Call for submissions: The Campus Kin Project
Campus, from the Latin meaning ‘field’ or ‘open space’.
The first buildings of the University of Warwick were constructed sixty years ago, in fields, woods and farmland on the outskirts of Coventry.
Reflecting on this, the Museum of Climate Stories is seeking stories about our relationship with the land on which we live, work and study. We want to hear about your encounters with the plants, lichens, trees, fungi, insects and animals with whom we share our campus. Stories could recount a joyful walk in Tocil woods; or a twilight encounter with wildlife; or the feeling of deep connection to place where creatures (human and otherwise) have dwelled for centuries. We aim to gather a range of experiences, so you might explore encounters or relationships to with campus which have been meaningful, weird, unsettling, or otherwise enriching.
-----
What will happen to the stories?
The stories will be hosted online as part of the University of Warwick 60th Anniversary celebrations and subsequently held in the University archives. Some stories will be chosen to be developed into short videos by the Culture and Media Policy Studies Media Lab. These will be shown at an event in the Autumn Term of 2025.
Submission details:
There are two ways to submit your stories
- Written form - maximum of 1000 words [word/PDF]
- Spoken form - maximum of 5 minutes [MP3/Wav, etc]
We also have opportunities to help you tell your story, if you are not comfortable shaping it either of the ways above. If you'd like to consider working with one of our story-facilitators please do get in touch at museumofclimatestories@warwick.ac.uk
Criteria:
Subject: There are no restrictions on the subject of your story, but it should have a connection to an experience with the University of Warwick campus.
Style: We are eager to hear stories from campus (rather than fictional accounts), but we encourage creative or alternative forms of storytelling.
Who can take part? Anyone with a connection to the University of Warwick – current and former students, faculty and staff, alumni, and the general public.
Please submit your stories to: museumofclimatestories@warwick.ac.uk by 15 October 2025
If you have any questions about this project, please contact Dr. Jamie Larkin [jamie.larkin@warwick.ac.uk]
Please note: While we strive to include as many stories as possible in the project, we reserve the right not to include submissions which may include harmful content.
About the Museum of Climate Stories
The Museum of Climate Stories is a new kind of museum, which aims to create different ways of thinking and engaging with the unfolding climate crisis. While the museum doesn’t have any collections or physical premises of its own, this provides it with flexibility to work in a range of settings, taking ‘objects’ in the vicinity as its subject. It uses museum thinking to inform its activities, which encourage people to see the world around them in different ways.
