Yearly Archives: 2014

Greenteas(e) big event 8 April

This post comes to you from EcoArtScotland

EcoArtScotland has been attending Creative Carbon Scotland‘s Greentea(se) events in Glasgow and they are a very provocative process of trying to think through how culture and sustainability might collectively be able to change Glasgow, and what it would look like in 20 years.  The Greenteas(e) events are always open with a changing group of participants.  This larger event at Govanhill Baths is an opportunity for you to join the discussion.  You can sign up through Eventbrite.  Contact Creative Carbon Scotland through their website or on Facebook, Linkedin or Twitter.

Join Creative Carbon Scotland for Green Teas(e) – a day-long gathering of folk interested in arts and sustainability imagining how they can grow a more sustainable Glasgow!

Green Teas(e) brings together the artistic and sustainability worlds of Glasgow to spark new connections and join up projects and activities which share a common desire to make the city a more environmentally, socially and economically sustainable place to live.

This free event is open to anyone who’s interested in making Glasgow a greener city and exploring the roles which the arts could play in achieving this. Whether you’ve attended previous discussions or you’re brand new to Green Teas(e) Creative Carbon Scotland will be delighted if you could to join them at Govanhill Baths on 8th April.

Over the course of the day the group will look at what characteristics could make a more sustainable Glasgow and what role artists and arts organisations can play in growing and promoting these. Most importantly, the group will explore how to actually make these things happen.

Schedule for the day:

9-9.30 Tea, Coffee and arrivals

9.30 Introduction – Creative Carbon Scotland

9.45 Green Teas(e) – Penny Anderson, Writer and Artist, Aims and progress to date

10.30 Coffee and opportunity to see/hear about related artworks/projects currently happening or in the pipeline

11.00 Sustaining Creativity – Sholeh Johnston (Julie’s Bicycle), will talk about the findings from their UK-wide survey ‘Sustaining Creativity’ which asked CEO’s and artistic directors about their vision for a more sustainable cultural sector around key themes such as circularity, value and digital tools.

12.00 Introduction to the afternoon – Creative Carbon Scotland, A few thoughts to bring together the ideas from the morning and pose some questions for further discussion.

12.30 Lunch and the opportunity to see/hear about related artworks/projects being carried out by others

1.30 – 4.15 Imagining 20 projects which move the group forward to a Greener Glasgow

In the afternoon Creative Carbon Scotland will come up with 20 projects that will help develop a more sustainable arts sector in Glasgow and/or a more sustainable Glasgow – socially, culturally, environmentally. Facilitators from a range of disciplines/artforms/fields are invited to lead sessions to disuss and expand upon a range of ideas and proposals for projects that would help us begin to build this more sustainable Glasgow. The aim of this is not to plan an actual project with funding, people, locations, organisations etc. but to come up with ideas that would be interesting, stimulating and challenging and which could motivate us onto action.

4.15 Tea/coffee

4.30 Plenary

5.30 Drinks – open to all!

7.00 Finish

Creative Carbon Scotland is looking for you to send us ideas and proposals for the afternoon session. They want exciting ideas that will lead them on to the next, pro-active, stage. Please send ideas to Katie Stuart: katieshearerstuart@gmail.com. 

ecoartscotland is a resource focused on art and ecology for artists, curators, critics, commissioners as well as scientists and policy makers. It includes ecoartscotland papers, a mix of discussions of works by artists and critical theoretical texts, and serves as a curatorial platform.
It has been established by Chris Fremantle, producer and research associate with On The Edge Research, Gray’s School of Art, The Robert Gordon University. Fremantle is a member of a number of international networks of artists, curators and others focused on art and ecology.
Go to EcoArtScotland

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Residency Opp and Green Teas(e) Reflections – Creative Carbon Scotland

This post comes to you from EcoArtScotland

Our friends and colleagues at Creative Carbon Scotland have a call out for artists to participate in a residency,

Mull is a multi-disciplinary weekend-long residency which explores the question, ‘What would it mean to be an artist working in a sustainable Scotland in 50 years’ time?’ through artistic practice and conversation. We’re looking for up to ten artists to apply their curiosity and unique skills to imagining what being an artist in a sustainable Scotland might look like in the future – what that would mean, how it would affect artistic content, what infrastructure it would require in order to function and how artists and the arts will have shaped a sustainable Scotland.  More info here.

They have also been running a programme of Green Tea(se) in Glasgow to build up the discussion about what a sustainable city and cultural sector might look like.  They’ve been blogging the outcomes of the events.  Green Teas(e) is part of a wider EU project called the Green Arts Lab Alliance. To find out more, click here.

