Cathy Fitzgerald

USA: ‘Greening Advisor’ to all American theatres

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In 2009, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that “Broadway was turning green”. Now the Natural Resources Defense Council has teamed up with the Broadway Green Alliance and created the ‘NRDC Theatre Greening Advisor’ – a guide to help theatres across the country implement similar eco-intelligent practices as the Broadway theatres successfully have been implementing.

greening-advisor1

“If you had the pleasure of taking in a Broadway performance in the past five years, you also witnessed sustainability taking center stage,” wrote Brandon Baker in Ecowatch as the Broadway Green Alliance celebrated five years of greening productions in January 2014.

They used the occation to launch an initiative to bring sustainable practices to theaters across the country. In collaboration with the Natural Resources Defense Council, the alliance says its new online Theatre Greening Advisor is the most comprehensive theater greening information database available.

The Greening Advisor provides resources allowing theaters to embrace sustainability at all times.

Greener lighting
The alliance also launched the BGA Greener Lighting Guide, in partnership with the Professional Lighting and Sound Association. This online tool will help designers and technicians alike make greener choices in lighting instruments from some of the biggest brands.

The Broadway Green Alliance helped bring energy efficient lighting throughout the Great White Way and now hopes to do the same at theaters all over the nation.

“Theatre and the environment are inextricably linked. Without clean air, clean water and a healthy climate, our enjoyment of most productions–indoor or outdoor–would not be possible. In fact, nature is the ultimate source of all economic value. No commerce or culture is possible without clean air and water; fertile topsoil; a chemically stable atmosphere; raw materials for food, energy and medicine; or the natural processing of waste by the millions of species inhabiting our soil, water and air.”

“By promoting energy efficiency, recycling programs, waste reduction, water conservation and other smart operations, theatres and productions will help keep our nation’s air and water clean, reduce their contribution to global warming and see cost saving benefits.”
Quote from the guide.

Change cultural assumptions
“The single most important thing we can do to help save the planet is to change cultural assumptions and attitudes about how we should relate to Planet Earth,” Dr. Allen Hershkowitz, a senior scientist at the NRDC who helped to co-found the Broadway Green Alliance, told Ecowatch:

“By promoting energy efficiency, recycling programs, waste reduction, water conservation and other smart operations, theaters and productions will help keep our nation’s air and water clean, reduce their contribution to global warming and achieve cost saving benefits at the same time.”

From Broadway to the rest of the U.S.
The organisations want to provide environmentally preferable options to producers, theater owners, designers, managers and design shops in the same way that the Broadway Green Alliance brought them to Broadway in New York City.

Here are some of the green achievements made to date on Broadway:

• Broadway theaters have replaced all their marquee and outside lighting with more than 10,000 energy-efficient bulbs, saving about 700 tons of carbon emissions per year.

• Theaters switched to greener cleaning products, appliances, recycling, water filtration and energy efficiency programs.

• Broadway shows now have a BGA liaison, or ‘Green Captain’, at nearly all shows, bringing greener practices backstage.  Green Captains come from all aspects of productions, and sometimes even the star of the show participates in this important role. Bryan Cranston, Alan Cumming, Hugh Dancy, Montego Glover, Harriet Harris and Carol Kane have all served as Green Captains.

• Shows are saving money through reduced waste. Many now use rechargeable batteries in microphones and flashlights, keeping thousands of toxic disposable batteries from the waste stream every month. Wicked went from using 38 batteries every performance to using only 96 rechargeable batteries in a year.   Many shows also print their own cast-change stuffers on recycled paper, saving reams of paper as well as money.

• Over the last five years, the Broadway Green Alliance has collected over 15 tons or 31,000 pounds of e-waste and nearly 10,000 pounds of textiles.

Broadway Green Alliance has also participated in outreach programs with colleges, off-Broadway and regional and touring venues.

The guide provides information for all six of the Broadway Green Alliance’s committees: Pre/Post Production, Production, Venues, Touring, Education and Outreach.

