Creative Carbon Scotland is partnering with Perth Theatre and Concert Hall on a new project with artist and filmmaker Helen McCrorie to explore and address how audiences travel to and from the venues.
Created through funding from sustainable and active travel organisation Paths for All, Transforming Audience Travel Through Art is a 12-month project that seeks to address challenges around audience travel with a view to identifying more sustainable options.
An artist and filmmaker based in Perth & Kinross, and an activist with Climate Action Strathearn, Helen McCrorie collaborates with community groups to make work that explores radical human ecologies, including outdoor learning and community buyouts.
The project will see Helen organising, researching and conducting workshops with repeat attendees of Perth Theatre and Concert Hall, to learn about their transport methods and travel experiences.
Helen will use her creative methods to document how audiences travel to and from the venues, build a community of interest, and co-create artistic work that will showcase the benefits of, and barriers to, sustainable travel and promote a positive attitude to sustainability. The project will culminate in two sharing events with Perth Theatre and Concert Hall audience members and staff, along with local decision-makers.
This will work alongside and feed into a promotional campaign delivered by Perth Theatre and Concert Hall, highlight events that will promote sustainable travel choices and advocate for local policy decisions that will facilitate these choices.
Calculations show that for Perth Theatre and Concert Hall – and equivalent organisations – audience travel to and from the venues is one of the largest sources of emissions associated with their work. The organisation does not have direct control over how people travel to their buildings, but they can facilitate and encourage more sustainable travel choices.
Helen McCrorie said:
“I live in a rural community in Perth & Kinross and the bus service is a lifeline, but it’s woefully inadequate. Regular, affordable public transport is essential for climate and social justice. I’m an activist with local group Climate Action Strathearn. We have been responding to council and government climate pledges and consultations and we are seeking urgent momentum for sustainable transport. I’m excited to be able to combine my art practice with activism in this project.”
Ben Twist, Director of Creative Carbon Scotland, said:
“If Scotland is going to reach net zero, we need to fix transport, which is now the country’s biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions and the only one that’s growing. If this innovative project can help transform the ways audiences travel to shows that’s a step, not only towards reducing a major source of a venue’s emissions, but to reducing the country’s transport emissions overall. We’re very pleased to be involved and hope this project will provide a model for venues elsewhere in Scotland looking to make change locally.”
Nick Williams, Chief Executive of Perth Theatre and Concert Hall said:
“As an organisation that is working to improve the environmental impact of our operations and influencing broader decarbonisation efforts in the area, it is important to take notice of how our audiences travel and the alternative options available to them. Transforming Audience Travel Through Art is an opportunity to talk directly to visitors to our venues to identify the challenges and barriers they face when attending events. We’re delighted to be working with Helen McCrorie to deliver the message in a creative and collaborative way.”
The project will run from May 2023 until March 2024, starting with a survey to audiences about how they travel to the venues. You can find more information on our Transforming audience travel through art project page.
Transforming audience travel through art is funded by Smarter Choices Smarter Places, which is Paths for All’s programme to increase active and sustainable travel throughout Scotland. The programme is grant-funded by Transport Scotland.
Paths for All is a charity and is the champion of everyday walking in Scotland. Paths for All’s vision is for a happier, healthier Scotland where physical activity improves quality of life and wellbeing for all.
This project is being run as part of our culture/SHIFT programme, which promotes how the arts and culture can transform society in response to climate change.
We’re looking for proposals to bring together the sustainable arts and culture community of Edinburgh with local climate and community partners to develop relationships that lead to local action addressing the climate emergency.
Creative Carbon Scotland’s Green Arts Initiative brings together more than 350 cultural organisations across Scotland who are committed to addressing the climate emergency. Members do this through understanding and reducing their environmental impact, adapting to climate change impacts, and working with their influence across the sector and among their audiences and participants.
