North.

The salons aim to engage Opera North staff with the wealth of knowledge at the University through talks and conversations on a broad range of intriguing topics.

Can art and design change habits?

Responding to Opera North’s commitment to environmental sustainability, Robert spoke about a project he is involved in called Life on the Outskirts, which has drawn on the work of Helen Storey, fashion designer-turned-artist, whose work uses the medium of dress to focus on ecological issues like climate change, air pollution and the plastic crisis. One of the pieces she produced was a dress made from a UN tent for refugees, repurposed as a garment and printed with climate data that she collaborated with scientists on.

The theme was inspired by a lecture given by the Priestly Centre for Climate, and the NERC Changing Arctic Ocean project, which was hosted at Opera North’s Howard Assembly Room on 19 October.  Unfrozen: Reports from the Ice  marked Green Great Britain Week.

Do you have any suggestions for DARE lunchtime salons? Just get in touch with Fran Russo, Opera North HE coordinator.  francesca.russo@operanorth.co.uk