In February 2010  Christine Watkins accompanied visual artist Maria Hayes (assisted by a travel award from Wales Arts International) on a journey to the Swedish and Finnish Arctic. Under investigation was the idea of North, the Aurora Borealis and stories about the creation of the universe.
We visited the Aurora Sky Station in Abisko, the Swedish Institute for Space Physics in Kiruna, the Museum of the Arctic (Arkitkkum) , Rovaniemi Arts Museum, Jokkmokk Museum and K&C Dance Company in Helsinki.  Throughout the journey we had the opportunity to meet and talk to a range of scientists, artists and curators. Development is now underway for a piece of work informed by this journey North.

Following a lifelong line of enquiry, Christine then travelled on alone to the semi-autonomous Aaland Archipelago at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia.  In the frozen waters the seeds for a related piece of work on Journey and Memory were briefly visible.

Initial contacts/visits made in the Archipelago included the Nordens Institut, the Museum Ship Pommern and the Aaland Peace Institute. 

These two journeys indicate the main direction of current research and development work into 2011/12