Thanks to support from the City of Edinburgh Council, and following the Edinburgh SPRINGBOARD local assembly held in November 2022, we’re seeking a partner cultural organisation within Edinburgh to lead on developing the emerging citywide SPRINGBOARD network with the curation and delivery of activities to be held throughout 2023-24 to consolidate the network’s collaboration for action. For example, this might include a small number of gatherings to connect cultural organisations with climate and community players to build relationships and share knowledge in such a way that Edinburgh’s cultural organisations and artists develop their skills and capacity to address the climate emergency.
We can offer £1800 and some support in kind around promotion and communication for this work as well as support for connections with climate partners. There is an opportunity to collaborate with Edinburgh Climate Action Network (part of Scottish Communities Climate Action Network) to reach and work with community partners and we can support directly with climate contacts where useful. Climate justice and by extension equality, diversity and inclusion are important themes in our work so we’re keen to work with a partner who can demonstrate similar priorities within their plans, ensuring the diversity and breadth of Edinburgh’s cultural scene is both represented and considered in the planned gatherings. We would also draw attention to our Safe Working Statement, which we expect any proposed activities to use.
We expect this opportunity to appeal to an Edinburgh-based cultural organisation or potentially a freelancer with capacity and contacts to organise and develop a network.
SPRINGBOARD local assemblies aim to optimise collaboration for creative climate action, building networks to share knowledge and skills that enable culture to play its part in the wider shift to a just and green future for all.
How to apply
Please provide expressions of interest via attachment to an email to Caro.Overy@creativecarbonscotland.com covering the following points by Monday 5 June at 5pm:
What your organisation, if successful, plans to do with the funds and how this will achieve greater collaboration across culture, climate and community for creative climate action in Edinburgh (500 words).
An overview of your organisation’s existing capacity and knowledge related to creative climate action and what beneficial experience you would bring to this activity (300 words).
The impact you expect your proposed activity to achieve and how you’ll demonstrate it at the end of the work (300 words).
A brief example of your experience in handling and reporting on projects to satisfactory completion, demonstrating your organisation’s capability and capacity to do so. (250 words)
Creative Carbon Scotland will work with Edinburgh Climate Action Network and City of Edinburgh Council to review expressions of interest with proposed activities that will achieve the desired impact from applicants with the capacity to deliver. Applicants can expect to hear from us by Friday 23 June 2023.
Craft Scotland is looking for Scotland-based makers to contribute to Craft Hub Website
Craft Hub is a collaborative three-year project involving nine UK & EU partners including Craft Scotland, co-funded by Creative Europe.
Craft Hub aims to illustrate craft’s importance in our shared European cultural heritage, and its continuing relevance in contemporary practice. The three-year programme includes maker residencies, exhibitions, conferences, events and a new digital platform.
The Craft Hub website is dedicated to preserving craft knowledge, materials and processes for the good of the craft community and to inspire future generations. We are looking to showcase the breadth of Scotland’s disciplines and materials through the entries.
The Craft Hub Material Library is a collection of materials and techniques for all to explore. Makers will document a specific process through images, video and text, preserving craft knowledge across Europe for generations. Each participant will contribute six entries to the library.
Contributors will also create a profile on the Craft Hub Practitioners Library, allowing you to showcase your work alongside European makers and be part of wider European network. The Library also allows makers to share their practice with curators, producers and the European craft community with a short interview.
This is a paid opportunity; each contributor will be paid £150 (inc. VAT) for their contribution to the Craft Hub website (six entries to the Material Library and one profile on the Practitioners Library). This rate is in line with the Scottish Artist Union Rates of Pay 2022.
Once selected, contributors will be supported by the Craft Scotland team to create their Craft Hub entries and provided with guides. This may include supporting you to think through what processes you would like to document and how to use your own existing audio and visual equipment (laptops, mobile phones, cameras etc.) to capture the process.
How to apply?