Each of the sections in this menu bar, starting with “Why Be Green”, includes a variety of subsections that appear in the lower turquoise menu bar. Use your cursor to explore the dropdown menus of content available for these subsections and click items to open pages on the different topics to learn more.

» Explore NRDC Theatre Greening Advisor

Ecowatch – 28 January 2014:
Broadway Expands Its Green Practices to Theaters Across the U.S.

http://ecowatch.com/2014/01/28/broadway-green-practices-theaters-u-s/

By Brandon Baker

———-

Culture|Futures is an international collaboration of organizations and individuals who are concerned with shaping and delivering a proactive cultural agenda to support the necessary transition towards an Ecological Age by 2050.

The Cultural sector that we refer to is an interdisciplinary, inter-sectoral, inter-genre collaboration, which encompasses policy-making, intercultural dialogue/cultural relations, creative cities/cultural planning, creative industries and research and development. It is those decision-makers and practitioners who can reach people in a direct way, through diverse messages and mediums.

Affecting the thinking and behaviour of people and communities is about the dissemination of stories which will profoundly impact cultural values, beliefs and thereby actions. The stories can open people’s eyes to a way of thinking that has not been considered before, challenge a preconceived notion of the past, or a vision of the future that had not been envisioned as possible. As a sector which is viewed as imbued with creativity and cultural values, rather than purely financial motivations, the cultural sector’s stories maintain the trust of people and society.

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USA: Paradigm Shift Festival explores opportunities for action

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From 26 February to 9 March 2014, the Paradigm Shift Festival in New York will be focusing on environmental films and new music, indigenous cultures and Western science.

aluna

“For people in today’s world who are deeply and passionately concerned about the urgent needs of our planet, the festival discussions after each screening explore opportunities for action to save Mother Earth,” writes the organisers, EEF and Encompass New Opera Theatre.

Below is a trailer for one of the films, ‘Aluna’, which will be shown in the festival on 8 March. The screening will be the United States premiere of the film.

———-

Programme
26 February: Opening Celebration:
Native American drumming, Once Beauty, previews of film, reception

Thursday 27 February at 7 PM: Heart of the World

Friday 28 February at 7 PM: Peaceable Kingdom

Saturday 1 March at 7 PM: Bidder 70

Sunday 2 March at 3 PM: Plastic Family Matinee

Wednesday 5 March at 7 PM: Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai

Thursday 6 March at 7 PM: The City Dark

Friday 7 March at 7 PM: Shellshocked: Saving Oysters to Save Ourselves

Saturday 8 March at 7 PM: Aluna (USA premiere)

Sunday 9 March at 3 PM: Felt, Feelings and Dreams

Music and a post-show with speakers is paired with each film.

» Read more on www.environmentaleducationfund.org

» Music, film screening and discussion: The Heart of the World

———-

Culture|Futures is an international collaboration of organizations and individuals who are concerned with shaping and delivering a proactive cultural agenda to support the necessary transition towards an Ecological Age by 2050.

The Cultural sector that we refer to is an interdisciplinary, inter-sectoral, inter-genre collaboration, which encompasses policy-making, intercultural dialogue/cultural relations, creative cities/cultural planning, creative industries and research and development. It is those decision-makers and practitioners who can reach people in a direct way, through diverse messages and mediums.

Affecting the thinking and behaviour of people and communities is about the dissemination of stories which will profoundly impact cultural values, beliefs and thereby actions. The stories can open people’s eyes to a way of thinking that has not been considered before, challenge a preconceived notion of the past, or a vision of the future that had not been envisioned as possible. As a sector which is viewed as imbued with creativity and cultural values, rather than purely financial motivations, the cultural sector’s stories maintain the trust of people and society.

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United Kingdom: Symposium on sustainable arts in education

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On 12 February 2014, the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, in conjunction with Julie’s Bicycle, will host the first ‘Sustainable Arts in Higher Education Symposium’ in London.

