EXHIBITION: A GIRL & BIRDS

Birds are many people’s first point of contact with the natural world. These colourful splashes darting between branches or buildings brighten people’s days, offering a joyful way of engaging with wildlife. A former licensed trainee bird ringer, ornithology was both formative during Alicia’s teenage years, and highly destructive in her early adulthood. However, Alicia’s experiences are not isolated. For all of the joys ringing and birding bring, there are a multitude of issues and even traumas that echo and reverberate through the community. A Girl & Birds explores this from the perspective of a young woman trying to reclaim her identity and love for ornithology; sharing the voices of others who have been brave enough to discuss their own experiences.

Alicia Hayden (she/her) is an award-winning wildlife artist, writer, and filmmaker –with a degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Oxford, and a Master’s in Wildlife Filmmaking from the University of the West of England. Originally from North Yorkshire, Alicia grew up surrounded by the natural world, and engaging with it both artistically and scientifically was second nature to her. A licensed trainee bird ringer for five years, Alicia’s relationship with ornithology is somewhat complex. Her identity and love for the natural world is also entwined with the abuse and trauma experienced during her teenage years. A Girl & Birds explores this relationship that both Alicia, and many others, experience with the natural world. There is much to celebrate, but there is also much more still to be done.

Alicia is a member of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO)’s Youth Advisory Panel, a Daler-Rowney Artist, and sits on the Whitley Fund for Nature’s Next Generation committee. She is a freelance artist & creative, working across multiple disciplines to tell stories about the natural world. You can find out more and see her work via her website aliciahayden.co.uk

Location: The Art Space, Cass Art Bristol

Dates: Monday 16th June - Sunday 29th June 2025

Admission: FREE

Please note, this exhibition takes place on the lower ground floo and there is no step-free access.