Saving Butterflies: art project cleverly combines issues of asylum and conservation

This inspired collaboration between artist Aylal Heydarova and schoolchildren from across London takes a decidedly local approach to telling a global story.

Written By: Tom May

20 January 2025

Group of people standing in front of a colourful wooden butterfly sculpture in an urban courtyard with tall residential buildings in the background

Art has the power to move us. But how often does it inspire, unite and educate? The #SavingButterflies project is a rare gem that achieves all this... and more. Cleverly, it manages to address not just one but two of the most pressing challenges of our times—the plight of refugees and the decline of biodiversity—while simultaneously democratising the artistic process to involve local communities in its creation.

Launched last April and spearheaded by London-based, Azerbaijan-born artist Aylal Heydarova, this innovative project has captured imaginations and hearts by blending public art, environmental activism and social awareness.

Transforming lives through art

At the heart of #SavingButterflies lies the idea of transformation. With their delicate beauty and powerful symbolism of renewal, butterflies serve as the perfect metaphor for resilience and migration.

Colourful illustration of children playing around a large wooden butterfly sculpture in an urban courtyard surrounded by orange-brick apartment buildings and bare trees

Overhead view of painting supplies including jars of blue and green paint, brushes with wooden handles, and a palette on a white drop cloth

Children wearing blue aprons paint a large wooden butterfly sculpture on a blue protective sheet outdoors against a brick wall

Led by the charity WE RESTART, which promotes art as a tool of personal or collective recovery, the initiative began in Chelsea, with children from the World's End and Lots Road (WELR) community creating a striking wooden butterfly sculpture.

Designed to showcase how climate change affects butterfly migration, the sculpture was displayed for three months in the Piazza before "taking flight" to Wembley's Union Park in the London Borough of Brent.

Next year, asylum-seeking children in Brent will design and build a new butterfly sculpture, one that reflects the cultural diversity of the area. This evolving process of creating, moving, and recreating not only spreads awareness but also builds a growing legacy of unity, creativity, and hope across the UK capital.

Nature in crisis

Butterflies are more than just vibrant additions to the landscape; they're essential pollinators, indicators of ecosystem health, and key players in maintaining biodiversity. Yet more than three-quarters of UK butterfly species are in decline due to habitat loss, climate change, and pollution.

The #SavingButterflies project tackles this urgent issue through education and engagement. This effort includes interactive workshops, led by the architectural collective CAUKIN Studio, which teach children aged 8-15 about butterfly conservation and the wider implications of climate change.

Person in blue jacket spray painting colourful geometric butterfly artwork while onlookers watch

Colourful wooden butterfly sculptures with geometric patterned panels in blue, red, yellow, green and purple displayed in a bright studio space with people in the background

A hand holding a paintbrush reaches towards a large blue wooden butterfly sculpture with colourful geometric patterned wings in red, yellow, green, orange and purple.

In short, by combining hands-on art with ecological learning, the project empowers young participants to act as environmental stewards. At the same time, the struggles faced by butterflies find a poignant parallel in the experiences of refugees: both need safe spaces to survive and thrive.

By intertwining these twin narratives, #SavingButterflies fosters empathy and understanding while promoting meaningful dialogue about human and ecological resilience in a clever yet easy-to-grasp way for children and adults alike.

Building bridges

"Art is a universal language," says Aylal, whose Azerbaijani heritage and sensitivity to cultural and natural themes shape her work. "It allows us to connect across boundaries. With #SavingButterflies, we're building bridges not just between people but also between humans and nature."

Looking forward, the vision for #SavingButterflies will continue to expand beyond Chelsea and Wembley. Plans are in place to take the project across London, with new sculptures created in collaboration with local children in different boroughs. This evolving trail of art will serve as a lasting reminder of the interconnectedness of humanity and nature, inspiring Londoners to embrace conservation and community.

Young boy peering through a circular opening in a vibrant blue sculpture with geometric mosaic patterns in orange, yellow, pink, green and purple

Woman sitting in front of a large blue butterfly sculpture with colourful mosaic-patterned wings in an urban courtyard

Blue sculptural butterfly with colourful geometric patterned wings displayed in an urban plaza under a bright blue sky with white clouds

Young child peering through a circular hole in a brightly coloured blue art installation featuring geometric shapes in pink, green, orange and purple

The vibrant social media campaign accompanying the project also plays a pivotal role. Featuring stunning imagery, educational posts, and interactive challenges, it engages a broader audience and sparks conversations about climate change and migration.

How you can help

The success of #SavingButterflies relies on community support. There are several ways to contribute:

Donate: Every donation to WE RESTART helps fund workshops, materials and outreach efforts.
Volunteer: Workshops and events are powered by dedicated volunteers. Join them from 7 to 12 April 2025 at Wembley Park.
Spread the word: Use social media to share the project's message. Visit the sculptures, snap photos and use hashtags like #SavingButterflies and #WeRestart to amplify its reach.

Global issue, local actions

The #SavingButterflies initiative exemplifies how local actions can address global challenges. It demonstrates that small, creative interventions like crafting a butterfly sculpture can spark real-world change by educating, uniting and inspiring communities.

Woman standing in front of a vibrant blue butterfly sculpture with multicoloured geometric patterns in an urban courtyard

As Aylal's striking blue butterfly sculpture soars to its new home in Union Park, it carries with it a message of resilience and transformation. In April 2025, the Wembley workshops will breathe life into a new sculpture, continuing this remarkable journey. Together, these creations represent not just the struggles of butterflies and migrants but also the beauty and strength found in collective efforts to overcome them.

Join the #SavingButterflies movement and become part of a transformative project where art, education and compassion intertwine to create a brighter future for both people and the planet.