This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland
Scottish Contemporary Art Network (SCAN) along with our partners Scottish Artists Union and engage Scotland, launched a new Visual Arts Manifesto on 11 December 2017.
The Manifesto is a direct response to the current challenges facing the art sector as a whole and also our first public response to the new National Culture Strategy consultation process.
The Manifesto sets out key policy demands but also collective commitments towards positive change. This is a vision and set of ambitions for the sector to help ensure that we maintain Scotland’s global reputation as a dynamic, innovative place for contemporary visual arts. Through this manifesto we commit to ensuring that diversity is celebrated and respected, that low paid cultural workers and artists have access to fair pay and professional working conditions and that barriers are removed for all those who choose to participate. Within the Manifesto we have also made a clear commitment to environmental sustainability;
We are dedicated to working towards an environmentally sustainable future and will use our unique tools as artists and cultural workers to help innovate and inspire the transformational change that is needed
Many visual artists, such as the programmes of ATLAS Arts and Scottish Sculpture Workshop, are leading the way with their innovative, investigative approaches to environmental concerns. They are exploring new visionary ways to work within post carbon economies and developing models of collaboration, cooperation and resilience. Their work helps influence wider public engagement with ideas of sustainability, community building and transition.
SCAN may have been founding member of Creative Carbon Scotland but we need to continue raise the bar on our own work to imbed environmental concerns within our organisation and strategic priorities whilst also better understanding and championing the game changing work of our artist and curator members.
This Manifesto commitment will hold us to account.
Seonaid Daly, Director, SCAN
Read the full Visual Arts ManifestoÂ
About 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.