This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

Creative Carbon Scotland co-hosted a sharing event on Tuesday 6 March with North Edinburgh Arts and Chris Fremantle. This Green Tease explored Embedded Artists Projects and discussed work placements undertaken by Edinburgh University Students at Creative Carbon Scotland and North Edinburgh Arts. Our work placement, Elly White, now shares some final reflections at the end of her time with Creative Carbon Scotland.

From January – March 2018 Elly White, Abbie McGunnigle and Gabi Gillott, students from the Edinburgh College of Art, explored different approaches to socially engaged arts practices and embedded artist models, where artists are engaged for extended periods in community or organisational settings to contribute to wider environmental and social aims.

Research Presentation  

Elly White presenting at North Edinburgh Arts

My work placement has been at Creative Carbon Scotland (CCS) where I have been researching for the culture/SHIFT project, which explores how cultural and creative perspectives can contribute towards greater environmental sustainability. I have investigated local and international embedded artist projects including historical and current examples. This research will contribute to the longer-term development of an online Library of Practice for building and sharing knowledge. Keep an eye on the CCS website for more info soon!

After introductions from Gemma Lawrence, Producer at CCS and Kate Wimpress, Director at North Edinburgh Arts (NEA), I began my presentation by sharing historical case studies, these included:

• David Harding employed by the Glenrothes Development Corporation and appointed Glenrothes Town Artist from 1968 to 1978.
• Artist Placement Group which emerged in the 1960’s with the concept of placing artists in non-arts live contexts within organisations and industries.
• Mierle Laderman Ukeles who since 1977 has worked within the New York Department of Sanitation as a non-salaried member.

I then situated these with current examples:

• Mary Miss is embedded in the New York Department of Design and Construction, which is part of the New York Department of Culture’s Public Artists in Residence pilot that launched in 2015 which was inspired by Ukeles ‘pioneering work as artist-in-resident in the Department of Sanitation.’
• Jenny Kendler became the first artist-in-residence at the National Resources Defence Council (USA) in 2014 which allowed her the opportunity to collaborate with staff and have access to resources usually unavailable. 

A short discussion took place after my presentation with questions around the feasibility aspects of embedded artists projects such as the eighteen months seen with Artist Placement Groups placement of Roger Coward within the Department of Environment. Whether this was too long or it is an integral aspect for a success project. Another contributor mentioned how it was interesting to see examples of art engaging people who may not normally be interested, such as Jenny Kendler’s work involving the local community in the dispersal of Milkweed seeds.

Zine Workshop

After this short discussion, it was now time to hear from the placement students at North Edinburgh Arts, a member of the Green Arts Initiative. Abbie McGunnigle and Gabi Gillott began sharing how they had mainly  been participating in workshops and engaging socially with local communities. Zines became their chosen output for the placement, after Edinburgh College students Epoch 8. held a zine-making workshop. Abbie and Gabi felt that the making and reading of zines was a less invasive way of inviting people into a conversation, only requiring low cost, recycled materials and a starting idea to get going Their placement resulted in the proposition for a Zine library shelf in the café at North Edinburgh Arts, for everyone for access and contribute towards.

We broke into small groups for the workshop where we were given instructions how to create a six page zine from one piece of A4 paper. We then worked in groups to create ‘exquisite corpse’ style zines where we each posed a question on the front cover of our zines, then passed it onto the person next to us to respond. These were passed around until the zine was finished. We had two minutes to fill in a page so this was a great opportunity for the Green Tease participants to reflect and respond in a quick manner to the information that had been discussed so far.

Group Discussion

Following the presentation and workshop we got back together as a group. Chris Fremantle encouraged us to get into pairs to contemplate and generate questions as we reflected upon the information shared during the Green Tease.

