Rituals and Robots
Rituals and Robots is a new project being developed by the artist Rachel Jacobs in partnership with Dr Alan Chamberlain and the Robo-Humanities project at the University of Nottingham (Somabotics: Creatively Embodying AI), University of Nottingham School of Computer Science, UK HRI .
Rituals and Robots brings people together to explore the twin existential crisis of climate change and the impacts of digital technology (including AI). Through a series of public workshops and a process of research & development the project investigates how rituals and robots might help us thrive in the future, creating:
- 3 new interactive ‘slow’ sustainable artworks, each acting as a ‘totem’, ‘punctum’ or ‘trigger point’ for public interventions and convivial gatherings
- A series of pilot public workshops in Nottingham, London and Cumbria thinking about and making rituals and robots to help us in the future
In partnership with the Robo-Humanities Project we are hoping to develop a Rural Robots programme across Cumbria, Ceredigion and Cornwall, conducting workshops and interventions that explore the themes of kinship, pilgrimage and the collective dreaming of speculative futures, that will inform a touring exhibition displaying the final artworks, rituals, robots and outcomes of the project.
Public Workshops
Rachel ran some pilot workshops from November 2025 – June 2026 to explore Rituals and Robots and the themes of this project in Nottingham, London and Cumbria, in collaboration with Dr Alan Chamberlain and other local people and groups in each area. We are now in the process of exploring how we can develop a regular series of Rituals and Robots gatherings and workshops in Cumbria and possibly beyond to start in Autumn 2026.
Previous Workshops:
Rituals and Robots at The Great Big Green Week in Cumbria
Saturday 13th June, 10.00am – 1.00pm
Ambleside Library, Kelsick Road, Ambleside, LA22 0BZ
Over 30 people joined us for a free drop in session, with different generations coming around the table to think about climate, nature and technology – designing and making what we need for the future, with tea and cake. The award winning artist, researcher and creative educator Rachel Jacobs facilitated a series of creative activities throughout the morning, inviting people to come together to make sustainable robots, think about different ways to power the things we need in our lives, and how the traditional tools of rituals and stories might help us dwell better in the future. Representatives from local organisation Ambleside Action For A Future was also there to talk about their amazing local activities.
How We Dwell With Rituals and Robots: Creating a World We Can All Inhabit
Thursday 14th May 2026, 6.30pm – 9.30pm
Location: Space 4, 2nd Floor, 113-115 Fonthill Road, Finsbury Park, N4 3HH
A free intergenerational workshop that explored life, legacy and the different ways we can thrive, now and into the future. Bringing people from different generations together in the same room Rachel Jacobs and Rose Levinson led a series of activities that explored how traditional tools of storytelling, ritual and myth and our new tools of robots and digital technology might help us counter societal assumptions about how we think about ourselves in the world.
An Introduction to Rituals and Robots
Thursday 5th March 2026, 6.00pm – 9.00pm
Location: Space 4, 2nd Floor, 113-115 Fonthill Road, Finsbury Park, N4 3HH
An introduction to the Rituals and Robots project. Inviting people to meet around the table at Space 4, a small group gathered to think together about what we need to thrive in the future and make robots using arts, crafts and technology.
Rituals and Robots Drop In Workshop
Location: Primary Studios, Studio A11, 33 Seely Road, Nottingham NG7 1NU, Saturday 25th October, 10am – 1pm
Rachel invited people to join her around the table in her studio at Primary, to think together about what we need to thrive in the future.