If you are interested in applying for the opportunity, please fill in a short form by 5pm, Thursday 11 June
Craft Scotland will be in touch to confirm whether you have been successful the end of June.
Eligibility
Professional makers, living and working in Scotland
Applicants should be working in one or more of Craft Scotland’s eligible disciplines
All work should be the design of the maker and made by the maker (or small-batch production under their direct supervision)
All work must reflect excellence and the unique vision of its maker, be well-conceived and skilfully made
Criteria
Makers will be selected to ensure there is a wide range of materials, processes, disciplines and Scottish locations represented on the Craft Hub.
Details
All participants agree that the material knowledge and craft process they document for the Craft Hub will be provided under Creative Commons. It is your decision what you feel comfortable sharing, however, you should provide at least enough information to introduce viewers to your process and the materials’ properties.
Deadline for uploading all entries is 5pm, Friday 15 September 2023.
Payment
Payment will be upon completion of the Craft Hub Material and Practitioners’ entries. All entries will need to be verified by one of the Craft Hub partners. Please factor this small delay into your schedule. Contributors can send an invoice to Craft Scotland upon completion. Craft Scotland’s payment terms are 30 days from receipt of invoice.
Join Craft Scotland in developing and delivering an exciting new craft curator programme for COMPASS
Craft Scotland is seeking an experienced Curatorial Programme Lead to support the planning, delivery and evaluation of a pilot COMPASS: Emerging Curator Programme.
This role is to start early July 2023 until March 2024 and will be approximately 14 days of work for a fee of £5,000 (inclusive of VAT).
Curators play a key role in sustaining and innovating Scotland’s ecosystem for contemporary craft however, there has been little infrastructure to support their professional development to date.
Following the ‘Sustaining Curatorial Careers Research’ report by Dr Stacey Hunter for Craft Scotland (published April 2022), Craft Scotland will run a pilot learning and development programme for a small cohort of emerging Scotland-based curators. Running from August 2023 until March 2024.
The successful candidate will work with the selected cohort through networking and professional development sessions, travelling as a group to Stockholm Craft Week, connecting with established curators/industry contacts and presenting reflections on the programme back to the sector.
If you think you might be a good fit for the opportunity and would like to find out more, in advance of applying, then please do get in touch. You can contact Jo Scott, Head of Programmes, Craft Scotland, via email at programmes@craftscotland.org
COMPASS: Emerging Curator Programme
Programme aims:
The COMPASS: Emerging Curator Programme seeks to nurture curatorial talent, provide professional development, facilitate knowledge sharing, and sustain international networks. The long-term aim is to support a flourishing sector through empowering craft professionals to create more opportunities to see, buy and engage with craft in Scottish venues.
Purpose of the programme
Furthering curatorial careers within craft through professional development
Strengthening the professional framework for curators and curatorial practice
Networking and developing connections within the sector at home and internationally
Profiling craft curators and their contribution to the sector
Making new connections with museums and galleries, and organisations
Programme outline
The programme will feature a cohort of up to 4 emerging curators and will take a practical learning approach through a series of workshops, a European research trip, networking events and a final curated show.
The workshops will cover:
Creating compelling project proposals
Curatorial approaches within artform/cultural context
Fundraising and budgets
Marketing and PR
Equalities, diversity and inclusion (EDI)
Throughout the programme the Curatorial Programme Lead will offer informal mentoring to the cohort and will attend all the workshop sessions. There will be an evaluation and presentation of findings at the end of the programme.
Curatorial Programme Lead role description
Work closely with the Craft Scotland team to help shape the programme content and identify workshop presenters.