Here is a short summary of those reflections:

• How do we move beyond artists as engagement tools for councils and other contexts, rather than having an artist fix engagement problem, how do we embed creative approaches within wider strategy?
• The potential difference between working with communities and organisations, in terms of working at a grassroots level and spanning to more top-down models and how to navigate this through an arts approach –
• Does this mean outcomes are already set within an organisation?
• Does it become social work or remain within artistic terms?
• Is the line between social work and art practice dependant on who funds and generates embedded artists projects such as charities or non-government organisations?
• Building legitimacy, does there need to be a gatekeeper within the organisation to stand up for the embedded artist?
• The need to be have a sense of fluidity– different style of placements- some may be more collaboration-based indicating adaption needed for different types of projects
• Reflexivity– for the sustainability and longevity of project as it may reach a terminal point. Environments of the community may change creating a need to be sensitive and open to this change
• Length of Embedded Artists Projects, with long term and permanent seen as favourable rather than temporary in order for the opportunity to make a real difference
• What do artists do differently compared to other sectors and disciplines such as community developers or architects, is it because of the aesthetic process and result art brings and would this change the outcome if it was not a visual artist embedded?

The sharing event was incredibly useful for future considerations into the Library of Practice. Future case study research should cover more art practice types rather than just those with visual outcomes. The length of embedded artist projects was another aspect discussed throughout the Green Tease.  As the library is being developed it would be interesting to follow the progress of current placement case studies.

Thanks to all who participated and contributed to the event, especially to North Edinburgh Arts for hosting this Green Tease.

Green Tease is an ongoing informal events programme connecting cultural practices and environmental sustainability across Scotland. Find out more about our Green Tease Open Call and previous events.

The post Embedded Artists Project – Green Tease Reflection 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

This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

CGTrader has just launched the Digital Art Competition with prizes worth more than $60,000.

CGTrader, one of the leading 3D model marketplaces in the world with over 1.2 million users, has started the Digital Art Competition, which welcomes all CG artists (both 2D and 3D)!

Upload up to three works to each of the available six categories: Character Illustration, Character Concept Design, Environment Illustration, Environment Concept Design, Object Design, and Object Concept Design. All submissions will also have the opportunity to achieve the Public Award nomination.

There are no entry fees, and artworks do not have to be created exclusively for the competition, so feel free to show everyone your best and favorite works. For more details, visit the competition page and be sure to check out the Categories & Prizes section!

The post Opportunity: CGTrader Digital Art 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

This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

The 2017 report looks back at the work of the Green Arts community over the past year, and the incredible work being undertaken by members to reduce their carbon emissions and to make sustainability a core part of their work.

Read the full 2017 report here (PDF).

Findings from the annual survey of members found that, more than ever, cultural organisations are exploring new and innovative ways of tackling issues of sustainability and climate change – in a huge variety of art forms (including the performing arts, visual arts, literature, film-making, heritage conservation and community arts).

“As part of our project Climavore: On Tidal Zones, we currently have nearly 800 oysters
in an oyster table in the Bayfield area of Portree. Each oyster can, on average, filter 120 litres of polluted water a day – so that means our oysters are filtering approximately 96,000 litres a day!”
ATLAS Arts, Isle of Skye

Green Arts community members are also mindful of the impact they have on our local and global environment, considering their own carbon footprint, and how to change their behaviour to reduce it:

“This year, we switched our recycling provider, utilising an on-demand service that better enabled us to keep track of how much waste we needed collected. This allowed us to lower the emissions of our recycling uplifts as we only got recycling collected as needed and therefore saved on transport emissions related to uplifts.”
GMAC Film, Glasgow

#GreenArts Day

The report is launched on the first ever #GreenArts day – a celebration of sustainability in the arts, screen and creative industries across Scotland! Take a look at the #GreenArts hashtag on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for an insight into the work of our members.

200th Member Celebrated

The day also commemorates the milestone of the community reaching its 200th member! After beginning in 2013 with 20 cultural organisations and venues in Edinburgh, the Green Arts Initiative now has 200 member organisations, spanning Stornoway and Stromness to Wigtown and Dumfries. Literature organisation Moniack Mhor joined the initiative in February 2018, marking the 200th member participating in the Green Arts community. Already strongly committed to sustainability, they built their own eco-studio several years ago. You can read our new case study on their work here.

Read the full 2017 report here (PDF).

