Kat Austen offers workshops based on her artistic research methods. Workshops can be public or private and are tailored to each audience. They are suitable for adults and young people. To book a workshop please email.
Sound
Sounds of Water
Using adapted scientific sensors we learn to listen to the chemical changes in constant flux in the bodies of water that surround us. (image Roger Pimenta)
Cries of Climate Change
How do we deal with our emotional response to climate change? In this co-creation music workshop we explore agency, response and solutions.
DIY Hydrophones
The underwater environment has songs of its own. In this practical workshop we make DIY hydrophones and use them to explore the depths. (image Petra Počanić)
Microplastics and plastics
(Un)Real Ecologies
Plastics have pervaded the ecosystem. This practical workshop explores how river systems coexist with this new element.
Developed with Nana MacLean
Sushi Roulette
Fish are swimming in oceans of plastic. In this workshop we search for micro plastics in fish guts using DIY Chemistry. We explore what this means and co-create an exposition of our process and findings.
Developed with Gjino Šutić
Airborne Microplastics
Participatory explorations into catching airborne microplastics using adapted fog-catchers
Taphonomy of Trash
Participants are introduced to the concept of incidental taphonomy, exploring the transience of organic existence and humanity’s relationship to long-lasting materials such as plastic.
Food
DIY Nutrient Spectrometry
Nutrition isn’t all about calorie count. In this workshop we use DIY Chemistry and DIY Spectroscopy to investigate micronutrients in common foods.
Rediscovering Taste
In this workshop we explore our food preferences and the role of all our senses, plus our cultures and society in developing our sense of taste.
Non-human Acts – Image Theatre
Austen has developed Non-human Acts, a bespoke approach to Image Theatre, a form of participatory theatre, to explore the power dynamics between humans and non-human agents. These workshops can be run stand-alone or coupled with thematically-relevant workshops.
Agency of Earth
This workshop employs Austen’s Non-human Acts techniques to explore the agency of the landscape on ourselves and others. (Austen, Kat. (2018). Agency of Earth – Image Theatre Script. Zenodo).
Agency of Water
This workshop employs Austen’s Non-human Acts techniques to explore the agency of water on ourselves and others. (Austen, Kat. (2019). Agency of Water – Image Theatre. Zenodo.)
Agency of Food
This workshop applies Non-human Acts to food and its agency in different situations.