Prepare and deliver the workshops on ‘Creating compelling project proposals’ and ‘Critical curating’ (this can be alone or co-presented)
Be part of the selection process for the Emerging Curator cohort (shortlisting and interviews)
Attend Stockholm Craft Week in October 2023 with the cohort and Craft Scotland
Be available to the cohort for 1:1 informal mentoring during the programme and for the end of programme exhibition
Feed into the evaluation of the pilot programme
Eligibility
Have a knowledge of the Scottish contemporary craft sector
Be based within the UK
Have an in-depth knowledge and strong track record of curating shows and exhibitions that present contemporary craft
Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of craft, current themes and trends within craft, and an independent artistic vision
Be committed to embedding best practice in terms of fair pay, EDI and sustainability/climate action
Programme administration
A member of the Craft Scotland Programmes team will provide support specifically with the programme administration. Their responsibilities will include; booking and contracting speakers and facilitators, preparing and sending out joining instructions, scheduling meetings/events/1:1s, booking flights and accommodation, liaising with participants as appropriate, invoicing etc.
Please note that a budget for the programme delivery will be provided to pay for invited guests and speakers, travel etc. This delivery budget is in addition to the fee outlined in this brief.
Programme ownership
Craft Scotland will own all rights to the training programme.
Fee
A fee of £5,000 (inclusive of VAT) is available for this project. The fee is based on 14 days’ work at the Scottish Artist Union rate of £336 per day. The work is outlined above.
Please note that the fee may be paid in stages. The detail of this will be outlined in the contract.
Before starting your application, please be aware that you will need to submit:
Your CV
Images of three events or exhibitions that you have been involved in curating
An image of yourself. Preferably this would be a photograph of you at work, at an exhibition or event you have curated or in a work context
Answers to specific questions about your curatorial practice including; your previous experience and information about curatorial projects you have been involved in.
Reasons why you are interested in this opportunity and how you think your practice will benefit
Key deadlines
Deadline for receipt of Curatorial Programme Lead applications: 5pm, Thursday 1 June 2023
Curatorial Programme Lead interviews for shortlisted applicants: Thursday 8 June 2023 (time tbc)
Applicants notified of the outcome of their application: Thursday 15 June 2023
Curatorial Programme Lead and Craft Scotland programme planning meeting: Early July (date tbc)
Deadline for receipt of Emerging Curator applications: 5pm, Tuesday 4 July 2023
Emerging Curator interviews via Zoom: Wednesday 12 July 2023
COMPASS Emerging Curator Programme Introduction and Creating Compelling Project Proposals Workshop: Tuesday 8 August 2023 (full day in person)
‘Critical Curating’ workshop: Tuesday 15 August 2023 (online time tbc) – guest speaker and group discussion thinking through curatorial approaches and ideas; exploring craft within its artform and cultural context
Marketing and PR workshop: Tuesday 29 August 2023 (online time tbc)
Fundraising and Budgets workshop: Tuesday 12 September 2023 (online time tbc)
‘Embedding EDI into curatorial projects’: Tuesday 26 September 2023 (online time tbc)
Research trip to Stockholm Craft Week (includes Curating Craft Conference on Wednesday 4 October): Wednesday 4 – Sunday 8 October 2023
Workshop/event: Review of Stockholm Craft Week and Initial event planning: Tuesday 17 October 2023 (time tbc)
Sector networking event: late 2023
Share learnings with sector: during 2024
End of programme exhibition featuring contributions from all cohort participants: during 2024
Join Craft Scotland’s Board to support the development of an inspiring and creative sector.
Passionate about Scottish contemporary craft? Join Craft Scotland’s Board to support the development of an inspiring and creative sector.
In this Board recruitment round, Craft Scotland is particularly looking for an individual with experience in finance to join the Board and become a member of the Finance and Remuneration Committee. This may include those with professional qualifications in the area of finance or those with experience in managing the finances of a business or charity.
Relevant experience includes:
Financial management, preferably with formal accountancy qualifications
Entrepreneurial income generation, commercial or trading activity
Fundraising and philanthropy
Individuals with CEO or Senior Finance Manager experience at a similar scale or large organisation
The Craft Scotland board is responsible for shaping strategy, monitoring progress and ensuring robust and compliant operation. Together with the director and senior staff we regularly review the programme, explore the wider landscape and jointly develop new strategy and plans.
