ACTS OF RESILIENCE is a hybrid conference instigated by Two Planks and a Passion Theatre Company. Bringing together organizations and artists dedicated to outdoor performance, this gathering is dedicated to sharing knowledge and developing new strategies related to the climate crisis. 

The conference will include sessions ranging from the practical (how are our conditions of work changing and how must we adapt?) to the high-level (how are our relationships with audiences changing and what are our responsibilities as storytellers in mitigating the crisis?). This three-day gathering will be held at the Ross Creek Centre for the Arts in rural Nova Scotia, and the initial strategies and ideas developed during the conference will be shared widely.

Registration will open shortly and will be pay-what-you-can. Please also note that all zoom sessions will be recorded but that individuals will not be required to have their cameras on. 

The challenges the climate crisis presents to our entire society are undeniably huge and present in every community, workspace and home. This gathering of professional performance companies who work outdoors in collaboration with nature is focussed on our specific sector and the challenges we now face, from the practical to the existential. Some of the most important are:

1. How are our conditions of work changing? What new guidelines, measurements or strategies need to be put in place in order to protect the health and welfare of theatre/performance workers?
2. How do we communicate with the general public about the climate crisis and its impacts? What does that conversation look like?
3. How does our public profile change given how closely our work is associated with nature and, by association, an existential crisis? How do we work in that new reality?
4. What are our responsibilities as storytellers and community institutions in confronting the crisis?
5. Are the changes ahead of us a matter of gradual adaptation, or is this crisis something we can’t simply adapt to?
6. Many of our stakeholders create work in geographically remote locations without public transportation. What is the true carbon footprint of our work? How can/should this be measured?
7. How will accessibility to our work be adversely impacted by the changing climate?
8. What further measures can we take to further green our organizations?

This project is a response to an emergency. We, as artists who create work in partnership with nature, are overwhelmed by both the immediate impact of the climate crisis, and grappling with the longer-term ramifications for our relationships and communities. We must work together to share experiences, develop strategies and ask uncomfortable questions.

FOR MORE INFO AND TO REGISTER

(Top image ID: Square graphic. At the top, yellow text on a dark purple background reads ‘ACTS OF RESILIENCE’. Directly below in yellow text on the same purple background reads ‘outdoor performance in the climate crisis. On the bottom is a yellow semi circle resembling a sun with a thin red border. Red text against the yellow sun reads ‘a conference at the ross creek centre for the arts’. Directly below that text in purple font reads ‘NOV 24-26, 2023’.)

The Canadian Green Alliance is a not-for-profit organization committed to bridging the gap between sustainability and theatre. The Green Mentorship Program is a year long mentorship opportunity for fresh grads, emerging artists or artists transitioning careers to be paired up with Green Experts in their area of interest. In addition to mentorship sessions, the Green Mentorship Cohort of 2024 will attend four exciting workshops on various green tools that they can use throughout their careers. The idea is to share the skills required by artists and technicians to move Theatre into a greener future both for their own careers but also for the general ecology of sustainability in the theatre industry. Each member of this cohort will also receive a $600 Honorarium for their participation! 

Deadline to apply: December 1st, 2023

Julia McLellan, one of the Co-founders of the CGA will be hosting a webinar this month on Monday, November 20th at 2pm EST (RSVP at canadiangreenalliance@gmail.com).

Apply Here: https://forms.gle/cU8HJSiLVa7EgEkV6

Wednesday 25 October 2023
10:30am – 1:00pm (BST)

 
The Missing Foundation: Culture’s place within and beyond the SDGs

Book now to join us online on 25 October 2023 for the launch of our thought-provoking new report on culture’s place within and beyond the UN SDGs. 

The 2022 UNESCO Mondiacult conference classified culture as a ‘global public good’, reinforcing culture’s position in the global development discourse that is expected to grow as we approach the end of the UN’s 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Framework. 

This forward-thinking new report from edge and story, commissioned by The British Council, builds on our 2020 Missing Pillar report, which explored culture’s contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

There are multiple perspectives on what role culture can or should play in global sustainable development, particularly in the post-2030 agenda. This new report is an important contribution to that conversation, encompassing observation, provocation, and imagination. The report opens up questions about new frameworks to support collective action and encouraging cultural organisations to consider not just their contribution to sustainable development but the opportunity to be an engine for long-lasting change.