RoyalCentralSchoolofSD1

It is intended that this free event will be an informative and interactive session for those within higher education, specifically in the creative arts arena, who wish to explore and share issues pertinent to sustainability, embracing all aspects of the creative arts environment both within an educational infrastructure as well as from a wider industry perspective.

The organisers envisage this event being a catalyst for engendering further interest in the topic and igniting a future formal network of like-minded people.

The afternoon will encompass a panel of speakers from a variety of institutions, together with a Q&A, networking, drinks and nibbles.

Details with confirmed speakers and an agenda with be sent out to registered delegates.

» Sign up on
www.eventbrite.co.uk

JuliesBicycle_header

———-

Culture|Futures is an international collaboration of organizations and individuals who are concerned with shaping and delivering a proactive cultural agenda to support the necessary transition towards an Ecological Age by 2050.

The Cultural sector that we refer to is an interdisciplinary, inter-sectoral, inter-genre collaboration, which encompasses policy-making, intercultural dialogue/cultural relations, creative cities/cultural planning, creative industries and research and development. It is those decision-makers and practitioners who can reach people in a direct way, through diverse messages and mediums.

Affecting the thinking and behaviour of people and communities is about the dissemination of stories which will profoundly impact cultural values, beliefs and thereby actions. The stories can open people’s eyes to a way of thinking that has not been considered before, challenge a preconceived notion of the past, or a vision of the future that had not been envisioned as possible. As a sector which is viewed as imbued with creativity and cultural values, rather than purely financial motivations, the cultural sector’s stories maintain the trust of people and society.

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2nd Red Stables Art and Ecology Summer School at Bull Island Dublin

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It’s great to see all the events that were organised by the RedStables and Dublin City Arts Office for their 2nd Art & Ecology event.

The Red Stables Art and Ecology Summer School took place in St. Anne’s Park, Dublin 3 and North Bull Island, a UNESCO protected biosphere reserve. For further information and bookings contact red.stables@dublincity.ie or 01 222 7377.

‘Natural Kinds’
18 July, 2:00–5:00pm, The Red Stables, St. Anne’s Park, Dublin 3

Natural Kinds was an afternoon of talks and screenings at The Red Stables on Thursday 18th July (2–5pm), looking at notions of classification in the natural sciences and Philosophy, stemming from research artist Jenny Brady who has been engaged with the Red Stables Summer School.

The afternoon included a talk by orchid specialist Brendan Sayers on orchid hybridisation and the wild orchids on Bull Island, and a presentation on the ‘Species Problem’ in Philosophy and Biology by Dr. Niall Connolly, Lecturer in the Philosophy of Science, TCD. The short programme of screenings included Donna Haraway Reads “The National Geographic” on Primates (1987) by Donna Haraway and Paper Tiger TV, Les Oursins (1958), The Love Life of the Octopus (1967) by Jean Painlevé, and Carve Up, Jenny Brady’s new video work made for The Red Stables Summer School.

‘Carve Up’
18 –31 July, 2:00–5:00pm

Jenny Brady’s Carve Up drew on questions around the nature and conception of species with a focus on the wild orchids growing on Bull Island. The work was screened in The Red Stables Gallery between 20–31 July from 12:00–5:00pm daily.

‘The Interpretive Project’

20 July, 3:00–5:00pm, Bull Island Interpretive Centre, Dublin 3 *

The Interpretive Project was a collaboration between Rhona Byrne, Vaari Claffey and Ciara Moore. On Saturday 20th July, the artists hosted a live event at the Interpretive Centre. The audience was invited to attend a hybrid lecture proposing a re-imagined history of the island. This live presentation included readings, film screenings and other visuals. It wove together histories on the origin, mythology and ecology of Bull Island since its appearance 213 years ago.

The stuffed animals who permanently reside in the space played a role at this event. In the process of uncovering the ‘history’ of Bull Island as the site of production and conception of a number of seminal historical artworks, the animals adopted the personae and characters of figures from art history and literature and discussed and reviewed a selection of artworks, offering us new insight from the perspective of the non-human animal. They also shared memories and experiences of life on the island for some of the native species and visitors.