We are keen to welcome people who can bring fresh perspectives, are passionate about craft, creativity or design, and can help us deliver our ambitions.
We are seeking people with lived experience – being Black, Asian, Mixed Heritage and/or a Person of Colour, refugee, d/Deaf, LGBTQIA+, under 50, or living with a disability. Our current Board and team are majority white, cisgender and non-disabled, and we believe our work will be stronger with input from people who bring different perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. No-one is expected to represent specific groups, but to bring their full self, life experience and unique lens.
We can find ways to enable participation, including reimbursing appropriate travel expenses, considering caring responsibilities when scheduling, and using online video or conference calling to minimise time, cost and carbon emissions.
We will support you to participate as a board member whether you are based in Scotland, the UK or elsewhere.
Interested but not quite sure?
We also welcome informal conversations with anyone who would prefer to take a little longer to get to know us. Perhaps you would like to take some time to build your confidence, develop your understanding of board roles or the organisation/sector?
Any questions?
If you have questions or would like a brief exploratory chat before applying, please contact:
Reach new craft audiences and join Craft Scotland’s online Craft Directory.
Our Craft Directory is the go-to destination for craft buyers, curators and media professionals who are passionate about supporting Scottish contemporary craft and looking for beautiful handmade objects.
Join the Craft Directory for £49 annually and showcase your practice to new audiences in Scotland and beyond.
Benefits:
A unique virtual portfolio for you to showcase your work.
Dedicated marketing support, including spotlights on our website, social media and press features.
A streamlined process for applying to Craft Scotland opportunities directly through your Maker Account.
Be a part of a vibrant community of makers and craft venues creating work in Scotland.
The Craft Scotland Selection Panel will now meet three times a year to review submitted applications.
Summer review deadline: midnight, Thursday 18 June 2023.
Craft Scotland is a registered charity. All income generated from the Craft Directory is reinvested back into our annual programme that supports makers and champions Scottish contemporary craft, including projects that connect local communities with craft.
Need help?
If you have any questions in relation to the Craft Directory or require technical assistance/support, the Craft Scotland team are happy to help. Please email: hello@craftscotland.org.
Please note, that Craft Destinations applications will re-open later this year.
Craft Scotland is delighted to announce applications are now open for makers, who produce works of collectable contemporary craft, to be a part of our showcase at Collect 2024.
Craft Scotland is looking for makers who produce works of collectable contemporary craft with a demonstrable in-depth knowledge of materials, excellence in making (process and skill), and artistic vision.
Collect showcases makers who push the boundaries of their practice. The benefits for participating makers are wide-reaching with many makers receiving commissions at the fair, being invited to exhibit with commercial galleries, having work purchased for museum and private collections, and receiving considerable press and social media interest both before and during the fair.
Deadline for applications: 5pm, Tuesday 6 June 2023
For Collect, makers are expected to be categorised within the following materials/disciplines:
Art jewellery
Ceramics
Fibre/textiles
Furniture
Glass
Lacquer
Gold/silversmithing
Stone
Leather
Paper
Wood
Makers using digital technologies and modern materials within their work are expected to demonstrate that hand skill and craft knowledge is the lead component in both the concept and finished object.
Applications will not be accepted from makers presenting painting, drawing, graphic design, print making (on paper) or photography.
Individual pieces at Collect are to be sold across a range of price points from a minimum of £500. There is no limit on the maximum price. The average price point of a piece is typically several thousand pounds.
The presence of new and emerging talent is an essential aspect of keeping Collectrelevant and contemporary. We therefore encourage applications from makers who have not previously exhibited at Collect. If you think you might meet the criteria for the fair but would like to find out more, then we have prepared some frequently asked questions (FAQ), which can be found at the end of the application pack.
