PEACE CRANES

Our Peace Cranes project culminates with Consequences. Art and Activism in the Nuclear Age – an exhibition of contemporary art at Edinburgh’s Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny St, Edinburgh EH6 8RG. Free and open to all 16 August – 3 September 2022 Monday – Saturday 10am – 5pm (except 27 August 2022)

Through artist’s films, photography, installations and poetry, we explore the humanitarian and environmental consequences posed by the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, together with the nuclear power accidents at Chernobyl and Fukushima, as well as the dropping and testing of the atomic bomb in Japan, Soviet Russia and the Marshall Islands.

The featured artists are Es Devlin (England), Ian Dodds (Scotland), Maxim Dondyuk (Ukraine), Alla Georgieva (Ukraine/Bulgaria), Su Grierson (Scotland), Janis Hart (Scotland), Madelon Hooykaas (The Netherlands), Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner (USA), Peter Kennard (England), Dan Lin (USA), Alena Rogozhkina (Ukraine/Scotland), Keiko Sato (Japan/The Netherlands), Makana (USA), Pam Skelton (England), Elena Subach (Ukraine), Daria Svertilova (Ukraine), Edward Thompson (England), Mare Tralla (Estonia/England), Machiko Weston (Japan/England) and Helen Zhgir (Ukraine).


The exhibition is accompanied by a 24pp exhibition leaflet featuring a curatorial introduction, artists’ statements and a floor plan checklist. Pick up your free copy on site or here:


The exhibition is also accompanied by a series of free events, including:

19 August 2022 6-10pm Exhibition Vernissage featuring poetry readings by Ukrainian and Scottish writers Kateryna Babkina, Natalka Bilotserkivets, Lyubov Sirota, Kathleen Jamie, Gerry Loose, Jim Mackintosh, Alan Spence and Samuel Tongue. Free and open to all but advance registration needed here

2 September 2022 1-4pm Creative workshop led by exhibiting artist Alena Rogozhkina. Free and open to all but advance Eventbrite registration needed here.

3 September 2022 1-4pm Exhibition Finissage featuring a performance by Protest in Harmony Choir and a screening of The Vow from Hiroshima – a documentary about Hiroshima survivor and anti-nuclear campaigner Setsuko Thurlow. Free and open to all but advance Eventbrite registration needed here.

July 2022 – 3 September 2022 Curatorial selection of poems introduced weekly, including new and old favourites by Bob Dylan, Nâzim Hikmet, Daniel Berrigan, Sadako Kurihara, Lyubov Sirota, Lyuba Yakimchuk and more. Free and open to all at our dedicated Facebook page here.

Peace Cranes project at a glance linktr.ee/PeaceCranes

#peacecranes #nuclearban #bairnsnotbombs

Peace Cranes is a two-year project by Peace & Justice (Scotland) – a major part of our Arts and Activism Programme. The project sets out to explore the impact of nuclear power on peace, people the planet, and the significance of the UN nuclear weapons ban treaty. It features a series of contemporary art exhibitions and events across Edinburgh in-person and worldwide online, showcasing works by Scottish and international artists. Peace Cranes is curated by Iliyana Nedkova and Heather Kiernan and delivered with the support of a range of partners, volunteers, donors and funders – all spreading the message about planetary care, climate and nuclear justice worldwide.

The Peace Cranes project began online on 6 August 2020 with a series of films, talks and theatre events commemorating the 75th anniversary of the nuclear catastrophe caused by the US atomic bombing of the Japanese civilian populations in Hiroshima and in Nagasaki in August 1945. Tune in our 2020 programme here featuring artists Leo Ashizawa, Jeff Brown, Michael Mears, Chihiro Ono and You-Ri Yamanaka.

Our project continued with Peace Cranes and Code Red – our exhibitions and events held across Edinburgh 6 August – 26 November 2021 which attracted over 20,000 visitors and included works by Ian Dodds, Janis Hart, Peter Kennard, Michael Mears, Donna Riddington, Pam Skelton and You-Ri Yamanaka. Download a summary of our 2021 programme here and follow the links below.

