About the event
The Time of the Rivers Fellowship engaged four artists from Malaysia and the UK to explore climate adaptation, decolonial approaches to art and ecology, and socio-political impacts on displaced communities.
The four artists—Kedisha Coakley, Rizo Leong, Syarifah Nadhirah, and Ben Swaby Selig—joined the fellowship, facilitated by Borneo Bengkel and Radical Ecology, to collectively explore: how can art and conservation meaningfully resist colonial legacies? What are the lived realities of vulnerable communities affected by climate change? And what happens when people are displaced in the wake of state-led infrastructure projects?
The fellows embarked on two transformative international field trips in Malaysia and the United Kingdom where they sat with rural communities to hear lived experiences, engaged in powerful exchanges with Indigenous activists, explored the depths of museum archives, and learned from cultural practitioners carrying generations of knowledge. Every encounter paved the way for deeper understanding and a greater sense of solidarity across cultural boundaries.
After six months of collaboration and deep immersion, the fellows will host a sharing session reflecting on their individual and collective experiences.
Running from March to September 2025 the Time of the Rivers Fellowship has been co-curated by Radical Ecology and Borneo Bengkel as part of Human-Nature, the British Council Malaysia’s 3-year programme exploring the role of the arts and creative approaches to highlight climate adaptation.
Event details
Please join us to hear from the fellows, followed by an opportunity to ask your own questions.
- Location: Online
- Date: 30 September, 12.30-14.00pm (BST) / 19.30-21.00 (MY)
- Free entry, registration required
Dates:
Tags:
- Theme: Climate & Sustainability
- Art Form: Culture and Global Challenges
- Region: East Asia