The Green Arts Initiative is Scotland’s community of cultural organisations committed to reducing their environmental impact, and increasing their environmental sustainability. It is supported by carbon-neutral printing company, PR Print and Design.

Find out more about joining the Green Arts community – for free! 

The post 2017 Annual Report launched on #GreenArts Day! 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

This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

A major shift in the way UK festivals approached energy management and travel planning in 2017 has been revealed in the annual Festival & Events Industry Green Survey.

The Event Industry Green Survey 2017, run by festival think-tank Powerful Thinking, revealed the percentage of UK festivals actively working with their power suppliers, to increase efficiency and reduce fuel, doubled from one in four to half of events between 2016 and 2017. It also shows that the percentage of festivals promoting sustainable travel to their audiences has significantly risen; from 28% of events in 2016 to 80% in 2017.

Further positive shifts in power management for the 50 participating UK festivals were: 58% started monitoring generator loads in 2017, 20% said they are using sustainably sourced HVO fuel and 20% are now using hybrid technology to help cut fossil fuel use, costs and associated emissions.

This is the third year that a major shift in power use at festivals has been reported by the survey, demonstrating a wider shift in practices and technologies being employed.

However, the survey results also showed that only around 1 in 3 festivals are receiving a detailed post-event power consumption report. Understanding how power was used retrospectively has proved to be a key tool in planning efficient energy systems for future events, so this is an area that event organisers can prioritise in coming years. Festivals also reported that the most common barrier in using renewable energy at events was finding a supplier of hybrid and solar generators.

Andy Lenthall, General Manager of the Production Services Association (PSA) suggests that festivals are increasingly overcoming these barriers by, “finding a power supplier who can supply a detailed post-event report and who are willing to put in the extra mile to manage energy more efficiently and/or source alternative energy equipment.”

The results show that inability to find a power supplier to meet their needs is the most common frustration for organisers aiming to change their practices. Event organisers looking for power suppliers who can help them meet their sustainability goals can use the Powerful Thinking Sustainable Power Supplier List.

On the subject of travel, a shift was seen in the way festivals are working to increase sustainable travel to events. The percentage of festivals promoting sustainable travel to their audiences has risen from 28% of events in 2016 to 80% in 2017. With audience travel accounting for up to 80% of the average UK music festival’s CO2 footprint this is a great place to start in tackling environmental impacts. In 2017, 25% of participating festivals offered travel carbon-balancing for their audiences to address travel emissions through the charity Energy Revolution. Organisers can learn more about this initiative and find advice on how to increase sustainable travel in the Energy Revolution Guide To Sustainable Travel.

The post News: UK Festivals Get Smart with Power and Travel 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

This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

Creative Carbon Scotland’s work placement Elly White shares what she’s been up to so far on her six-week placement, contributing to our culture/SHIFT project and our plans for a sharing event in early March run with North Edinburgh Arts.

My name is Elly White and since the end of January I have been undertaking a work placement at Creative Carbon Scotland.  I’m currently a fourth year student at the University of Edinburgh, studying History of Art and Photography for a degree in Fine Art.

The main focus of my placement is researching for the culture/SHIFT project, which explores how cultural and creative perspectives can contribute towards greater sustainability. I have spent my first few weeks researching a wide range of examples, such as Jenny Kendler at the Natural Resources Defence Council in the USA. She worked alongside their staff for a significant period of time (2013-2016) and was given access to resources, which embedded her fully within the organisation. Kendler created artistic projects that called for participation as the NRDC wished to engage more with the public to communicate environmental issues and her work helped create a greater dialogue.

My investigations have expanded to different sectors such as science and public health; how these too can function to serve as models in the culture/SHIFT context. The objective is to compile a variety of case studies to contribute to the creation of a Library of Practice. This will aid in the facilitation of new initiatives, highlighting the benefits of re-imaging culture and the possibilities of giving artists the scope to share their knowledge within organisations to address environmental issues.

