The Gulbenkian Foundation’s partnership with the Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT) developed from a simple enquiry – were there innovative ways of engaging the public in the environmental, social and political context of the Islands, a microcosm of world concerns? From this tentative question there evolved a robust partnership between the Foundation and the GCT, culminating in the Gulbenkian Galapagos Artists’ Residency Programme which has run from a pilot in 2007 to its completion in 2011; and the Gulbenkian Galapagos exhibition of the new work made by the 13 artists to tour to 3 venues over 2012 – 13 – to The Bluecoat, Liverpool, the Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, and to the Foundation’s own gallery, the Centro de Arte Moderna (CAM), Lisbon.

The project meets the core aims of the UK Branch’s Environment theme: To help in the development of a society which benefits from a more sustainable relationship with the natural world and understands the value of its resources. Its development from a small pilot project to an international exhibition demonstrates the way the Foundation nurtures an idea and sees it through to fruition. It reflects a number of the Foundation’s core concerns: environmental awareness leading to responsible action, the socio-political impact of change in an increasingly globalised world, a greater cultural understanding of migrant communities and an enhanced awareness of the role of the arts within wider cultural debates.

The partnership is founded on mutual trust and respect between Gulbenkian, the arts professionals, the Galapagos Director and a Panel of environmental specialists all of which has led to good decision-making. Gulbenkian has used its professional arts knowledge, its experience of inter-disciplinarity in art and science, and its arts organisation, exhibition management and arts budgets skills to combine with GCT’s environmental expertise and organisational skills in negotiating in an international context. The two partners are now working together to commission an evaluation of the whole project to assess its achievements and public impact.

Toni Darton, Chief Executive of the Galapagos Conservation Trust says, “The partnership with Gulbenkian has been extremely valuable for us and for the Charles Darwin Foundation, our partners in Galapagos.  It has already fostered wider discussion – both locally and in the UK - about the challenges facing not just Galapagos but anywhere that people and the natural world need to coexist.”