If you want to contribute to imagining a more sustainable cultural sector, then come along and join the conversation. 

ecoartscotland is a resource focused on art and ecology for artists, curators, critics, commissioners as well as scientists and policy makers. It includes ecoartscotland papers, a mix of discussions of works by artists and critical theoretical texts, and serves as a curatorial platform.
It has been established by Chris Fremantle, producer and research associate with On The Edge Research, Gray’s School of Art, The Robert Gordon University. Fremantle is a member of a number of international networks of artists, curators and others focused on art and ecology.
Go to EcoArtScotland

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Opportunity: Volunteers Wanted for Creative Environmental Project

This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

Opportunity for volunteers to get involved in a new creative environmental project in Leith

A new project in Edinburgh is embracing creative approaches to engage the community with climate change and environmental issues. The Leith Community Climate Change Project is the first initiative run by the new Himalayan Centre for Arts and Culture in Leith, formally Dr Bells Swimming Pool. The idea behind the Centre originally came from the Nepal Scotland Association, who wanted to find a suitable venue which could act as the common base for many different cultural communities in Edinburgh and beyond.

The Centre is now looking for a special team of Community Champions to develop the Leith Community Climate Change Project over the coming months.

The initiative will run from April 2014 to February 2015 and involves a range of activity:

  • A schedule of creative and environmentally themed workshops will run from the Centre, including natural dyeing sessions and theatrical pieces.
  • The team will support households in Leith to reduce their energy consumption and increase food composting.
  • Outdoor excursions will be organised for community members, including tree identification walks and cycle rides.

The Community Champions

The Champions will receive bespoke training to develop the skills relevant for this project, including an option for further training at the end. Champions spending a certain amount of time with the project will get bikes from the Bike Station, plus a cycling course and cycling equipment for the duration of the initiative. They will receive ongoing support from the Centre and the opportunity to go on Scottish based trips to connect with similar projects. They will have the chance to shape an exciting and vibrant environmental project.

If this sounds like an opportunity you would like to get involved with, please email harriet@himalayancentre.org.
0794740030
Twitter @HimalayanCentre
Facebook – Himalayan Centre for Arts & Culture, Edinburgh

The post Opportunity: Volunteers Wanted for Creative Environmental Project appeared first on Creative Carbon Scotland.

———-

Creative Carbon Scotland is a partnership of arts organisations working to put culture at the heart of a sustainable Scotland. We believe cultural and creative organisations have a significant influencing power to help shape a sustainable Scotland for the 21st century.

In 2011 we worked with partners Festivals Edinburgh, the Federation of Scottish Threatre and Scottish Contemporary Art Network to support over thirty arts organisations to operate more sustainably.

We are now building on these achievements and working with over 70 cultural organisations across Scotland in various key areas including carbon management, behavioural change and advocacy for sustainable practice in the arts.

Our work with cultural organisations is the first step towards a wider change. Cultural organisations can influence public behaviour and attitudes about climate change through:

Changing their own behaviour;
Communicating with their audiences;
Engaging the public’s emotions, values and ideas.

Go to Creative Carbon Scotland

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Here Comes the Sun… | Artsadmin

From Artsadmin.

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As a leader in the arts and environment field, Artsadmin is always looking for ways to make Toynbee Studios more sustainable (and are proud to have Green Tourism Silver award).

Since the studios were renovated in 2006 Artsadmin has been investigating the potential of putting solar panels on the roof. Then, back in September last year (when the sun was still shining) the group came upon Joju Solar, who thought they might be able to help.

Joju turned out to be exactly what was needed – they were able to manage the whole project – from the many conversations with surveyors about the weight of the panels, how they would be fixed and designed, and how much electricity the system might generate, to the purchase and installation of the panels. Finally last week Joju’s engineers installed 40 solar panels – which will generate up to 10 kilowatts of green energy.

The installation will also (hopefully) help make significant savings. With an estimated return of around 12% the panels will hopefully pay for themselves in around eight years – and over the next 25 years (the length of the lease we have on the whole building) Artsadmin is likely to make a significant return through its feed-in tariff.

For those who haven’t made it up to the roof to have a look, Artsadmin has also installed a digital display in the foyer which will show how much electricity it’s generating at any time, so here’s hoping for a hot summer in E1.

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Display in the foyer the day Artsadmin overstepped the 100 kWh mark.