The project also included a participative performance based on the flocking patterns, foraging behaviour and flight formation of the migratory birds on the island and the island itself. This performance was informed by the behaviour and sounds of animals on Bull Island, reflecting the human occasions for such collective behaviours and mass gatherings around ‘feeding, mating and alarm’.

The Red Stables Summer School 2013 was curated by Seán O Sullivan and Denise Reddy.
THE RED STABLES SUMMER SCHOOL
www.redstablesartists.com
Image credit: Dublin City Council

———-

An Arts & Ecology Notebook, by Cathy Fitzgerald, whose work exists as ongoing research and is continually inspired to create short films, photographic documentation, and writings. While she interacts with foresters, scientists, and communities, she aims to create a sense of a personal possibility, responsibility and engagement in her local environment that also connects to global environmental concerns.

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Germany: Conference on cultural diversity and environmental sustainability

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Germany: Conference on cultural diversity and environmental sustainability

Calling for a more holistic approach to how we perceive the challenges and possibilities in the cultural sector, a conference in Germany sets out to merge aspects and findings concerning cultural diversity and inclusion with the urgent topics of implementing environmental sustainability.

biec-congress

In March 2014, a conference in Germany’s capital Berlin will be exploring how creative industries can simultaneously occupy a central role in promoting and maintaining cultural diversity, social inclusion and environmental sustainability. Speakers and attendees will be discussing the concept of ‘sustainable economic growth’ and how to create jobs and innovation.

“The onset of the global financial crisis has prompted the emergence of creative economies as an attractive and potentially more viable alternative to classical growth strategies,” writes the organisers.

“The components of creative economies, such as new media, performing arts, heritage, design and creative services are beginning to form integral parts of the global economy, allowing for the exploration of innovative resources, which are accessible to developing and developed countries alike.

Creative industries are also redefining the education system and the tourism industry. This is reflected for example in the on-going shift from traditional leisure-based tourism to more dynamic forms, such as cultural, educational and ecological tourism. This diversification of the tourism sector enriches the local, regional and the international economy through its use of creative goods and services and represents an alternative to the domestic, goods-based economy.”

Joint strategies of sustainable economic development
The Berlin/Frankfurt International Economics Congress 2014 seeks to explore and analyze the myriad of opportunities offered by the nurturing of creative industries, while integrating tools of Cultural Diplomacy into the creation and implementation of joint strategies of sustainable economic development.

For instance the conference will focus on issues such as ‘Engaging Developing Countries in the Creative Economy for Sustainable Development’, and ‘Tourism as a Tool for Sustainable Economic Growth’.

Sustainable network of participants
Participation in the conference is open to governmental and diplomatic officials, academics, artists, journalists, civil society practitioners, private sector representatives, young professionals and students as well as other interested individuals from across the world.

During the conference, the participants will have a number of opportunities to network with one another, with the speakers, and with ICD Advisory Board Members and partners. Conference participants will become part of the ICD Alumni, a growing international network of people of diverse interests and backgrounds from around the world who share a commitment to intercultural exchange.

The Berlin International Economics Congress: ‘Global Trends in Creative Economies: Education, Entrepreneurship and Tourism as Drivers of Sustainable Economic Growth’ in Berlin on 5-7 March 2014.

» More information: http://www.culturaldiplomacy.org/academy/index.php?en_biec-2014

———-

Culture|Futures is an international collaboration of organizations and individuals who are concerned with shaping and delivering a proactive cultural agenda to support the necessary transition towards an Ecological Age by 2050.

The Cultural sector that we refer to is an interdisciplinary, inter-sectoral, inter-genre collaboration, which encompasses policy-making, intercultural dialogue/cultural relations, creative cities/cultural planning, creative industries and research and development. It is those decision-makers and practitioners who can reach people in a direct way, through diverse messages and mediums.

