Bristol-Bern Prize

There is currently a vast public thirst for understanding the historical dimensions of rapidly escalating environmental crises. At the same time, for historians there remains a tension between established models of knowledge production and transmission, and new modes and processes of knowledge sharing. These are not adequately recognised or rewarded by academia, especially, but are arguably essential in an era in which environmental knowledge is both increasingly contested in the public domain, and essential for a liveable future.

This prize seeks to encourage researchers to build public engagement into their projects from the outset. There is no restriction on the format of work submitted for the prize; judges will be able to evaluate and commend work in environmental history that engages the public through workshops, websites, audio-visual productions, popular publication, theatre or other forms of performance, visual arts collaboration, and mixed or multi-modal forms.

The 2023 Bristol-Bern prize goes to Risky Cities: Living with Water in an Uncertain Future Climate led by Professor Briony McDonagh.

The overarching goal of the Risky Cities project is to research and develop ‘learning histories’ for flood-prone cities – and utilize these stories and experiences in community-based arts and heritage interventions which help communities learn from the past to build climate awareness and flood resilience today and for the future. Our initial case study was Kingston Upon Hull, UK, and we are now expanding our work to other UK and international cities.

More about the project here

National Youth Theatre ‘On the Edge’ Rehearsals – Ali Wright 2021

 

The Bristol-Bern Prize in Public Environmental History (2Bs Prize)

Andy Flack, chair (University of Bristol)

Simona Boscani Leoni (Université de Lausanne)

Antonio Ortega Santos (Universidad de Granada)

Pablo DeSoto (LABoral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial in Gijón)

Eleonora De Majo (PhD, activist)