ARTPORT_COOL STORIES FOR WHEN THE PLANET GETS HOT IV: WATCH AND VOTE FOR THE WINNER

From ARTPORT.

COOL STORIES FOR WHEN THE PLANET GETS HOT IV

CSIV

PLEASE WATCH & VOTE
until March 31, 2014

for your favorite artist to help them win an artist residency at Largo das Artes in Rio de Janeiro!

ARTPORT_making waves is pleased to announce the launch of COOL STORIES FOR WHEN THE PLANET GETS HOT IV, the fourth biennial competition of short art videos and animations by artists from around the globe who address climate change.COOL STORIES IV is launched on the web at www.artport-project.org and invites the public to vote for the final winner who will be awarded an artist residency at Largo das Artes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (largodasartes.com.br). The deadline for voting is March 31. COOL STORIES IV (50′) is presented in partnership with FilmAnnex,filmannex.com, an online platform and community for independent filmmakers and video artists.
Copyright © 2014 ARTPORT_making waves, All rights reserved.

WILDFLOWERING L.A. enters blooming and touring season

Via WILDFLOWERING L.A..

WILDFLOWERING L.A. blooming and touring season arrives…

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Site #37: Cal Poly College of Environmental Design

In November 2013 owners of of 50 selected sites across Los Angeles county were prescribed one of four custom wildflower seed mixes based on their location. Participants were responsible for sowing, watering, weeding, and occasionally hunting gophers. Over the past few weeks we have been receiving reports from these Wildflowering L.A. sites. The first accounts of flowers came in early February, but with our early spring Southern California heat and sun kicking in, we have many sites experiencing their first waves of dramatic blooms. This will continue in secessional waves through June with various species coming up, flowering, and then receding as others take the stage.

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Site #44: 478 E. Avenue 2, Lincoln Heights

On January 17th, 2014, our governor Gerry Brown declared a “drought state of emergency” in California. And while the orchards and fields that feed us are drying up in the Central Valley, our green lawns and flowing fountains down here in Los Angeles make it seem like everything is just fine. Perhaps the Wildflowering L.A. project might have been easier during a rainy El Niño year when our wildflowers really pop and Angelenos make the pilgrimage out to the flowing poppy fields of the Antelope Valley. Though it’s been a challenge, this drought period seems like the most appropriate and provocative time for us to really pay attention to the land we live on, to what really grows here, along with the whys, whens, and hows.

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Site #27: 4237 Eagle Rock Boulevard

Participants have been sending their ‘bloom ratings,’ estimates of when their wildflower site might peak, some current snapshots, and general anecdotes about their experiences with the project. I have been compiling this information and adding it to our ‘map’ page, which will continue to be updated through June. Around that time the plants will start to dry up and set seed. Participants will be encouraged to let this cycle play out, allowing the meadows to gradually turn golden brown and broadcast seed for the next season.

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Site #17: 1150 W. Grovecenter Street, Covina

From March to June 2014 you can take a tour to view the sites with the best displays which include homes, churches, schools, botanic gardens, public parks, vacant lots, and even a U.S. post office. All of the sites are visible from streets and public paths (but should not be entered). A prominent carved wood sign, inspired by state and federal park signage, identifies each site which range in size from 500 to 2000 square feet.

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Wildflowering L.A. map / Bloom Ratings: Red = Excellent / Yellow = Good / Blue = Low to None

To help plan your tour, start on our interactive map page, and then download this PDF list of the most active sites organized by geographic region. And for the energetic cyclist crowd in North East L.A. – where there is an especially heavy concentration of sites – a special map for touring on two wheels has been created. Share your text and photo blooming updates with the Twitter and Instagram hashtag #wildfloweringLA, which will post directly to this webpage, where you can also see what people are finding at other sites across town.

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Site #44: 478 E. Avenue 2, Lincoln Heights

Future Wildflowering L.A. programs include an installation/exhibition about the project presented April 26-27, 2014 at The Shed (1355 Lincoln Avenue, Pasadena 91103) hosted by La Loma Development; a late-June seed-sharing event; and a fall release event for a booklet telling the story of selected participating sites with before and after photos.

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Site #28: 3847 DuRay Place, Baldwin Hills

Wildflowering L.A. sites were selected from an open call based on public visibility and distribution across the County. Owners of selected sites are given free native wildflower seed mixes at workshops in partnership with the Theodore Payne Foundation. Soil preparation, seeding, and wildflower tending were demonstrated, and one of four custom wildflower seed mixes was prescribed – Coastal, Flatlands, Hillside, and Roadside – inspired by Reyner Banham’s 1971 book, Los Angeles: The Architecture of Four Ecologies.