Affecting the thinking and behaviour of people and communities is about the dissemination of stories which will profoundly impact cultural values, beliefs and thereby actions. The stories can open people’s eyes to a way of thinking that has not been considered before, challenge a preconceived notion of the past, or a vision of the future that had not been envisioned as possible. As a sector which is viewed as imbued with creativity and cultural values, rather than purely financial motivations, the cultural sector’s stories maintain the trust of people and society.

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France: Coal mine turned into solar-powered concert hall

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France: Coal mine turned into solar-powered concert hall

A onetime coal complex in northern France has produced a building that is alive with the sound of music – a solar-powered concert hall that uses its own walls to create it.

methaphone590

As the first of the large industrial powers in the world, France decided already in the early 1990s to abandon coal mining and shut down all of its coal mines. The last mine was shut down in 2004.

The city of Oignies in north France decided to make a new use of the abandoned coal mining buildings. Visitors are now travelling there to experience how one of its old coal factories have been turned into a concert hall and cultural house whose walls produce and diffuse sounds in harmony with the play of light as an “urban musical instrument”. It serves as a secular bell, signals the beginning of a concert, and produces a peripheral sound space.

24 musical instruments are integrated into the walls, making the building itself a playable instrument. The building’s exterior is sheathed in a steel structure made up of a mosaic of tiles that includes frosted glass, steel, and wood—all of which transmit sound. Photovoltaic panels line its roof and are built into the frame that runs along the building’s back porch.

methaphone-arch-buildi

methaphone-arch-party

methaphone-instdraw

methaphone-inst

methapho_louis-dandrel

The 24 ‘house instruments’ were created by musician and sound designer Louis Dandrel

The Metaphase Concert Hall was designed by the architectural company Herault-Arnod

Since its opening in spring 2013, the venue has hosted a variety of musical groups, including rock, rap, and reggae acts and American hardcore punk band Suicidal Tendencies.

In 2012, the former coalmining town of Lens similarly opened “a striking new outpost” on the site of an old coal pit, The Louvre-Lens. The British newspaper The Guardian called it France’s “most important arts event of the decade,” with local politicians heralding it as nothing short of “a miracle”.

Nation of enviromental excellence
French president François Hollande has promised to make France “the nation of environmental excellence”. Because of its efforts with reducing its consumption of fossil energy during the last two decades, the country has long been a consistent low-carbon leader globally.

The French Parliament recently took two significant stands to help combatting the international carbon emissions crisis. On 19 December 2013 they adopted a budget for 2014 which includes a tax on carbon emissions from gas, heating oil and coal, and a few months earlier the country issued an absolute ban on gas mining with ‘fracking’, the hydraulic fracturing mining technique.

The money derived from the carbon tax — which largely targets transport fuels and domestic heating — will be used to reduce emissions through increased installation of renewable energy throughout the country, according to the report. The move is projected to raise €4 billion, or $5.5 billion, per year by 2016, which can then spent on tax breaks for the wind and solar power industries.

The burning of coal today is responsible for a third of global carbon emissions.

Take Part – 17 December 2013:
Once a Coal Mine, Now a Solar-Powered Music Hall
The Metaphone is part musical venue and part musical instrument.
Article by Andri Antoniades

Culture|Futures is an international collaboration of organizations and individuals who are concerned with shaping and delivering a proactive cultural agenda to support the necessary transition towards an Ecological Age by 2050.

The Cultural sector that we refer to is an interdisciplinary, inter-sectoral, inter-genre collaboration, which encompasses policy-making, intercultural dialogue/cultural relations, creative cities/cultural planning, creative industries and research and development. It is those decision-makers and practitioners who can reach people in a direct way, through diverse messages and mediums.

