Dr. Alys Longley – University of Auckland, New Zealand

If Ludwig Wittgenstein’s famous quote, “the limits of my language are the limits of my world” proves accurate, then I think we are in deep trouble. My sense is that the limitations of especially the English language are preventing many of us from realizing, articulating and understanding our roles in ecological systems. 

If we extend our understanding of ‘language’ to creative practices such as design, dance, visual art, music, and performance, we greatly extend what we are able to attend to, articulate, know and share in relation to place, space and meaning. Such practices carry affective resonance, enabling complex, optimistic, playful and imaginative responses to ideas around sustainability and ecology. 

The Fluid City project brings together diverse scientists, social scientists, artists, architects and educators to engage a wide range of people in Auckland City to consider the issues and values around water sustainability. In 2012, the project was staged in a high-density urban area on Auckland’s waterfront. In 2014, the team worked with a secondary school over a four-month project to co-create a new iteration of the project for the local community. Attempts to map and document this project are generating innovative approaches to social sciences methodology, which bring together research practices drawn from both artistic and qualitative research techniques. 

This seminar will discuss a series of research iterations emerging from the New Zealand-based project Fluid City, which have been responding to the following research questions: How can we give voice to water in all of is vulnerability and necessity? How can we place liquid perception at the centre of our methodology? How might we present ecological thinking across disciplinary borders, merging spaces between information and imagination to value the importance life forms beyond our own? These questions are addressed through photography, documentary and animated film, poetry, sound recordings, ethnographic journaling, creative workshop designs, maps, choreography, drawings, architecture and fleeting public responses to art installations. These artistic methods allow space for the evocation of meaning at the edge of linguistic sense – for affect and presence, for space and place, for a becoming-fluid of communication. 

The seminar will be web-broadcast live as an eSeminar of the ‘Culturizing Sustainable Cities’ project, which is supported by (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal (FCT).

Alys Longley is a performance maker, researcher and teacher. She is a Senior Lecturer in the Dance Studies Programme at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Alys’s research interests include practice-led research, interdisciplinary projects, creative writing, somatic practices, cultural mapping, ecology and inclusive dance education. She has recently led the project fluid city, an art-science-education project on water-sustainability. Her artist-book The Foreign Language of Motion presents a series of experiments in choreographic writing, and was published in 2014 with Winchester University Press’s Preface Series.

Scenes from the Fluid City project ….

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Prague Quadrennial, the world´s largest scenography event, is coming with a rich program filled not only with exhibitions from more than 70 countries and up-to-date theater design works, but also hundreds of live events such as lectures, workshops, architecture walks, public space projects and much more! PQ’15 has recently announced its preliminary daily program with star-filled lectures and master classes.

“The PQ will include lectures, discussions, and presentations that explore contemporary trends in this fast developing field of scenography including a series of talks with and about leading theater makers and scenographers – Andris Freibergs, Jerzy Gurawski, Robert Wilson, Robert Lepage, Julie Taymor and many more,“ says Sodja Lotker, artistic director of PQ’15 .

PQ will also offer discussions about issues of ‘national scenography’ led by Irish theatre critic Peter Crawley; and discussion about methods of scenographic education around the world with educators Tatjana Dadić Dinulović and Sofia Pantouvaki.

There will be talks with Stefan Kaegi from Rimini Protokoll, Sean Patten from Gob Squad, and Maaike Bleeker, curated by New Zealand designer and theorist Dorita Hannah that will explore screens and projection as important tools in contemporary performance. Lectures by Polish artist Wojtek Ziemilski, Australian architect and dramaturg Benedict Anderson, and British art activist John Jordan will explore the position of artists in contemporary society, touching on the main PQ concept of scenography of the” SharedSpace”. The morning Breakfast with Reija series moderated by Finnish performance designer Reija Hirvikoski will provide an open lounge space for scenography talks often directly connected to issues about the PQ itself.

Elevator Repair Service’s John Collins will talk about sound design dramaturgy. There will also be discussions and talks surrounding the Library of Light and Critical Costume projects that will provide spaces for detailed exploration of individual scenographic disciplines.

Last but not least, the leading German contemporary theatre magazine, Theatre der Zeit will tackle the specificities of German scenography with set designers Barbara Ehnes, Katrin Brack, Mark Lammert and theorist Ulrike Haß.

Download preliminary daily program *

Important dates:
The opening of PQ 2015: Wednesday June 17, 2015 at 18:00
Awards ceremony : the evening of Monday June 22, 2015.