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Site #25 – 2821 West View Street, West Adams (from The Horticult)

For more information visit the ‘about’ and ‘resources’ pages of the website. And posted yesterday at The Horticult is a great tour of various project sites by Chantal Aida Gordon, Field of Dreams: ‘Wildflowering L.A.’ Turns Urban Sprawl Into Native, Magical Meadows.

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Site #17: 1150 W. Grovecenter Street, Covina

Special shout-outs to Roman Jaster for the graphic design and website; the boys at the Knowhow Shop for the sign fabrication (and super idea of burning them, instead of staining them black); Isabel Avila for the official before and after photos; Lili Singer and Genny Arnold at the Theodore Payne Foundation for their support/expertise/enthusiasm; the ladies at LAND (Los Angeles Nomadic Division), Samantha Frank, Laura Hyatt, Maryam Hosseinzadeh, and especially Shamim Momin.

CALIFORNIA POPPY (ESCHSCHOLZIA CALIFORNICA)

#40 – Carthay Center Elementary School, 6351 W. Olympic Boulevard (from The Horticult)

Wildflowering L.A. is a native wildflower seed sowing initiative throughout Los Angeles County by artist Fritz Haeg. It is presented by LAND (Los Angeles Nomadic Division) in partnership with the Theodore Payne Foundation and supported by a grant from the James Irvine Foundation.

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Phacelia tanacetifolia (Lacy Phacelia) from the Roadside and Hillside mixes

Margaret Tait Residency

This post comes to you from EcoArtScotland

The Margaret Tait Residency is an opportunity for early career artists working with film and moving image to undertake a focused period of work on Orkney.  Deadline 9am 4 April 2014. 

The Margaret Tait Residency aims to support and develop the skills of an emerging Scottish or Scotland-based artist working within film and moving image. It was developed for artists early in their career who would benefit from a focused period of development in a stimulating environment outwith their typical studio base.

The recipient of the Residency will travel to Stromness Orkney in summer 2014 and be based there for eight weeks. They will be given accommodation, studio space, artist support at Pier Arts Centre and living expenses. After the Residency, they will complete a series of mentor sessions with prominent artists, as well as film production courses as requested and required. The artist is expected to then deliver a film or film event by February 2015 for inclusion in Glasgow Film Festival’s programme.

Applications are now sought from the sector. The deadline is 9am, Friday 4 April 2014.

Selection process:

Who can apply?

  • Scottish artists or artists based in Scotland.
  • Emerging artists, early in their career (graduating in the last three to five years in a relevant course), who work in film and moving image.
  • There is no age restriction.
  • We regret that we cannot accept applications from artists who are students.

To apply, please send the following:

Timeline:

  • Eight weeks to be spent in Stromness, Orkney in summer 2014 (dates negotiable between May–September).
  • Further support and training to take place in UK between September–December, based on your needs and aims.
  • Film screening at Glasgow Film Festival, February 2015.
  • Film to tour beyond Glasgow, with assistance from GFF–from March 2015 onwards.

Deadline for nominations: 9am on Friday 4 April 2014.

2012 Margaret Tait Residency winner Sarah Forrest

The inaugural Margaret Tait Residency was supported by the Creative Scotland Creative Futures Programme, LUX and the Pier Arts Centre. The panel selected Sarah Forrest as the recipient of the Residency which took place in summer 2012 at Pier Arts Centre in Stromness Orkney for six weeks. After the Residency, Sarah completed six mentor sessions with prominent artists, as well as camera skills and sound editing courses in London and Glasgow.

Sarah Forrest’s film, that now, screened to a busy Cinema 2 audience on Friday 17 February 2013 at GFT, and was well received. Sarah then took the film back to Orkney in April 2013 for a screening at Stromness Town Hall, alongside Blue Black Permanent by Margaret Tait and has since screened at Belfast, Leeds and Rotterdam.

You can read more about Margaret Tait at LUX online.

ecoartscotland is a resource focused on art and ecology for artists, curators, critics, commissioners as well as scientists and policy makers. It includes ecoartscotland papers, a mix of discussions of works by artists and critical theoretical texts, and serves as a curatorial platform.
It has been established by Chris Fremantle, producer and research associate with On The Edge Research, Gray’s School of Art, The Robert Gordon University. Fremantle is a member of a number of international networks of artists, curators and others focused on art and ecology.
Go to EcoArtScotland

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