Affecting the thinking and behaviour of people and communities is about the dissemination of stories which will profoundly impact cultural values, beliefs and thereby actions. The stories can open people’s eyes to a way of thinking that has not been considered before, challenge a preconceived notion of the past, or a vision of the future that had not been envisioned as possible. As a sector which is viewed as imbued with creativity and cultural values, rather than purely financial motivations, the cultural sector’s stories maintain the trust of people and society.
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UK: Measuring carbon emissions of arts organisations: ‘Sustaining great art’

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Arts Council England has published the report ‘Sustaining Great Art’, which presents results from the first year of environmental reporting by 704 major revenue funded organisations. 

sustaining-great-art

The results have been compiled into the single largest data set on the carbon emissions of arts organisations globally, and this achievement is reportedly already having ripple effects both in the UK and internationally, wrote Julie’s Bicycle in its December newsletter.

The report mentions a number of groups which are demonstrating benefits of collaboration, including:

• London Theatre Consortium, 13 theatres working to develop strategic, creative initiatives and share expertise and resources, including a sustainability strand

• Manchester Arts Sustainability Team, 13 arts organisations, venues and events, collaborating to support their own sustainability goals and Manchester’s climate change strategy

• Newcastle Gateshead Cultural Venues, 10 venues working to share learning and maximise their positive environmental, social, cultural and economic impact, with different workstreams, including a Green Campaign and Capital Investment Strategy which explores longer-term sustainable capital projects for the group

• Royal Opera House, Royal National Theatre and Royal Albert Hall, who entered into a three-year contract for collective energy procurement known as ‘The Arts Basket’ provided by the energy broker Power Efficiency in 2012. Other organisations have since joined and benefits include reduced costs, better risk management and longer-term price certainty on a green tariff supply.

The report was produced in partnership with Julie’s Bicycle. Currently working with over 1000 cultural organisations in the UK and Europe, Julie’s Bicycle offers free online tools, research, and bespoke consultancy to help arts organisations measure, manage, and reduce their environmental impacts.

Founded by the music industry, with expertise from the arts and sustainability, Julie’s Bicycle bridges the gap between the creative industries and sustainability. Based on a foundation of peer-reviewed research, Julie’s Bicycle sustains creativity, enabling the arts to create change.

Arts Council England and Julie’s Bicycle entered into a partnership in 2012 to deliver an environmental support programme for National portfolio organisations, Major partner museums and Bridge organisations. The partnership, which runs from 2012 to 2015, combines the annual CO2e measurement of energy and water use using Industry Green tools, and support to develop an Environmental Policy and an Action Plan for each organisation.

» More information and an infographic of the results: www.artscouncil.org.uk

» More information: www.juliesbicycle.com

» Right-click here to open or download the report: Sustaining-Great-Art.pdf (43 pages, 7 MB)

Culture|Futures is an international collaboration of organizations and individuals who are concerned with shaping and delivering a proactive cultural agenda to support the necessary transition towards an Ecological Age by 2050.

The Cultural sector that we refer to is an interdisciplinary, inter-sectoral, inter-genre collaboration, which encompasses policy-making, intercultural dialogue/cultural relations, creative cities/cultural planning, creative industries and research and development. It is those decision-makers and practitioners who can reach people in a direct way, through diverse messages and mediums.

Affecting the thinking and behaviour of people and communities is about the dissemination of stories which will profoundly impact cultural values, beliefs and thereby actions. The stories can open people’s eyes to a way of thinking that has not been considered before, challenge a preconceived notion of the past, or a vision of the future that had not been envisioned as possible. As a sector which is viewed as imbued with creativity and cultural values, rather than purely financial motivations, the cultural sector’s stories maintain the trust of people and society.
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Germany: Conference on cultural diversity and environmental sustainability

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This post comes to you from Culture|Futures

Germany: Conference on cultural diversity and environmental sustainability – Calling for a more holistic approach to how we perceive the challenges and possibilities in the cultural sector, a conference in Germany sets out to merge aspects and findings concerning cultural diversity and inclusion with the urgent topics of implementing environmental sustainability.

In March 2014, a conference in Germany’s capital Berlin will be exploring how creative industries can simultaneously occupy a central role in promoting and maintaining cultural diversity, social inclusion and environmental sustainability. Speakers and attendees will be discussing the concept of ‘sustainable economic growth’ and how to create jobs and innovation.