Speakers

Join us to hear insights from our edge and story research team: 

• Kai Brennert
• Dian Ika Gesuri
• Francesca Giliberto
• Katie Hodgkinson
• Pedro Affonso Ivo Franco

Event details

The event will take place between 10.30am and 1pm, including a short break. It will be live captioned and recorded.

About the report

In the 2020 publication The Missing Pillar – Culture’s Contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the British Council sought to present relevant evidence of their programmes’ impact and to position culture as a missing pillar in the wider debate of culture’s role in processes of sustainable development. 

The response to that original Missing Pillar report and its resonance for a range of organisations prompted us to commission this further piece of research.  This report is not only a dynamic follow up to our Missing Pillar report, it brings a cultural perspective to the debates about development initiated by 2015 World Development report ‘Mind, Society and Behaviour’.  

Part one of this new report will look at more recent conversations in the culture and SDG field, exploring who talks – and who doesn’t – about culture in sustainable development, what ideas are being favoured, and what rationales tend to dominate the conversations.

Part two is an in-depth analysis of 10 British Council culture programmes and how they relate to the UN SDGs throughout their programme cycles, from design all the way to evaluation. The evidence will help us understand culture’s actual contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Part three questions whether the SDGs are the best framework for culture to align itself to, situates culture in various other development logics, and presents an alternative hybrid concept for cultural actors to consider when working in relation to sustainable development.

Book now

(Top image from motherEarth international, one of the British Council Creative Commissions for Climate Action. ©Lin Chinyung)

We know our communities need better public places—places where neighbours meet, children play, and nature thrives.  

At the Evergreen Conference, we will explore how public places can work harder for both people and the planet.

Public places make our cities. Amid growing social isolation, disparity, and climate change, public places are an essential service. At their best, they are magnetic, green and inclusive spaces and neighborhood hubs that connect people to nature and each other, creating a sense of belonging and a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of city life. We need to nurture these spaces and steward new ones that work hard for communities. The Evergreen Conference is a space for us to dream big, to imagine what our cities can be and to make the case for place across Canada.

Jen Angel, CEO of Evergreen

We can’t do this alone. Together, we can make the case for place. 

Will you join us?  

Making the Case for Place 

The Evergreen Conference is the latest evolution of our annual national conference.   

It is a gathering of urban thought leaders, community members, private and public sector innovators, and city builders that centres public places as cornerstones of inclusive and sustainable communities in Canada.  

Key topics include:  

1. Public places at the centre of regenerative and resilient cities 
2. Sustainable and innovative approaches to housing urban populations 
3. Supporting Indigenous experiences in urban places 

The conference will be hosted at Evergreen Brick Works in the heart of Toronto’s Don Valley. While there are a limited number of in-person tickets, many of the sessions will be held virtually to accommodate our attendees from far and wide. All tickets are free of charge, but we kindly accept donations here. 

Tickets to our in-person conference are now sold out, but you can still attend many sessions virtually. Learn more and register for our virtual program here.

Keynote Speaker: Zita Cobb – Founder and CEO of Shorefast

Zita Cobb is an eighth-generation Fogo Islander, Founder and CEO of the registered charity Shorefast, and Innkeeper of the award-winning Fogo Island Inn. Zita graduated high school on Fogo Island before studying business in Ottawa. Following a subsequent successful career in high-tech, Zita returned to Fogo Island and established Shorefast to put another leg on the Island’s struggling economy to complement its ever-important fishery. With an enduring commitment to Fogo Island, Shorefast is expanding its mission through its pan-Canadian Community Economies initiative to strengthen place-based economic development within the global economy. 

Zita has been a Member of the Order of Canada since 2016 and was a 2020 inductee to Canada’s Business Hall of Fame. She holds honorary doctorates from McGill University, Memorial University of Newfoundland, the University of Ottawa, and Carleton University. She volunteers her full time and energy for Shorefast’s charitable initiatives and community businesses.

Creative Carbon Scotland is working with Connecting Threads and CABN – Creative Arts Business Network, and other organisations across Scotland to deliver a series of local assemblies for creative climate action. SPRINGBOARD brings together artists, cultural and sustainability organisations, climate workers, activists, local businesses, third-sector organisations and anyone interested in collaborating to form powerful local networks for creative climate action. Local assemblies are an opportunity to connect with other practitioners in your region to address climate change collectively.

Sign up here!

