Climate change is the biggest environmental challenge of our time, a challenge the next generation of decision-makers
needs to rise to. More and more the New Zealand youth are taking the lead in highlighting the urgency of this issue.
Otago Museum is coordinating an Unlocking Curious Minds funded project working with a group of young people to develop
an exhibition on the topic of climate change. The project aims to give young people the skills, support, and space to
express themselves.
Since November 2019, a group of twenty young people from different schools across Dunedin, and from the Te Aho o Te Kura
Pounamu correspondance school, have been working together on this, united in their passion for spreading the message
about climate change.
One of the team members, Sarah Al-Balushi, Year 11, Kavanagh College, joined the project because of the opportunity it
presented. “One of the most exciting things about this exhibit is that it allows the younger generation to express their
views on an issue that will mainly affect them, and to gain a better understanding of their environment, which was
something I wouldn’t have otherwise had the opportunity to do.”
Early on, the team decided they wanted to use this platform to communicate about the inequality of climate change. They
wanted to highlight the fact that many of the communities and nations severely impacted by climate change are not the
main contributors to the problem, including our Pacific neighbours.
The team have had workshops with different climate scientists, local youth activists, and young people impacted by
climate change across the Pacific region. They have worked closely with different departments across Otago Museum and
learned about marketing, exhibition design, and science communication. The team have created art pieces, conducted
interviews, taken photographs and curated information and data.
Originally scheduled to be open during the July school holidays, the exhibition was delayed because of the COVID-19
lockdown. As a testament to their commitment and passion, the team continued to work hard through this period. “Lockdown
certainly added a new layer of difficulty to the project, as all the meetings had to take place online. While this was
challenging at times, I think that it was also valuable, as it really helped me to refocus on the overall idea and
figure out what the key messages I wanted the project to convey.” said Sarah.
The team themselves are not the only ones gaining from the project. “This has actually been an amazing journey for me
personally” said Dr Claire Concannon, the project coordinator at Otago Museum. “I have learned so much from this group
of inspirational, talented, kind, and passionate young people. Working with them makes me hopeful for our future. Do not
miss this exhibition, it is going to be something really special”
Climate Change – Striking a Balance is a free exhibition that will open 3 October and run until 1 November at Otago Museum, in the Beautiful Science
Gallery.