“The onset of the global financial crisis has prompted the emergence of creative economies as an attractive and potentially more viable alternative to classical growth strategies,” writes the organisers.

“The components of creative economies, such as new media, performing arts, heritage, design and creative services are beginning to form integral parts of the global economy, allowing for the exploration of innovative resources, which are accessible to developing and developed countries alike.

Creative industries are also redefining the education system and the tourism industry. This is reflected for example in the on-going shift from traditional leisure-based tourism to more dynamic forms, such as cultural, educational and ecological tourism. This diversification of the tourism sector enriches the local, regional and the international economy through its use of creative goods and services and represents an alternative to the domestic, goods-based economy.”

Joint strategies of sustainable economic development
The Berlin/Frankfurt International Economics Congress 2014 seeks to explore and analyze the myriad of opportunities offered by the nurturing of creative industries, while integrating tools of Cultural Diplomacy into the creation and implementation of joint strategies of sustainable economic development.

For instance the conference will focus on issues such as ‘Engaging Developing Countries in the Creative Economy for Sustainable Development’, and ‘Tourism as a Tool for Sustainable Economic Growth’.

Sustainable network of participants
Participation in the conference is open to governmental and diplomatic officials, academics, artists, journalists, civil society practitioners, private sector representatives, young professionals and students as well as other interested individuals from across the world.

biec-congress

During the conference, the participants will have a number of opportunities to network with one another, with the speakers, and with ICD Advisory Board Members and partners. Conference participants will become part of the ICD Alumni, a growing international network of people of diverse interests and backgrounds from around the world who share a commitment to intercultural exchange.

The Berlin International Economics Congress: ‘Global Trends in Creative Economies: Education, Entrepreneurship and Tourism as Drivers of Sustainable Economic Growth’ in Berlin on 5-7 March 2014.

» More information: http://www.culturaldiplomacy.org/academy/index.php?en_biec-2014

Culture|Futures is an international collaboration of organizations and individuals who are concerned with shaping and delivering a proactive cultural agenda to support the necessary transition towards an Ecological Age by 2050.

The Cultural sector that we refer to is an interdisciplinary, inter-sectoral, inter-genre collaboration, which encompasses policy-making, intercultural dialogue/cultural relations, creative cities/cultural planning, creative industries and research and development. It is those decision-makers and practitioners who can reach people in a direct way, through diverse messages and mediums.

Affecting the thinking and behaviour of people and communities is about the dissemination of stories which will profoundly impact cultural values, beliefs and thereby actions. The stories can open people’s eyes to a way of thinking that has not been considered before, challenge a preconceived notion of the past, or a vision of the future that had not been envisioned as possible. As a sector which is viewed as imbued with creativity and cultural values, rather than purely financial motivations, the cultural sector’s stories maintain the trust of people and society.
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USA: Beauty in public park to generate climate awareness

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Along Chicago’s newest park, the 606, sculptor Frances Whitehead, along with engineers and landscape architects, has designed an installation that will bring trail users face-to-face with the effects of climate change.

Chicago-park606

Trees will bring the public face-to-face with the unpredictability of climate change, through something as simple as a flower’s budding.

“Sustainability is a cultural problem and artists can help find the solution.”

“What if through beauty we can teach? Could beauty replicate science data, can beauty generate awareness?”
Frances Whitehead, sculptor and professor of sculpture at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago

“If it’s recorded year-by-year, it will create a climactic centennial for the city. I’m not aware of any other projects like this.”
Mark D. Schwartz, professor of geology at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, who created the climate model for the 606

According to Lori Rotenberk on Grist, Frances Whitehead’s project for the 606 “will transform three straight miles of an abandoned rail line into parks, bike and running trails, and pedestrian walkways.” Through planting 453 apple serviceberry trees along the park and trail area and digitally tracking their blooming each season, “Scientists and the public will be able to track the blooming year-to-year, thus keeping a running diary of shifts in climate.” In other words, the installation “will bring trail users face-to-face with the effects of climate change” as the blooming season changes in accordance with temperature from year-to-year.