Finally, I co-hosting an event at the end of my placement with other students on the course who are currently on placement at North Edinburgh Arts. This was be a great platform to reflect on my time at Creative Carbon Scotland and for the discussion to take place within the context of a cultural community organisation embedded in the area of North Edinburgh.

culture/SHIFT – Adapting to and mitigating the impacts of the climate we have created requires collaborative, interdisciplinary thinking as well as creative solutions. Our culture/SHIFT programme supports cultural and sustainability practitioners to explore new ways of working together to address complex problems and bring about transformational change. Find out more about the programm here. 

Please feel free to get in touch if you have examples that may be of relevance towards the development of the Library of Practice, contact me via email at elly.white@creativecarbonscotland.com. After March please direct emails to culture/SHIFT Creative Carbon Scotland Producer, Gemma Lawrence, at gemma.lawrence@creativecarbonscotland.com.

Image: Advertisement for Glenrothes Town Artist. Newspaper Image © ‘The Birmingham Post’, Monday 6 May 1968. Image reproduced with kind permission of The British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk).

The post Blog: Embedding Artists in Sustainability Contexts 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

This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

Single-use plastic, and particularly the use of single-use plastic cups and coffee cups, is an increasingly important area (socially, politically and legally) for organisations wanting to reduce their environmental impact. We’ve developed a new resource to explain where the major issues lie, and what alternatives may be available for cultural organisations.

Plastic has long been a visual representation of environmental impact, but the issue has risen up the agenda rapidly recently across many parts of society. The Scottish Government has pledged to ban single-use plastics by 2030 and there are initiatives to reduce plastic springing up across the country.

Members of the Green Arts Initiative have identified single-use plastic cups as a key issue in the Green Arts community over the past 12 months. There’s already a good deal of evidence of Green Arts Initiative members taking action including HebCelt festival which runs its own reuseable cup scheme, Film City Glasgow offer a discount for customers using their own mugs, MacRobert has created a ‘takaway cup recycling station’ to reduce their waste contamination and Dundee Rep is considering moving to compostables (and Fife Contemporary already does).

To help you to be part of the solution we’ve pulled together a resource on single-use plastics, with a special focus on single-use cups which are a common issue across various types of cultural organisations. This new resource is designed to help you to start taking action to manage your organisation’s plastic use, and outlines points to consider as you get under way.

Single Use Plastic Cups: The Alternatives

The post Resource launched for alternatives to single use plastic cups 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

This post comes from Creative Carbon Scotland

Creative Carbon Scotland has announced a series of training opportunities to help Creative Scotland’s Regularly Funded Organisations create their Carbon Management Plans.

Creative Scotland’s announcement about Regular Funding re-iterated that each RFO will be required to develop a Carbon Management Plan by September 2018 to reduce its carbon emissions over the Regular Funding period.

Creative Scotland will require all Regularly Funded Organisations 2018-21, as part of their funding agreements, to produce plans to reduce the carbon emissions related to at least one aspect of their activities. Organisations supported through Open Project Funding and Targeted Funding are also encouraged to do the same.

Page 5, Creative Scotland – Regular Funding 2018-21: The Network

To support this, from the 20th of February to the 20th of March we are continuing our nationwide series of workshops and webinars for senior management and Green Champions, on how organisations can use our Carbon Management spreadsheet to develop their carbon reduction plans.

Senior management has a key role to play in ensuring that plans are developed and implemented by the whole organisation. We strongly encourage at least one member of the senior management team in each organisation to attend a Workshop sessionalongside other Green Team members or Green Champions.

Workshop sessions
These face to face sessions over 2 hours provide an opportunity for discussion to explore how to use the Carbon Management spreadsheet in more detail as well as:

• Discuss and share how to turn your plans into actions
• Provide an overview on Carbon reporting for new Regularly Funded Organisations

Webinars
These popular online sessions provide an overview of how to use our Carbon Management spreadsheet to develop emissions reductions plans:

• How to evaluate your current carbon footprint
• How to develop your plans and projects to reduce emissions
• How to evaluate the emissions impact and cost of your chosen project with our easy to use Carbon Management Tool

Workshops are being held in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and Inverness and there are regular webinars planned. See the full list of training and find the dates that work for you.

Photo by Malte Bickel on Unsplash

The post Training for Carbon Management Planning announced 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