23rd September 2021. This online meetup brought together people from the Green Tease network and Green Arts Initiative to discuss COP26: What’s going on? In the negotiations, in the cultural sector and on the streets.

COP26 is the 26th annual ‘Conference of the Parties’ to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. It will be held in Glasgow, at the SEC, in November 2021. For those interested in the roles that arts and culture can have in developing climate action, this represents a major opportunity to step up our efforts. This event featured a range of speakers as well as time in breakout rooms to focus in on more specific themes. This event was held as part of Climate Fringe week.

Speakers

A video of our speakers is available here and below you can find a summary of what they discussed.

All About COP26 Meetup.mp4 from Creative Carbon Scotland on Vimeo.

Kat Jones, COP26 Lead at Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, discussed the focus of this COP summit, and what they hope will (or will not) be included in any ‘Glasgow Agreement’. The big issues include raising the funds for climate policies, paying for loss and damage caused by climate change, and stepping up the ambition of the emissions cuts that countries are pledging. 

She discussed the structure of the negotiations themselves and the issues with access and participation that these throw up and outlined their focus on finding ways for people to get involved outside of the formal space. She encouraged everyone to make use of the Climate Fringe website, which lists COP26-related events both within and outwith the formal space and highlighted some ways that attendees could help support plans around COP26:

• They are looking for 100,000 Scottish people to send a message to leaders at COP26
• They are looking for venues to host events, provide space for visiting climate campaigners, and to showcase art
• They are gathering a list of arts and culture plans for COP26
• They are in search of places for visitors to the city to stay and are encouraging people to offer any spare beds as part of the homestay network

Get in touch at arts@stopclimatechaos.scot for more information.

Meray Diner discussed the 1.5 Degrees Films Climate Challenge being run by Film Access Scotland. The project invites people to make 90-second films to share their thoughts and ideas about climate change and how it is affecting us as individuals, our surroundings, families and communities. For groups based in Scotland they are offering free online workshops in filmmaking as part of the process. They are planning on showing some of the films at events during COP26 as well as future screenings around Scotland in the following months.

Get in touch at 1.5degrees@filmaccess.scot for more information

Elizabeth Freestone discussed her book 100 Plays to Save the World, which is being published ahead of COP26. The book aims to provide a resource for theatremakers who are looking to explore climate issues through their work. It highlights a mixture of explicitly climate-focused plays alongside with older players that can be used as a way to engage with climate change if contextualised in the right way. Her message was to stop searching for the one great climate change play and to work with the fantastic things that are already available. 

Graham Hogg  discussed the After the Pandemic project, which was organising an alternative community-led space in Glasgow during COP26. Unfortunately this space has not been able to go ahead but his contribution still usefully emphasised the importance of actively involving local residents in planning around COP26 and creating spaces to allow people to participate in the moment, given that the negotiations themselves are not open to everyone. Their work also continues in many other ways. 

Fadzai Mwakutuya discussed her artivist project Climate Change Creative, which is bringing the work of creatives abroad to demonstrations around COP26, and the group Culture for Climate. She discussed the importance of using COP26 as an opportunity to develop international solidarity and showcased Climate Change Creative as one example of this through allowing international artists’ work to be brought to COP26 when they cannot make it in person themselves. The Culture for Climate group has also been developing recommendations for how the cultural sector can engage with climate justice, which are available on the Creative Carbon Scotland website. 

Breakout room discussions

Each breakout room focused on a different theme suggested by attendees. These themes were:

• What will COP26 and future climate policy mean for rural culture and cultural organisations?
• How do we motivate artists to engage past COP26 and make their practice sustainable as part of their journey and not their end point? 
• What makes for meaningful public engagement with climate change? And how do we measure and communicate success?  
• What can creative people do to connect people to the climate and ecological crises? 
• What can individuals do to make our practice more sustainable? 
• Planning for activity in Glasgow during the COP26 period
• How can people or organisations based in Scotland effectively collaborate for COP26 with those based abroad? 

Notes from the breakout room discussions can be found in this shared document.

Image credit: “Armadillo” by Alan Weir is licensed under CC BY 2.0

About Green Tease

The Green Tease events series and network is a project organised by Creative Carbon Scotland, bringing together people from arts and environmental backgrounds to discuss, share expertise, and collaborate. Green Tease forms part of our culture/SHIFT programme. 