Continue reading:

Grist – 4 Deember 2013:
When it comes to climate change, this artist lets the trees do the talking
Article by Lori Rotenberk

Culture|Futures is an international collaboration of organizations and individuals who are concerned with shaping and delivering a proactive cultural agenda to support the necessary transition towards an Ecological Age by 2050.

The Cultural sector that we refer to is an interdisciplinary, inter-sectoral, inter-genre collaboration, which encompasses policy-making, intercultural dialogue/cultural relations, creative cities/cultural planning, creative industries and research and development. It is those decision-makers and practitioners who can reach people in a direct way, through diverse messages and mediums.

Affecting the thinking and behaviour of people and communities is about the dissemination of stories which will profoundly impact cultural values, beliefs and thereby actions. The stories can open people’s eyes to a way of thinking that has not been considered before, challenge a preconceived notion of the past, or a vision of the future that had not been envisioned as possible. As a sector which is viewed as imbued with creativity and cultural values, rather than purely financial motivations, the cultural sector’s stories maintain the trust of people and society.
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Music offers a breakthrough for communicating on climate change

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In several ways, music dominated discussions at ‘Development and Climate Days’ in Warsaw, Poland, reported Climate & Development Knowledge Network.

cdkn-scrndmp_nov2013

The ‘Development and Climate Days’, held on 16–17 November 2013 at Polonia Palace Hotel during the UNFCCC climate talks, COP 19, saw participants singing songs, improvising collective rhythms, and playing games with dice and cards. These unconventional activities were conceived as a way jump-start creative thinking on climate communications.

The participants shared experience on grassroots communications strategies that have changed communities’ behaviours and have led to new decisions on climate compatible development and disaster risk reduction, and it turned out that many of these positive experiences involved music and performance arts.

Another role for music which was discussed at the Climate Days was the possibility of musical improvisation to stimulate creative thinking in disaster situations.

The ‘Development and Climate Days’ drew more than 60 participants from relief and disaster risk reduction agencies, and climate and development organisations, working from the global to the community level, from countries as diverse as Uganda, Kenya, Nepal the Philippines, Germany and Poland.

More information:

» http://www.climatecentre.org/site/development-and-climate-days

» Article by Mairi Dupar, CDKN’s Global Public Affairs Coordinator:http://cdkn.org/2013/11/music-offers-a-breakthrough-for-communicating-on-climate-change

Canberra, Australia, on 1 December 2013

Canberra, Australia, on 1 December 2013

In Belgium, the campaign ‘Sing for the Climate’ proved, according to the organisers, “that a mass mobilisation around climate change is still possible even after the COP15 in Copenhagen.”

Belgium now appeals to local groups and organisations worldwide to organise their own version of ‘Sing for the Climate’. More information, tools and support for local action can be found on singfortheclimate.com

More about music and climate change

» Climatesafety.info: Concerned musicians communicate climate problems

Culture|Futures is an international collaboration of organizations and individuals who are concerned with shaping and delivering a proactive cultural agenda to support the necessary transition towards an Ecological Age by 2050.

The Cultural sector that we refer to is an interdisciplinary, inter-sectoral, inter-genre collaboration, which encompasses policy-making, intercultural dialogue/cultural relations, creative cities/cultural planning, creative industries and research and development. It is those decision-makers and practitioners who can reach people in a direct way, through diverse messages and mediums.

Affecting the thinking and behaviour of people and communities is about the dissemination of stories which will profoundly impact cultural values, beliefs and thereby actions. The stories can open people’s eyes to a way of thinking that has not been considered before, challenge a preconceived notion of the past, or a vision of the future that had not been envisioned as possible. As a sector which is viewed as imbued with creativity and cultural values, rather than purely financial motivations, the cultural sector’s stories maintain the trust of people and society.
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