Additionally, if you are thinking about significantly developing your work in a new direction or making large scale, experimental work and you would like to discuss this in advance of applying, then please do get in touch. We will be holding Collect application surgeries, a 20-minute Zoom call with Jo Scott, Head of Programmes, between 10am and 5:30pm on Tuesday 16 May 2023. Register your place, booking essential as limited availability. Please book one slot only.
Eligibility criteria & selection process
You must:
Live and work in Scotland.
Produce works of collectable contemporary craft.
Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of materials, excellence in making (process and skill), and artistic vision.
Be categorised within the following materials/disciplines: art jewellery, ceramics, fibre/textiles, furniture, glass, lacquer, gold/silversmithing, stone, leather, paper and wood.
Not be represented by another commercial gallery at the fair.
A selection panel appointed by Craft Scotland will meet to review all applications to shortlist a group of makers. These makers are then required to be submitted to the Crafts Council’s Advisory Panel for final sign-off. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application in early September 2023.
Craft Scotland selection panels are made up of national and international industry professionals, such as curators and producers, alongside members of the Craft Scotland team. Applications will be reviewed by the selection panel against published criteria and they will consider the overall group aesthetic and story.
The Craft Scotland selection panel for Collect 2024 will be confirmed in due course.
Equal opportunities & access
Craft is culturally significant, essential to our economy and meaningful to our communities. Craft Scotland believes that everyone should have the opportunity to see, enjoy, learn about and participate in craft.
We are committed to equality and opposed to all forms of unfair discrimination. We welcome applications from underrepresented in the cultural sector: including but not limited to makers with lived experience of being Black, Asian, Mixed Heritage and/or a Person of Colour, Refugee, D/deaf, Neurodivergent, Disabled, and/or LGBTQIA+.
We welcome applications from makers from all backgrounds.
Fees & costs
Successful makers will be required to pay a participation fee of £250 (this fee is towards the cost of the stand, administration, staffing and marketing/PR). This fee is due in October 2023 and may be paid as a lump sum or in three instalments (£85/October, £85/November and £80/December).
Craft Scotland will take 50% commission on individual sales up to £5,000 and 35% commission on the proportion over £5,000.
Craft Scotland will take 10% commission on sales made up to three months after the fair.
Before starting your application, please be aware that you will need to gather some documents and information. We recommend you prepare your answers on a separate document before beginning your application form, to make sure you have a backup of your responses.
A heads up that environmental reporting for 2022/23, informed by a new reporting framework, is starting earlier this year. In this article, Green Arts Development Officer, Matthew Belsey, explains more about this and some other changes that have been made.
Since 2014, Creative Carbon Scotland has been working to provide a framework for carbon emissions reporting and to support Green Champions in arts organisations across Scotland. We have been adaptive throughout this time to meet the needs of the organisations we work with whilst working in line with best practices from corporate and public authority environmental reporting.
With this in mind, we have made some updates to our environmental reporting for 2022/23 (for completion in 2023), informed by our new environmental reporting framework. We are introducing some new areas of reporting and asking some additional questions to ensure the quality of the data we are receiving and to ensure we understand your needs and the needs of the wider sector.
We are also moving the reporting period a few months earlier.
Details of all the changes we are introducing this year can be found below. The new survey will also be accompanied by question-by-question guidance to give the reason why we have chosen to include each question and to help you answer any new questions.
Timing change
We have previously run environmental reporting over the summer with a deadline in September. Though we are aware organisations are busy all year and all organisations run on different annual schedules, summer is a particularly busy time for many. Therefore, we have decided to move the reporting period earlier, eventually aiming to launch at the beginning of April in the coming years.
In this transition year, we will be launching the survey in mid-May with a deadline of 28 July.
Not only does this avoid the busy summer period, but it means you are reporting much nearer to the period you are reporting about (the previous financial year).