About the Green Arts Initiative 

The Green Arts Initiative is a networked community of cultural organisations in Scotland committed to reducing their environmental impact and contribute to a more sustainable Scotland

The post Green Tease Reflections: All about COP26 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

Powered by WPeMatico

We’re excited to announce that artists Dr Saoirse Higgins and Jonathan Ford have been appointed as creative practitioners with the Seas of the Outer Hebrides project. 

In August we launched an open call for creative practitioners of any discipline to work with the MarPAMM – Seas of the Outer Hebrides (SEASOH) project to support the development of a powerful, community-led vision for marine stewardship in the Outer Hebrides.

Saoirse and Jonathan were appointed, after a competitive application process, to work with the SEASOH team between now and December this year.

Since 2019 Creative Carbon Scotland has partnered with SEASOH to support collaborations with artists and the use of creative approaches in engagement activities, which have explored what is important to Outer Hebrides residents about their seas and their visions for its future.

Cultural heritage and the connections between Gaelic language and the sea as a living, working and cultural landscape have been strong themes throughout our creative work and link to marine conservation and management through a sense of place, home and identify in the Outer Hebrides.

We are now entering the phase of the project that will bring together community priorities and recommendations into a powerful message, which aims to inform future policy and action.

About the creative practitioners 

Artist Dr Saoirse Higgins and artist Jonathan Ford have been living and making work on and about the islands on Papa Westray in the north of the Orkney archipelago for over seven years. As a collaborative duo they are interested in developing projects that relate to the island-sea interface, working together with diverse island communities both young and old.

The Seas of the Outer Hebrides project provides Saoirse and Jonathan with an opportunity to continue to explore their interest in islands and islander environmental concerns and fits with their desire to make a positive impact on the future sustainability of island life, and planetary life as a consequence.

Another project they are currently are working on, S-ØY-S (save-our island-seas), explores the future environmental and economic viewpoints of the Marine Protected Area surrounding Papay and how island communities will deal with this challenge. S-ØY-S involved collaborating with multiple partners including the British Science Association, local creel fishermen, young Papay islander students and Joanne Porter, marine scientist, International Centre for Island Technology, Heriot-Watt University.

Artist Dr Saoirse Higgins and artist Jonathan Ford said: “We are really looking forward to creatively engaging with other diverse island communities on our voyage through the connecting seas that make us who we are as islanders. We hope to create and encourage a visual dialogue with the sea, and fathom out how we can work together to save and protect this vital asset for our global survival.”

SEASOH Project Officer Dr Charlie Main said “It’s been a pleasure to meet Saoirse and Jonathan and draw on their rich imaginations and expertise to help us to engage with Outer Hebrides communities.”

Creative Carbon Scotland and the SEASOH project team are thrilled to be working with Saoirse and Jonathan and looking forward to developing our plans together over the coming weeks.

Keep an eye on the Creative Carbon Scotland website, as well as the Seas of the Outer Hebrides Facebook page for project updates and opportunities to get involved.

We are collaborating with MarPAMM – Seas of the Outer Hebrides is part of our culture/SHIFT programme, which supports collaborations between arts and sustainability practitioners to address the climate emergency.

MarPAMM is a cross-border environment project, funded by the EU’s INTERREG VA programme, to develop tools for monitoring and managing a number of protected coastal marine environments in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Western Scotland.

Image credit: Monitoring the South Wick shoreline, Papay Intrepid Explorers, Papay Probe, 2017, Copyright Saoirse Higgins and Jonathan Ford

The post Seas of the Outer Hebrides creative practitioners appointed! 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

Powered by WPeMatico

Members of the public asked to help tell Scotland’s climate story.

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) are asking the the public to submit photographs or artwork showcasing the impact of climate change on Scotland as part of its new Visions of Climate Heritage competition.

Visions of Climate Heritage has been developed by HES in partnership with the Heritage Trust Network and the Scottish Council on Archives in response to the climate emergency and has been launched ahead of the COP26 summit which Scotland is hosting in November.

As part of the competition, HES will crowdsource images and artwork to tell Scotland’s climate story – past, present and future – through an online exhibition which will harness the power of Scotland’s historic environment and cultural heritage to inspire climate action.

The entries must align with one of the three themes:

• ‘The Past was a Different Place’
• ‘This is an Emergency’
• ‘A Greener Future’

Images can include a historic photo that illustrates a less informed time before we first learned about climate change and began to see its impact; a moment of extreme weather, which is becoming more common in Scotland, and the impact it brings to our homes, streets and natural heritage; or a creative artwork such as a painting or sculpture which showcases a green, low carbon Scotland.