DETAILS 

Date: 19 October

Time: 12:00pm – 5:00pm BST

Event Category: SPRINGBOARD

Website: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/springboard-local-assembly-for-creative-climate-action-borders-tickets-722033380277?aff=oddtdtcreator

At the Borders assembly, Creative Carbon Scotland and Abundant Borders will lead practical workshops, ending the afternoon with a discussion about where we take the network next to deliver creative climate action. Everyone can sign up for two workshops. These local assemblies are for anyone working or volunteering in the climate or environmental sector, the arts, screen, creative industries, museums, heritage, and libraries. Other local assemblies have taken place or are planned. 

Programme: 

12.00: Join us for lunch. Soup and a roll from Cafe Recharge and good pre-workshop chat will be provided.

12.30: Introduction on influencing and collaboration.The session will start with a shared introduction to how the creative sector can influence society on climate change, and share key-concepts for good collaboration practice and climate justice. 

2.00: session 1

Option 1: Climate justice and arts & culture 

Climate justice and arts & culture – with focus on land ownership in the Borders. Climate justice is a way of understanding how climate change results from and exacerbates existing inequalities and injustices as well as how climate action can help create a fairer world. Creative Carbon Scotland will be sharing our own research into how climate justice thinking is relevant to the arts and culture sector in Scotland. The workshop will focus on questions around community ownership, and the role of culture in supporting powerful forces of change.

Option 2: Land(ings)

With Claire Pencak / Abundant Borders 

Community food gardens are sites for growing and nourishing community cohesion, multi-species collaboration and regenerative cultural practices. In working with plants, we are given access to their roots and to the community of soil. They take us down with them into the earth, opening up ways for us to become more earthly in our bodies, lives and communities.

Drawing on her experience as the Abundant Borders’ project worker for Duns Community Food Garden and her somatic movement practice, Claire Pençak will invite us to reflect together, through sensory and embodied activities, on how food growing offers regenerative processes and metaphors that can transform our relationship to land and to ourselves. What new provocations and languaging might emerge as we spend time together in the company of plants making comfrey fertilisers (dynamic accumulators) and tasting fresh herbal teas? How might ‘composting the ego’ nourish ecological relationships and support us to dwell more sensitively with the earth?

3.00: Break and mapping activity 

3.20: Session 2

Option1: Arts and environmental collaboration on climate change

Collaboration between the arts and environmental sectors can create diverse opportunities for more effective action on climate change. This session will explore the ways that these fields can benefit from collaboration, offer examples of what has been achieved in the past and explore the practical steps needed to make collaborative projects a success. The session will end with an opportunity to consider what a collaborative climate change project would look like for you.

Option 2: Land(ings)

With Claire Pençak / Abundant Borders 

Community food gardens are sites for growing and nourishing community cohesion, multi-species collaboration and regenerative cultural practices. In working with plants, we are given access to their roots and to the community of soil. They take us down with them into the earth, opening up ways for us to become more earthly in our bodies, lives and communities.

Options throughout the day

Swap Shop

CABN will be running a swap shop at this event. It is a free and local exchange where creatives can pass on things (e.g. materials, sheet music, paint, fabric) they no longer want, in exchange for something they need – a cashless bring-and-buy sale! For more details, check our website: https://www.cabn.info/2022/12/cabn-swap-shop-manifest-2022/

Project sharing table

If you have a project you want to share please bring materials for it to put on the project-sharing table. I.e. publication, flyers, art objects. 

Mapping of creative climate action in the Borders

We will bring a big map of the Borders and ask you to pin down any relevant creative climate projects you know!

Travel bursaries

CABN have an access fund to support travel expenses to the event if you’re a creative based in the Scottish Borders. Email Julia & Jessie – hello@cabn.info for more info.

Accessibility

Everyone is welcome at our events.

We know that it’s sometimes difficult for everyone to attend because of unintended barriers. We want to make any necessary adjustments to our events so that no one is excluded. St Boswells Village Hall is fully accessible, with disabled toilets and wheelchair access. Please inform us of accessibility requirements during the registration process or get in touch by email if you would like to provide more information or ask any questions. Please contact maja.rimer@creativecarbonscotland.com at least one week before the event if you would like to provide more information or ask any questions.

Please see our Safe Working Spaces Statement for more information.

Getting there

Bus times for the venue: Get the number 68 from Galashiels Transport Interchange at 11.30, arriving at St Boswells Bus Stand @ 12.17 or coming from Jedburgh Bus Station at 11.49 & arriving at St Boswells Bus Stand @ 12.17. 

