Seaweed, Whales and Kelp Ink

With inspiration (and plenty of fascinating marine science) from our collaborators at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), we designed a workshop series that got the children drawing, thinking, and even moving like a kelp forest.

We explored the idea that Svalbard and the Hebrides are connected through shared species - kelp, plankton, and humpback whales - and introduced the concept of havets motorvei, the “ocean highway,” to imagine how these species travel and drift across vast distances. The idea of an ocean highway captured everyone’s imagination, and the children quickly grasped the wonder of sharing both species and sea, despite the distance between the islands.

One of the highlights was a large group drawing exercise. The children listened to recordings of humpback whales gathered by SAMS, learning how their unique family songs can identify different groups, some of which are known to travel between the Barents Sea and the Atlantic, connecting both archipelago locations. As they listened, they were invited to “think like a kelp forest,” drawing with kelp ink made from seaweed gathered in the Sound of Iona.

Before long, a kelp ink forest began to grow across the walls of the Artica studio. We brought the drawings to life through animation, creating a shifting, living seascape. This playful and collaborative way of working helped root scientific ideas in creative experience, deepening the children’s connection to their own island home.

Big thanks to Mull based artists Miek Zwamborn and Rutger Emmelkamp for their help with kelp ink making and video recording of the process.