Nabil Ali is the artist-in-residence at the Cambridge University Botanic Gardens and the founder of Botanic Dyes Index Colour Project. Informed by historical dye techniques and practices, Nabil explores the colours that can be made from plants growing across Cambridge University. In this workshop, Nabil will demonstrate how to extract dyes from roots, petals, leaves and berries. In the beautiful surroundings of the Jesus College fellows’ garden and greenhouses, participants will experiment with dyeing paper, silk, and feathers.

The Fitzwilliam Museum holds an exceptional collection of botanical art. Participants are invited to view the highlights of this collection, focusing especially on works by women and amateur artists made between 1500 and 1850. These include drawings by Maria Sybilla Merian, Alida Withoos, Nicolas Robert, James Sowerby, George Dionysius Ehret, Pierre-Joseph Redouté, Barbara Regina Dietzsch, and Eugénie Adélaïde d’Orléans. The tour will be led by Catherine Powell-Warren and staff from the collections.