New and expanded areas of reporting
Digital emissions
We are receiving an increasing number of questions from organisations about their digital emissions, and rightfully so; it is estimated that they could account for around 3% of global emissions, a proportion which is projected to rise to 15% by 2040. We have introduced a short section on digital emissions this year to understand where the sector is in their approach to monitoring and reducing digital emissions.
We will not be asking for specific emissions values (unless your organisation already measures them), but more about your organisation’s current understanding and any policies you have in place.
Supply chains and the materials being used are another area that we receive a lot of questions about. Therefore, we have decided to include a section about this to give you space to explain your organisation’s awareness, policies, and behaviour when it comes to sustainable procurement. Much like our approach to digital emissions, we will not be asking for specific emissions values (unless your organisation already measures them).
Creative Carbon Scotland believes that there should be understanding of and responsibility for climate change at all levels of an organisation so that positive behaviours and attitudes can be fully integrated throughout. Therefore, we have introduced this short section to get a snapshot of how environmental decisions are made in your organisation.
Influence
For many years, organisations have told us how they are using their wider influence to advocate and inspire their audiences, other organisations, and policy makers through a wider range of actions including the content they programme, network participation, communication and advocacy. It is often harder (if not impossible) to assign emissions reduction amounts to these actions, but we believe they are an essential part of the role culture has to play in Scotland’s decarbonation. As stated in Creative Scotland’s Climate Emergency and Sustainability Plan:
Artists can facilitate difficult conversations and can elicit emotions, which are often squeezed out of more technical debates. Cultural organisations reach enormous and diverse audiences and can provide buildings and spaces for events, conversation and communal, collective thinking and learning.
This year, we have pulled out these actions from the carbon management planning to give them their own section for any influencing actions your organisation takes to highlight their importance, which is unique to the cultural sector.
Resilience (previously Adaptation)
In their Climate Emergency and Sustainability Plan, Creative Scotland specify that they require all regularly funded organisations (RFOs) to develop adaptation plans. Additionally, adapting to the inevitable changes to the climate is a significant part of the City of Edinburgh’s 2030 Climate Strategy. Therefore, this year, we have expanded the section on resilience (renamed from adaptation last year) to take a much more structured approach like the Carbon Management Plan section.
We hope this encourages your organisation to implement a fully developed plan for climate resilience this year if you haven’t already. The Cultural Adaptations toolkit is a great place to start if you need to develop an adaptation plan.
Climate justice
Climate justice is a term that describes how we must respond to the fact that the impacts of and responsibility for climate change are highly unequal. Those who are worst affected by climate change are the poorer and more disadvantaged and are generally those who have contributed least to the greenhouse gas emissions that cause it. This includes poorer nations, former colonies, or indigenous peoples internationally, while in Scotland specifically it includes working class people, disabled people, ethnic minorities, and others. Read our guide to climate justice for cultural organisations.
This year, to highlight the importance of viewing everything through a climate justice lens, we have introduced questions about the climate justice impacts and considerations of your organisation’s carbon management, influence, and adaptation actions.
Increasing data quality
We are using a new platform to host the reporting survey this year: Zoho Forms. This has enabled us to add specific logic, so you are only shown questions relevant to your organisation. For example, you will be asked if you are able to report audience travel emissions. If you say no, you will not be shown the question that gives space for you to write these emissions. Therefore, we will know that you have not got this data rather than you just missed out that question or forgot to fill it out.
Additionally, Zoho Forms allows better answer validation so you can be sure that you are inputting the correct data.
Another great feature of Zoho Forms is calculated fields. This has enabled us to programme the survey to calculate your organisation’s emissions as it goes, meaning you will be told your carbon footprint and how it breaks down into different categories while you are filling out the survey. In previous years, organisations have had to wait until they receive their feedback reports for this information.
Understanding the needs of the sector
If you can’t provide a specific emissions value, we want to provide support to help you understand these emissions in the future. Therefore, if you can’t provide the data, a new question asking why you are unable to provide this information will be shown. This will allow you to explain the barriers you are currently facing and how Creative Carbon Scotland can help you over the coming year.
