The opening of the exhibition Young Minds for a Compassionate World was announced by Victoria Memorial Hall Kolkata (VMH), Natural History Museum London (NHM), and British Council as a part of the current India/UK Together, a Season of Culture. Scott McDonald, Chief Executive, British Council, His Excellency Alex Ellis, High Commissioner, British High Commission in India, Dr. Jayanta Sengupta, Secretary and Curator (Director), Victoria Memorial Hall, and Gemma Ward, Manager, Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition, Natural History Museum, London attended the opening of the exhibit.

This display is the result of a youth outreach initiative in West Bengal that was carried out jointly by the Natural History Museum (NHM) in London and the Victoria Memorial Hall in Kolkata, two renowned institutions in India and the UK. By giving young people a global platform to share their experiences with the natural world, the initiative seeks to strengthen, advocate for, and celebrate the voice of young people through nature and wildlife photography. Additionally, it gives them the tools they need to express their views, issues, and goals through photography.

As the magnificent Victoria Memorial Hall was converted into a live green structure by an experience and immersive music and light projection, Kolkata saw a peek at the artistic collaboration between India and the UK. The projections of grass, trees, and woods on the building’s eastern façade, along with the corresponding music, brought the notion of respect for nature to life.

Earlier in 2022, 33 students took part in a six-day photography and conservation training session. The students, who ranged in age from 15 to 22, collaborated with former contestants of the prestigious Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, conservationists, and filmmakers, and participated in training and discussions on issues such as nature conservation, ecology, and climate change as well as how to make changes. The curriculum comprised both indoor and outdoor classes covering everything from narrative to the fundamentals of wildlife photography and image processing for conservation.

A collection of 115 photos taken during these classes are on show as part of a two-month exhibition that started at Kolkata’s Victoria Memorial Hall. 15 photographs from mentors and past winners of the NHM’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition are also included in the collection.

For more information on India/UK Together, a Season of Culture, please visit www.britishcouncil.in