There will be Â£750 in prizes available across the categories which include Best Photograph, Best Mobile Photograph, Best Artwork, and Young Creative Awards for those aged between 12-17. Images will be judged on their ability to tell a story, as well as their visual interest, impact and relevance to the historic environment and climate change in Scotland.

The competition will close on Tuesday 30th November, with the shortlisted and winning entries forming part of an online exhibition.

The judging panel will include:

• Katharine Hayhoe, the internationally renowned climate scientist and one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People
• Phil Astley, the City Archivist for Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives
• Beverley Gormley, Programme Manager for the Heritage Trust Network
• Dr David Mitchell, Director of Conservation for HES
• A representative from the HistoricScot Youth Forum

To find out more and to enter the competition, visit the HES website: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/archives-and-research/online-exhibitions/visions-of-climate-heritage/enter-the-competition/

The post Opportunity: Visions of Climate Heritage competition 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

Powered by WPeMatico

The CreaTures project is calling for tenders from creative practitioners, who are working on topics of sustainability and inequality that include or build on long-term partnerships. 

CreaTures is a three-year project promoting action for social and ecological sustainability by identifying those aspects of creative practices that contribute most effectively to positive social transformation.

This call is for tenders from creative practitioners, who are working on topics of sustainability and inequality that include or build on long-term partnerships.

• The goal of the research is to understand the impacts generated through long-term and place-based creative work, that has a specific focus on the intersection of sustainability and dynamics of inequality.
• The call for tenders is particularly aimed at those working in creative practice (the broad areas of art, design culture, citizen activism, and social change).
• The call is focused on those who have already been working in a particular locale for longer than 18 months at time of award, on topics that touch on both inequality and sustainability in any creative medium (from traditional applied arts and design through to community campaigning and organising).
• The funding will support project work, as well as reflective processes, documentation and collaboration with project researchers to explore practice.
• The total proposed budget should not exceed Â£11,000 (excluding VAT, where relevant).

Visit the CreaTures website for all details of the call, including scope of work, key deliverables and how to apply.

Submit your proposal to: Lara Houston (l.houston@sussex.ac.uk)

Deadline: November 4, 2021 (midnight BST)

CreaTures is funded from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

The post Opportunity: Call for tenders – ‘On the Ground’ 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

Powered by WPeMatico

In response to the climate crisis the Pilgrimage to COP26, starting events in Dunbar on 17th Oct.

The Pilgrimage to COP26 will be at the heart of our celebration in Dunbar from 2pm to 9pm on 17th Oct. There will be family fun around many environmental activities with Rowanbank Arts, workshops to grind flour with pedal power, making pizza with Muddy Buddies and storytelling with Tim Portious. Our Fellow Natalie Taylor will invite the public to fill a jar with soil, to be used in the soil cape ceremony later. Led by Rowanbank, all will make their way to the harbour meeting with a sensory walk by Karen Gabbitasfrom John Muir’s Birthplace as they make their way past St. Anne’s Church where they will hear a reading of the IPPC report.

The harbour will be filled with music from Rita Bradd, a song from Dunbar Voices of Enough is Enough, a song written by Oi Musica and Karine Polwart for COP26 and a unique Keeper of the Soils ceremony where the cape, made by the community will receive the soils which will be carried to COP26. Jonathan Baxter will open the pilgrimage before we will see the lighting of Dunbar Castle to carry its warning to Glasgow.

Pilgrims will make their way to Belhaven Church Hall where the Sunny Soup (made from leftover food) will be served by members of the Dunbar Churches with sourdough bread donated by Stationhouse Bakery. In conjunction with Sustaining Dunbar, the bookable talk by Alastair McIntosh will round off the day with: Pilgrims on the Storm – the soil and soul of walking. This talk will also be live streamed.

Sign up for the Pilgrimage for COP26 walk.

Any enquiries, please contact either Susie Goodwin at contact.northlightarts@gmail.com, or Toni Dickson at pm.northlightarts@gmail.com.

The post Opening event for Pilgrimage to COP26 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

Powered by WPeMatico

Encouraging people to get creative and share visions of a changing Scotland in the run-up to COP26.

In the run-up to the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference, Glasgow, 31st October-12th November 2021 (COP26), the National Galleries of Scotland and National Library of Scotland are inviting visitors to respond creatively to works from the national collections to visualise how Scotland has been and will continue to be impacted by the climate and ecological emergency, unless decisive action is taken.