Reporting organisations will receive more information via email. During the reporting period, please make good use of the full question-by-question guidance we have available. Green Arts Development Officer, Matthew Belsey, is running three support workshops in May and June, and is also very happy to provide one-to-one support as needed.
Summary of key dates for 2022/23 reporting
Reporting survey launches – w/c 15 May 2023
Online support workshops (further details to follow) – three dates between 29 May and 22 June 2023
The Green Arts Initiative invites you to join a new online community platform, help us develop a Green Arts Charter, and participate in a learning set.
Online community space
As we move towards delivering transformational change, we want to foster collaboration, encourage peer-to-peer learning and enhance the competencies of Scotland’s arts and cultural organisations. They play a vital role in the road to adaptation and decarbonisation. We want to create conversations that can support you, imagine new possibilities, and debate the way to get there as well as engage you with policy and collaboration opportunities.
We’re hoping our new online community space for the Green Arts Initiative can do all that. Each month we’ll have different themes, we’ll provide prompts, resources, and a monthly meeting providing the opportunity to engage with the themes, meet other Green Champions, and develop new ideas and new approaches. This will coincide with our training programme, which is currently being developed. We’ll share new resources and tools as they are launched and encourage you to share knowledge and best practice from your experiences as Green Champions. It’s your space, and if you want to create working groups, set up chat spaces for small groups, or organise events, let us know and we can make it happen.
We’ll be hosting an online event to answer any questions you have about the platform and allow you to get to know other people in the network. This will be on Monday 24 April, 1pm-2pm. To attend, log on to the space and visit the events tab.
Green Arts charter
Alongside this online space, we’re developing a charter for GAI members, with the support of the Green Arts cohort from SPRINGBOARD, and will be gathering feedback and ideas around this both on and off the platform. We’ll have workshops over the next few months for GAI members to feed into this process, but if you want to join the SPRINGBOARD cohort developing it, please let us know.
Learning sets
In the coming months, we’re establishing two learning sets. A learning set is a group of people who meet regularly to support each other’s learning around a given topic. It aims to be collaborative with members learning from each other and sharing approaches and ideas.
The first of these will focus on carbon budgeting, and later in the year we will have learning set about cultural adaptation. The carbon budgeting learning set is due to start on 31 May. Email us to learn more.
We will continue to share upcoming training opportunities for organisations, as well as new resources in our online space so do join us there!
Bothy Project are seeking dynamic and motivated people to participate in the next chapter of Bothy Project’s mission by joining our board.
In the next year Bothy Project’s network of residency spaces and partnerships with communities will grow, helping us ensure creativity is valued and Scotland’s diverse landscapes understood and respected. Active since 2011, Bothy Project gained charity status in 2017 and established its trading arm Bothy Stores. Now is the moment to build on our innovative model and begin the next chapter of our evolution.
We are looking for people with expertise in the following areas to get involved in this journey by becoming trustees:
Environmental sustainability
Rural development and tourism
Land knowledge and law
Charity financing
National and local government
Equalities, diversity and inclusion
No previous board experience is necessary as training will be given. Board meetings are held four times a year and last two hours. Three of the four meetings will take place online, with one in-person meeting planned. As a registered charity the role of trustee is unpaid, although we are able to reimburse reasonable travel and subsistence expenses.
Bothy Project welcomes applications from prospective trustees based in Scotland, the UK or abroad, irrespective of gender, disability, age, race or ethnicity. We are committed to equality, diversity, fairness and inclusion across all our work.
To learn more about this unique opportunity contact Lesley Young, lesley@bothyproject.com (Bothy Project’s Director) for an informal discussion or complete the expression of interest form on our website: https://www.bothyproject.com/board/.
Deadline: 31 May 2023
(Top image: ‘Journey to Eigg’: courtesy of James Crawford. [supplied])
