‘Shade the UK - Shading for a Resilient Future’ – Exhibition
Later this month, Shade the UK will be hosting a new exhibition at London’s Building Centre. Sponsored by the British Blind and Shutter Association (BBSA) and supported by Melting Metropolis, the exhibition will highlight our collective work in responding to the growing challenge of combatting overheating in the UK and will showcase creative and practical solutions for adapting to rising temperatures in our built environment.
So, if you should find yourself in the Bloomsbury area between 20th March and 24th April, feel free to pop in and see what it’s all about! Read on for more details.
Shade the UK is all about adapting the built environment and public spaces to protect vulnerable people against a changing climate. The last couple of decades have underscored the need for the work that we do, with recent years seeing record-breaking summer temperatures, both in the UK and internationally, affecting the comfort, health, and safety of millions of people.
Recognising the impact we have already made in the span of a few years, and our plans for the future, we are taking this moment to reflect on our work in collaboration with other like-minded organisations.
Together with our partners, the British Blind and Shutter Association (BBSA) and the Melting Metropolis research project, we are hosting our latest exhibition, ‘Shade the UK - Shading for a Resilient Future’, at London’s Building Centre. Here, we look to showcase some of our most impactful work, highlighting the impact that our organisation has already made, and is continuing to make, in safeguarding London and the UK against the adverse effects of hot weather.
What to expect from the exhibition:
● Shade the UK projects: Over the past few years, we have collaborated with a number of high-profile partners - ranging from major charitable organisations like the British Red Cross, educational institutions like the London School of Economics, to local authorities like Camden Council - to deliver climate adaptation projects for the built environment. Through combining keen insight into the unique challenges different people experience during extreme heat events, alongside our technical expertise, we have started to make a positive impact in London, to boost heat resilience and protect vulnerable people in the city.
● Global Shading Day 2025 – 21 March 2025: Spearheaded by our partners at the BBSA, we want to take this opportunity to recognise and celebrate Global Shading Day 2025, to raise awareness of the importance of shade in beating the heat. Taking place on the first day of spring, this annual event raises awareness about the positive benefits of shading products and solutions – including shutters, blinds, and awnings – in creating more comfortable and more sustainable buildings and spaces.
● Photography Installation – 40 Degree Stories: During the summer of 2022, when UK temperatures reached a record-breaking 40.3°C, people across the country suffered in a way that had not been seen before; with infrastructure and services buckling under the pressure, vulnerable people were unable to find respite from the heat. Through sitting down with community members in Islington to understand their experiences of the 2022 heatwaves, we were able to capture a snapshot of what hotter summers will mean for us as the climate warms. Combining excerpts from these interviews with a groundbreaking photography series, 40 Degree Stories gives a unique insight into an overheating London.
We also want to make sure to hear from you! So, throughout the exhibition, there will be plenty of interactive elements. You will be able to share your experiences of hot weather, tell us your ideas for making your neighborhood cooler, and add your voice to the conversation about climate change adaptation and resilience in London and across the UK.
If you want to learn more about what’s going on at the forefront of responding to heat risk, come down to London’s Building Centre from 19 March. We look forward to seeing you!
About the BBSA: The British Blind and Shutter Association (BBSA) is a trade association representing the UK solar shading industry, including for companies for blinds, shutters, and awnings. For more information on the BBSA, see here.
About Melting Metropolis: A joint collaboration between Liverpool University and Queens College, New York, Melting Metropolis is a Wellcome-funded initiative exploring how residents across cities like London, New York, and Paris think and feel about heat and its impact on their health. For more information on Melting Metropolis, see here.