* Please note that the preliminary program does not include all of the numerous live events taking place during PQ 2015. The full and final version of the program will be announced soon.

www.pq.cz

With : Julian Charrière (Switzerland), François Génot (France), Fabien Giraud and Raphaël Siboni (France), Tue Greenfort (Denmark), Hanna Husberg (Finland), Toril Johanessen (Norway), Gianni Motti (Switzerland/Italy) and Anaïs Tondeur (France).

The exhibition “Systémique”, the first of the cycle Think global, act local, to be followed by “Open Source” and “Ultralocal”, is based on a set of visual and conceptual connections that evoke the complexity and the interdependence of our systems.

Our entry into the era of the Anthropocene, an era in which humanity, as explained by chemist Paul Crutzen, has became the primary geological force, involves phenomena beyond our temporal and spatial perception. It is characterized by systemic thinking, a way of reading the world that focuses on the links between things rather than the objects themselves.

The financial system (systemic crisis and not a crisis of the real economy) reminded us to which extent the Anthropocene is a succession of abstractions, but operational abstractions. All that makes systems (immunology, ecology, society) raises problems of representation, perception, form, which the artists seize to reveal our world in all its complexity. They manage to reveal its poetry, giving a sensitive experience of this new way of thinking the world.

Opening Friday, March 13th at 18:30
Exhibition presented from 14.03 to 05.24.2015

CEAAC
7 rue de l’Abreuvoir
67000 Strasbourg – France
www.ceaac.org

CEAAC

CEAAC (Centre Européen d’Actions Artistiques Contemporaines – European Centre for Contemporary Art Projects) has been in existence for 24 years. Its main activities include the installation of artworks in public space, the organisation of exhibitions in its contemporary art centre, increasing awareness of contemporary art through cultural mediation actions and the publication of art books and the management of several artists’ residency programmes around the world.

COAL

The Coalition for art and ecology (COAL) was set up in France in 2008 by professionals in contemporary art, sustainable development and research. Trailblazing and cross-cutting, COAL is working to promote a new generation of artists focusing on environmental and societal issues, in partnership with cultural spaces, NGOs, scientists and the business world. COAL organises contemporary art exhibitions about the environment in prestigious places such as UNESCO and Domaine de Chamarande and created in 2010 the COAL Prize Art and Environment.

Image : Tue Greenfort, Milk demonstration, TG/P 97/00, 2014

Culture Shift: How Artists are Responding to Sustainability in Wales’ is a research report commissioned by the Arts Council of Wales by Paul Allen, Emily Hinshelwood, Fern Smith, Rhodri Thomas and Sarah Woods

The report is available as a download in English and Welsh

‘Culture Shift’ gives an overview of the many pioneering sustainable arts initiatives currently operating across Wales. The report is a witness to what is going on already. It is also intended as a statement of intent and a call to action. It highlights the power of the arts to contribute towards or even take a leading role in the transition to a life-sustaining society. It is hoped that this report will contribute towards future arts policy within the context of the Welsh Government’s ‘Well-being of Future Generations’ Bill’. The report draws attention to how a growing number of artists are leading a paradigm shift in values and relationships around access to future resources.

 It contains recommendations to the Arts Council of Wales regarding future artspolicy in supporting the development of such pioneering practice. It is backed up by case studies and interviews from many artists and organisations and builds on the results from a sector wide survey conducted in Spring 2014. The appendices to the report give the survey data in more detail as well as naming many projects, formative books, articles, useful resources, contacts and organisations.

Although concentrating on Welsh activity the research is framed within the context of the wider changes and inspirations Welsh artists are drawing from those outside – including Artsadmin, Julies Bicycle, Tipping Point, Platform, Creative Carbon Scotland, People United, Encounters and Case for Optimism.

The work was undertaken by a team of artists and specialists in sustainability.These are; Fern Smith – actor and director and co-founder of Volcano Theatre, Sarah Woods – writer and performer, Emily Hinshelwood – poet and performer, Paul Allen – Communications Director for the Centre for Alternative Technology and Rhodri Hugh Thomas – actor, writer and sustainable development specialist with Cynnal Cymru-Sustain Wales.

 “Emergence bid for and succeeded in the tender, not as consultants but as artists. We aimed at the process and outcome as being a creative collaboration between artists and those working in the field of sustainability designed to include as many voices as possible. We see this report very much building on and contributing to a growing narrative that appears to be gaining momentum and confidence across Wales, the UK and beyond. We hope that ‘Culture Shift’ will be a working document. We hope that it will serve as an impetus for others to join the conversation and to support those already doing this work.”

Fern Smith, creative producer Emergence

“This is an important report and the issues it raises are worthy of debate. We are very conscious of the need for organisations such as ourselves to show leadership and commitment. The support and encouragement of the arts sector to continue the excellent work that is already going on is vital. Wales’ arts sector has already taken a lead on this and this report attempts to document, record it and share it.”