You will be asked some questions as you sign up. We are collecting this data so we can understand the needs of those attending the event, share follow-up information and plan future SPRINGBOARD collaborations. We ask for travel information so we can assess the carbon impact of our events.

(Top image: Alt text: Black background with SPRINGBOARD logo. Text above reads ‘Creative Carbon Scotland in partnership with CABN and Connecting Threads while text below the logo reads ‘Climate needs arts and culture now’ ‘Join our local assemblies’.)

No one will feel the impacts of the climate emergency more than children and future generations.  

Join us for this Green Tease on intergenerational climate justice and culture on the 11 October 4-6pm at Leith Community Croft. Together with experts in climate justice and creative climate education, we will discuss what intergenerational climate justice is, why it matters and how culture can be a way of giving a voice to future generations.   

Sign up here.

Children and future generations are at the forefront of bearing the burdens of the climate crisis. Still, they have little say over the decisions that will affect them more than anyone. Intergenerational justice argues that children have the right to be heard. That the climate crisis is a human rights issue and that climate action must reflect the needs and voices of everyone impacted. The complex interaction of the climate crisis with existing inequalities and injustices is an area where the arts and cultural sector can play a role in developing understanding and breaking down barriers to children participating in climate action. 

An excellent example of this comes from one of our speakers Lucy Power, Co-director at Rowanbank Environmental Arts & Education. In the run up to COP26 they facilitated the creation of a beautiful and moving soundscape of children’s voices that you can listen to here: – Positive Imaginings Soundscape. 

This event will partly take place outdoors so do bring warm, waterproof clothes. We provide tea and coffees to warm ourselves with! 

Speakers:  

Dr Elizabeth Cripps  

Dr Elizabeth Cripps is a Senior Lecturer in Political Theory at the University of Edinburgh and Associate Director of CRITIQUE: Centre for Ethics and Critical Thought. Liz researches and teaches climate justice and ethics. Her most recent books are What Climate Justice Means and Why We Should Care and Parenting on Earth: A Philosopher’s Guide to Doing Right By Your Kids – and Everyone Else. She also has a PhD in Philosophy from University College London and a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford. 

2050 Climate Group

Since 2014, 2050 Climate Group has been working to empower Scotland’s Young Leaders to lead action on tackling our climate crisis. They believe today’s young people are crucial to building a fairer, more sustainable future. Through their work, they equip future leaders with the skills and knowledge that they require to collectively lead Scotland in the transition to a just and sustainable society. 

Lucy Power 

Lucy Power is a Co-director of Rowanbank Environmental Arts and Education. Lucy has a background in environmental science and aerial performance art and steers the creative focus and output of the organisation. Together with Arran Sheppard she runs Positive Imaginings, a creative climate education project based on woodland performances, providing children an opportunity to imagine a positive future in the midst of the climate emergency. Positive Imaginings uses storytelling to empower and engage children in building hope and resilience for their future. Read our case study about the project here. Lucy has also been awarded a Churchill Fellowship to research best practice in creative climate communication and education from around the world.  

Green Tease is an ongoing informal events programme connecting cultural practices and environmental sustainability across Scotland. Since 2013 Green Tease has provided a platform for those interested in teasing out the links between the arts, climate change and environmental sustainability through the exchange of ideas, knowledge and practices. Green Tease events are equally open to people from creative and environmental backgrounds and free to attend.   

Accessibility 

We want to remove barriers to participation in these events and are happy to make adjustments to prevent people from being excluded. Please inform us of accessibility requirements during the registration process or get in touch by email if you would like to provide more information or ask any questions. Please contact maja.rimer@creativecarbonscotland.com at least one week before the event. Please see our Safe Working Spaces Statement for more information. 

If you have any accessibility needs or questions do get in touch at maja.rimer@creativecarbonscotland.com 

(Top image: Children sitting in a circle in the forest. Text: Intergenerational climate justice and culture)

Metamorphosis, Damma’s debut event is curated to take you on a journey of transformation and rebirth. Experience rooms, explore pathways, and immerse your senses in a mosaic of inspirations. This journey is curated to elevate your imagination, connect strangers and hold a safe space for you to be. Whatever that means to you. 

This is a call for all Art aficionados, creators, collectors, visionaries, and change-makers to step into a realm of boundless creativity. Spend the evening of October 7th with us and sneak a peek into what it means to truly BE. 

We welcome you to our world, where we collectively joined forces to design the world we want to live in. It is the whisper of change in the wind, a story told not in words but in the language of form and essence. 