The Peace Cranes project culminates with Consequences. Art and Activism in the Nuclear Age 16 August – 3 September 2022 – our in-person exhibition and events at Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny Street, Edinburgh EH6 8RG.

#nuclearban #bairnsnotbombs #peacecranes

RECENT PEACE CRANES EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS

CODE RED: PETER KENNARD

A print installation of photomontages by one of Britain’s foremost political artists Peter Kennard. Preview on 5 November 2021 6-8pm at The Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 36 Dalmeny St, Edinburgh EH6 8RG. Free entry. Open to all. Exhibition continues 6 – 26 November 2021 Monday – Saturday 10am – 5pm FURTHER DETAILS HERE


PEACE CRANES: JANIS HART

An installation by Scottish artist Janis Hart featuring 140,000 origami cranes showing 6 August – 13 November 2021 at St. John’s Church, Princes St, Edinburgh, EH1 4BJ. Free entry. Open to all. Monday – Saturday 10:30am – 4pm excluding Wednesdays 11am – 11:30am FURTHER DETAILS HERE


THE MISTAKE: MICHAEL MEARS

A rehearsed live reading of a compelling new play about the dropping of the first atomic bomb when the world changed forever by award-winning actor and playwright Michael Mears. Showing on 13 November 2021 2.30-4.30pm at the The Parish Church of St Cuthbert, 5 Lothian Road, Edinburgh, EH1 2EP. FURTHER DETAILS HERE


ATSUKO: YOU-RI YAMANAKA AND HEATHER KIERNAN

A rehearsed reading by actor You-Ri Yamanaka of a new maverick monologue by Heather Kiernan about Atsuko Betchaku (1960-2017) who began the wave of folding 140,000 peace cranes. Presented on 20 October 2021, 7.30pm at Maverick Monologues 11 hosted by Heroica Theatre Company. FURTHER DETAILS HERE


PEACE CRANES COP26 PROTEST BANNERS: DONNA RIDDINGTON

A workshop about making COP26 protest banners as part of the Stitches for Survival campaign led by independent visual artist and activist Donna Riddington presented online on 16 October 2021. FURTHER DETAILS HERE


CHERNOBYL MON AMOUR: PAM SKELTON

Film premiere of Chernobyl Mon Amour – a new artist’s film by established British artist Pam Skelton exploring the nuclear disasters of Chernobyl 1986 and Hiroshima – presented at CHRNBL International Forum on 7 October 2021. FURTHER DETAILS HERE


VOICE OF THE RAINBOW: SHATHA ALTOWI AND SABER BAMATRAF

An evening of music, film and debate with Yemeni artists and human rights defenders exploring how art and culture contributes to peacebuilding held online on International Day of Peace, 21 September 2021 as part of the first Geoffrey and Elisabeth Carnall Peace Award. FURTHER DETAILS HERE


PEACE CRANES: JANIS HART AND IAN DODDS

A cinematic installation by artist Janis Hart featuring carbonized trees, garlands and a circular screen projection of a creative documentary in collaboration with filmmaker Ian Dodds presented 6-27 August 2021 at St. John’s Church, Princes St, Edinburgh, EH1 4BJ. FURTHER DETAILS HERE

‘The film Peace Cranes by Ian Dodds and Janis Hart is devastating, so affecting, the circle like a lens magnifying the suffering and the white screen at the end, staring at it. Thinking of the footage and the testimonies – beyond words. So important that it gets shown wherever and whenever it can be’ Peter Kennard

Peace Cranes cinematic installation view © Victoria Murray. Courtesy of the artist


PAST PEACE CRANES EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS

Explore our past Peace Cranes project exhibitions and events here – all free and available to download, read and watch again – including a film about Atsuko Betchaku by Iliyana Nedkova, public talks with Pam Skelton, Shatha Altowi, Saber Bamatraf, Peter Kennard, Kate Hudson, Damon Bridge and Hywel Maggs, a dance with Sara Lockwood, and a blog by Brian Larkin.

Tune in our Peace Cranes five-hour-programme of online events in 2020, including live theatre performances with Michael Mears, artist’s films, storytelling sessions, curatorial talks, artists’ Q&As and an origami peace crane folding masterclass with Shoji Masuzawa.

Share Button