Owen Griffiths

For the Bees is a collaborative project conceived and created by myself and fellow artist Fern Thomas. Supported by SAFLE, Taliesin Arts Center, Plan Bee, The Cooperative and Swansea Metropolitan University. We worked with musician Mial Watkins to create a piece of choral music for a choir of volunteers to come together in an act of concern to sing a song of will to two hives of British Honey Bees. The project was created in response to the struggle that the British Honey Bee faces, responsible for pollinating a third of a crops bees are a vital part of our eco system and are currently suffering Colony Collapse Disorder and Veroa infestations. These images document the performances in August and September 2010 at Swansea University, where the apiary is situated. Whilst there is currently a world wide response to the problems that the bees are facing we wanted to create a poetic experience to reconnect the public to the bee. We installed a mobile cinema created from an old caravan which showed actions which documented the project and the Coop film 'The Vanishing of the Bees'. The project was shortlisted for 'So, You Want to be a Scientist' on BBC Radio 4's Material World. The project was also connected to the Royal Entomological Society, which a specially commissioned performance was created. Documentation of the project has now been purchased by the Welsh Assembly Government. A vinyl record and accompanying catalog documenting the project and the perfrormances will be launched later this year.

For more information please visit the project blog:

www.weareworriedaboutthebees.wordpress.com