This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

How does GALA relate to Glasgow? 

The initial notion of hosting the final GALA meeting in Glasgow arose out of the desire to highlight the emerging green arts network and progressive sustainability goals of the city. The Glasgow Green Year 2015 celebrates the city’s aspirations to be a leading example of social, economic and environmental sustainability. Here at Creative Carbon Scotland we realise the importance of including the arts and cultural sector within this movement for a brighter, more sustainable future.

What is culture and how is it connected to sustainability initiatives?

A broad definition of culture is our way of life, incorporating our language, food, politics and values as well as the arts and humanities. What we often term ‘culture’ – the arts, museums, film, TV, design, advertising – are some of the ways in which we express this wider culture and are also an important way in which this culture is shaped, informed, disseminated and changed. Therefore not only does the cultural sector have huge potential to change and influence the society in which we live, it is essential to doing so.

Creative Carbon Scotland’s vision is of a Scottish cultural sector that is playing a central role in shaping a sustainable Scotland. We believe the cultural sector can do this through the work it makes and presents, the way it operates, and what it says and how it speaks to the public. This represents a significant change to the status quo, and one we believe to be both necessary and possible.

What does the final GALA general meeting represent?

The 2015 GALA meeting is a way of starting this process of shifting the status quo, responding specifically to the wealth of cultural activity and creative resources available in Glasgow. This final GALA general meeting is a representation of a larger network that is very much alive and growing in Scotland.

The first two days of the GALA general meeting will instigate discussions and collaboration between the GALA network and the institutions that represent Glasgow’s cultural communities, including Glasgow Arts and Museums, Glasgow Life and Glasgow City Council. The third day (14^th March 2015) is open to the public for Glasgow’s Green: Imagining a Sustainable City. On this day, Tramway will be transformed into a hub of green arts activities, with 18 artist-led workshops and drop-ins. However, this day offers much more beyond the workshops.

We invite you to come along to Glasgow’s Green: Imagining a Sustainable City to participate in the larger group discussions about arts and sustainability at the beginning, middle and end of the day. There will also be a community-created map in the upper foyer; participants can pin and share projects on this map to help create a visualisation of the green arts community. Feel free to bring along your own resources, ideas, project information and critical thoughts to share with others about the connection between arts and sustainability.

The 2015 GALA general meeting offers a significant chance for discussions and collaborations. We are certainly looking forward to experiencing the energy that this event is sure to bring!

What are your thoughts on the influence of arts in building a more sustainable future?

Feel free to share your ideas and questions via Twitter @CCScotland, or come along to Glasgow’s Green: Imagining a Sustainable City to participate in this ongoing discussion.

More event information can be found at the event programme page.

Updates and insights from the 2015 GALA general meeting will be shared on our GALA 2015 blog.

The post GALA 2015: Embracing Glasgow’s Green Spirit appeared first on Creative Carbon Scotland.

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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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