Teams in both organisations have collaborated to select objects and artworks that depict five landscapes across Scotland. Each represents a key theme of climate change we are experiencing in Scotland as well as globally. These include sea level rise, biodiversity, land use and agriculture, low carbon energy production and transport. All areas selected are already being impacted by a multitude of interwoven climate change factors, affecting communities and environments.

The eyes of the world will turn to Scotland as COP26 comes to Glasgow in November 2021. We are asking visitors to get creative and share their vision of a changing Scotland.

Click this link to look at our example images for inspiration and to find out how to take part.

Deadline: 23:59 on Monday, 25th October.

Image: Falkland Palace reimagined in a ‘warmer’ setting

The post Opportunity: Preserving Pasts, Imagining Futures 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

Powered by WPeMatico

The VACMA: Edinburgh 2021/22 funding scheme for visual artsts/craft makers is now open.

The City of Edinburgh Council, in partnership with Creative Scotland, offer funding opportunities to visual artists / craft makers who can demonstrate a commitment to developing their creative practice and are living or working or maintaining a studio space within Edinburgh.

Funds available
In place of the usual VACMA awards, this year fixed bursaries are available in recognition of the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 on individual artists and makers. The scheme acknowledges the limitations placed on individual practices and the opportunities that are currently available. The VACMA scheme offers two levels of bursaries and you should apply for the one that best suits your situation.

• Artist/maker bursaries of £750
• Early career bursaries of £500 (For applicants that have less than five years’ experience outside of education/training, graduated in 2016 or later, or that have not studied art formally but have been practising as an artist for up to five years)

The application form, VACMA guidance and the Equalities Monitoring Form are available to download from the website.

The post Opportunity: Visual Artist and Craft Maker Awards (VACMA) – Edinburgh 2021/22 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

Powered by WPeMatico

Call for visual artists to work on climate action windows for Paisley.

Renfrewshire Leisure in collaboration with Paisley First are seeking to commission three visual artists to work with Paisley local shops and businesses to create stunning LED lit window designs highlighting the climate action issues significant to Renfrewshire during COP26 (1st-12th November 2021).

The artists will work collaboratively with local shops and businesses in the Paisley First District to develop window installations that push boundaries of experimentation to capture distinctive narratives on climate issues specific to Renfrewshire.

The work can use mixed art forms to explore contemporary themes around how we respond to climate adaptation, and what actions we can take at an individual or collective level to make change. We are looking for high-quality imaginative window installations that have contemporary vision, uniqueness and positive progressive thinking on climate action and social change.

A fixed fee is available to each artist for the development, support and delivery of a collection of windows during October 2021. Use of eco-managed materials is also an important element and a materials budget will support the work.

To apply please respond to the Paisley Windows on COP26 Commission Brief and complete the application form, monitoring form and upload supporting artwork links.

Deadline: 29th September 2021 at 5pm

This project is presented by Place Partnership at Renfrewshire Leisure in collaboration with Paisley First and funded by Creative Scotland, Renfrewshire Council and delivered in partnership with Renfrewshire Leisure as part of Future Paisley.

“Future Paisley is the radical and wide-ranging programme of economic, social and physical regeneration using the town’s unique and internationally-significant cultural and heritage story to transform its future.”

Share your news, events and opportunities!

This opportunity was posted by Renfrewshire Leisure. Creative Carbon Scotland is committed to being a resource for the arts & sustainability community and we invite you to submit news, blogs, opportunities and your upcoming events. 

The post Opportunity: artists’ commissions – Paisley Windows on COP26 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

Powered by WPeMatico

You are invited to submit any coral or coral-related items to an exhibition at Summerhall

As part of her upcoming exhibition â€˜Our Unfathomable Depths’ at Summerhall in Edinburgh, artist Jodi Le Bigre would like to display any coral – or coral-related – items that we have in our homes so that we can explore why we have them, what we feel about them, and what it says about our relationships with our environment.

If you are interested in taking part, please submit any coral – or coral-related – item you have in your home, along with a short description of the item(s). Your item(s) will be displayed as part of the exhibition and then returned to you.

A group discussion will also be organised during the exhibition, either in person or online, where we can discuss these items, their histories, and the way that our stories relate to the broader history of coral.

More information can be found here: https://www.summerhall.co.uk/2021/09/call-for-coral/

Deadline to contribute: 30th September 2021

The post Call for Coral – Summerhall Exhibition 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

Powered by WPeMatico