Sian Tomos, Arts Council of Wales

“Wales – a creative culture where artists are in abundance – is one of only three democracies willing to hold themselves legally accountable for promoting principles of sustainability. It is no surprise, therefore, that this leading edge reportcomes from Wales. Without artists how can we ever fully feel our way into asustainable community or create the relationships that sustain us through difficult times?”

Margaret Wheatley, activist and author

Emergence is a collaborative project designed to develop a low carbon, resource efficient arts infrastructure and to enable the arts to be a crucible for new ideas and thinking. Core partners on Culture Shift are Volcano, Cynnal Cymru-Sustain Wales, Awel Aman Tawe and Centre for Alternative Technology

A set of principles for Greening the Arts that emerged through the 2014 Greenie-in-Residence program at Arts House.

Melbourne-based theatre artists and arts organisations embraced the opportunity to build on their environmental performance and sustainability knowledge this year, by joining this innovative program with Arts House ‘Greenie’ Matt Wicking.

The year-long program of workshops, consultation and networking saw them incorporating environmental sustainability into the making and distribution of their work.

Areas covered included measurement and materials, impacts and emissions, action planning, communications and more.

Participants included Arts House, A is for Atlas, Bek Berger, Circus Oz, Fragment31, ILBIJERRI Theatre Company, KAGE, Polyglot Theatre, Next Wave, SANS HOTEL and Victorian Opera.

This event is for anyone interested in greening the arts, and also launches a practical guide for arts practitioners wanting to green their practice.

To learn more about this project, email greenie@melbourne.vic.gov.au.

Read practical principles from a year of Greening the Arts: Reflections of a Greenie-in-Residenceby Matt Wicking.

The Greenie-in-Residence Project has been supported by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body; and the City of Melbourne through Arts House.

This message was sent to the signatories of the Declaration

Last round of negotiations on the UN post-2015 development agenda launched in NYC on January 19, 2015

Endorsement to Declaration reaches 2,200 signatories from 120 countries, including more than 800 organizations

• UN Secretary General synthesis report ”“The Road to Dignity by 2030“, released on Dec. 4 as a lead up the final round of negotiations on the post-2015 Development Agenda. It recognizes the enabling role of culture:

“We must also mobilize the power of culture in the transformative change we seek. Our world is a remarkable mosaic of diverse cultures, informing our evolving understanding of sustainable development. We still have much to learn from cultures as we build the world we want. If we are to succ governments. It must be embraced by people. Culture, in differenteed, the new agenda cannot remain the exclusive domain of institutions and aspects, will thus be an important force in supporting the new agenda.” (Para. 132)

• Global networks leading the campaign “The Future We Want Includes Culture” have responded to the report by calling for the outcome document to more fully embrace the transformative potential of culture. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) has issued its own response with emphasis on access to information.
• Consultations with UN member states in preparation for the final round of negotiations indicate reluctance to reopen the outcome document of the Open Working Group containing 17 goals and 169 targets, if only to streamline it although there is no consensus on this.
• Focus is likely to shift to targets and indicators, with an emphasis on measuring tangible results and accountability. UNSG synthesis report calls for indicators to include other measures than GDP.
• ·      Global cultural networks have just issued their proposal of indicators “Recognizing the role of culture to strengthen the UN post-2015 Development Agenda”. They argue for taking into account the great strides accomplished by multilateral organizations such as the OECD, UIS, UNESCO, WIPO, UNCTAD and the World Bank in meeting the challenge of universal comparative data for culture.

Other news:

• The Third UNESCO World Forum and Cultural Industries adopted the Florence Declaration outlining recommendations for the incorporation of culture in the post-2015 development agenda. United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) members are to adopt a new Agenda 21 for Culture (see second draft) at their Summit of Bilbao (Basque Country, Spain) on 18-20 March 2015.
• The Red Latinoamericana de Arte y Transformación Social (Latin American network for the art and social transformation), with members in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Uruguay and central America, joins the other global networks in the campaign “The Future We Want Includes Culture”.

What you can do:

• Read the proposal on cultural indicators and send us examples of cultural initiatives that have made a positive contribution to development with their indicators and measures of results to help us put forward a platform of universal reach and appeal to UN member states. The best examples received will be annexed to the proposal. Please be succinct and concrete. Write us at info@culture2015goal.net Forward the proposal on cultural indicators to your country’s permanent representative to the UN and to the persons in charge of defining your country’s position (Foreign Affairs / International Cooperation).
• Use the communications tools to ask organizations and individuals that have not yet endorsed the Declaration to do so.
• Share the Declaration in French, Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese, Chinese and Russian.
• Follow #culture2015goal on Twitter