The EDGE educational foundation promotes vocational learning throughout UK. As its contribution to IPY project 343 it launched the ICE-Edge competition in January 2007 in which teams of schoolchildren aged 13-17 from 10 regions in England and Wales submitted project ideas for tackling issues of climate change and environmental problems. The prize - a once in a lifetime trip to Svalbard to see for themselves the changing Arctic environment, meet polar researchers and get involved in polar projects. The response was fantastic with well over 2000 entries submitted and from these entries 37 teams were selected to appear in a Grand Final held on 5th May at Imperial College, London. A team of expert judges (including Cynan Ellis-Evans from the IPY International...

Argentina invites artists to contribute to the electronic exhibition of the Interpolar Poetic Art Gallery. Argentina will host an "Interpolar Poetic Art" Gallery during May as a pre-launch for the Interpolar Poetic Art Post Card Project at the Dreamland Pub, in Ushuaia. We would be very happy to hear from any other polar artists or projects who would like to participate with their art work. After the artistic and cultural exchange pre-launch actions, the project will consist of a Multimedia Exchange Installation, inspired by environmental phenomena, and an open proposal on raising awareness and comprehension about the polar areas and their fundamental role in th...

The National Maritime Museum celebrates International Polar Year 2007 with this series of talks by explorers, artists, historians and scientists. Covering environmental, cultural, social and historical responses to the polar regions, the talks aim to uncover and examine this fast-disappearing place on Earth. Each week they will be explored from a different perspective: cultural commentators and ecologists will engage with the burning issue of climate change; historians will discuss empire-building and notions of heroism through the characters of Scott, Franklin and Shackleton; anthropologists will highlight the culture and contemporary concerns of indigenous communities and explorers will discuss their experiences. 5-week course

Arctic Connection is a culinary project to be launched at the end of May. It is a co-production between executive chef Ben Hardeman from Le Meridien Hotel "Des Indes" and artist Ap Verheggen. The International Polar Year of 2007 and 2008 will draw more attention towards the Arctic and her inhabitants. This project is an innovating collaboration between the Dutch artist Ap Verheggen and chef Ben Hardeman. It is built out of two components; the design of the tableware and the unique composition of the menu. Both are inspired by the recent Arctic situation. It has resulted in one of the leading culinary-art pr...