Special events for Lancaster schools to be held as part of Amazon festival in memory of Dom Phillips

The programme for a set of events to commemorate the lives of environmental journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira has now been published and includes special activities for Lancaster schools.

Dom was travelling in Amazonia with Bruno, investigating the undeclared war on indigenous communities and solutions to tackle the destruction of the rain forest, when they were murdered by people involved in illegal fishing.

Primary and secondary teachers are invited to attend a workshop at Halton Mill on Tuesday October 11 at 7pm with Jules Abrahams, Wendy O’Hara and Jessie Holmes from Morecambe’s Good Things Collective.

They will discuss how to get students involved in creative projects inspired by the rainforest.

They will be making colourful and imaginative tropical flowers, leaves and trees that may later become part of an animated digital rainforest alongside a wider art installation.

Book a place at the free event at www.trybooking.co.uk/BXAA (a recording will be available if you can't make the date).

On November 19 and 20, there’s a two-day international conference at Lancaster Environment Centre: “Saving the Amazon: sharing perspectives” - showcasing the work of researchers, activists, film makers and journalists involved in investigating what is happening in the Amazon and offering just solutions to the environmental crisis there.

The programme includes a keynote speech from indigenous leader Nelly Marubo by Zoom from Manaus on ‘The importance of preserving the forest: the perspective of the Marubo people’.

The conference is free for local sixth formers and other young people, students, and people on low or no wages.

Sixth form teachers – as well as everyone interested in what’s going on in the Amazon – are invited to check out the programme at www.tinyurl.com/DomBrunoConference.

There will be transport to Lancaster University from Halton, Morecambe and the Ridge.

The programme is available on the dedicated Halton Mill project web page www.haltonmill.org.uk/DomBruno and also includes films (with Q&A sessions with the directors), online talks, a ‘tropical rainforest tour’ at the Butterfly House, a photography and art exhibitions about Amazonian life, and a masterclass for young and emerging filmmakers.

An exhibition, drawing attention to how the Amazon is being destroyed and showcasing hopeful solutions like those Dom was researching on his last journey into the Amazon, when he and Bruno were brutally murdered, goes on show at Halton Mill on October 30.

The programme is being coordinated by low carbon work and event space Halton Mill, which Dom visited last year with his sister, Lancaster musician Sian Phillips.

The activities will launch on Sunday October 30 at 5pm at Halton Mill. Sian Phillips and Pete Moser from More Music will be speaking, and there will be Brazilian music and food.

For more information about the festival, along with booking links, or to sign up for updates, go online at www.haltonmill.org.uk/DomBruno