What you can expect:

• Captivating Visual Art Journey 
• Wearable Art showcases
• Interactive Art Installations
• Live Music Performances & Instrumental Showcases
• Engaging Dance Performances
• Art Auction 
• Artisanal Culinary Delights
• Thematic Mixology Demonstrations

Important Information:

• Soiree Attire (Black Tie)
• 21+ 
• This event is curated in a way that might trigger you, please be prepared to heal 
• If you wish to live through the complete transformative experience, please arrive early.
• No outside food or beverages are permitted into the venue
• Zero Tolerance Policy: We expect you to be respectful to everyone in the space and their form of expression etc.

More Info and Tickets

Overview

Our program has been around for 17 years, being one of the first residencies worldwide to focus on Art and Ecology. We grant space and production support for people who are doing innovative work worldwide, across the arts and sciences. 

Eligibility

We accept applications from artists of all disciplines, designers, architects, curators, writers, art historians, art critics, scientists, teachers and people involved in sustainability. Applications from teams of 2-5 people are encouraged. Up to 2 family members (partner and/or children) can be part of your team.

Format

We are unique in not requiring a proposal and completion of a pre-conceived project during residency. We value renewal, introspection, observation and time without an agenda – these are crucial for creatives and scientists in order to arrive at new discoveries. Our residency cohorts are carefully curated, varying from 3 to 8 participants at a given time. During their stay, participants use the hacienda grounds as a laboratory for their research and/or creative process. They are free to work whenever desired in the provided studios and anywhere in the property. Experimentation is encouraged as is discourse and collaboration, with each other and the local community.

Tuesday, Sept 5

Webinar, 12:00 – 1:00 pm ET // Informal Q & A, 1 – 1:30 pm ET

With Julius Lindsay, Director, Sustainable Communities at the David Suzuki Foundation and co-founder of the Black Environmentalist Alliance, and Syrus Marcus Ware, Vanier Scholar, visual artist, activist, curator, and educator.

About the event

Understanding the connection between climate change, environmental racism, and social justice is crucial to finding equitable and sustained responses to the climate crisis. Join Julius and Syrus on Tuesday September 5th for a conversation on climate justice and its connection to the environmental movement, art practice, and BIPOC communities in c\a\n\a\d\a. Their discussion will touch on key climate justice topics such as disproportionate burdens, Afro and Indigenous futurisms, community engagement and examples from both Julius and Syrus’ practice.

Whether you’re new to the concept or seeking to deepen your knowledge, this session will anchor climate justice in both speakers’ work with the arts and community engagement. 

This event will be held in English.

About the speakers

Julius Lindsay is a leader in the environmental field with 15 years of experience in the areas of sustainability, climate change, and leading policy and strategy development and implementation.

He is the Director of Sustainable Communities at the David Suzuki Foundation. He leads the Foundation’s work to accelerate and raise the ambition of climate action in cities across the place now known as Canada. He is also a co-founder of the Black Environmentalist Alliance, an organization that seeks to champion Black people in the environmental profession, provide a safe space for peer-to-peer engagement to have real conversations and share experiences, and to advocate for environmental justice for Black Canadians now and in the future.

Prior to these two roles, Julius has been the catalyst for and led the development of climate change plans, programs, and policies at two of the biggest cities, Mississauga and Richmond Hill, in Ontario, Canada’s Largest Province. Julius is also a 2022 Next generation Foresight Practitioner Fellow and received their Inaugural Existential Risk award and a 2023 Future of Canada Project Future Fellow to support the Prismatic Project. The Prismatic Project seeks to centre Indigenous and Black perspectives through the lens of Indigenous futurist and Afrofuturist art, community engagement and futures games to shift the conversation about and composition of climate action in Canada.

Dr. Syrus Marcus Ware is an Assistant Professor at the School of the Arts at McMaster University. A Vanier scholar, visual artist, activist, curator and educator, Ware uses painting, installation, and performance to explore social justice frameworks and black activist culture. His work has been shown widely across Canada in solo and group shows, and his performance works have been part of local and international festivals. He is part of the Performance Disability Art Collective and a cofounder of Black Lives Matter-Canada. Syrus is curator of the That’s So Gay show and a co-curator of Blackness Yes!/Blockorama. In addition to penning a variety of journals and articles, Syrus is the co-editor of the best-selling Until We Are Free: Reflections on Black Lives Matter in Canada (URP, 2020).

MORE INFO AND TO RSVP

How do you envision the future? What aspects of that world are already here? The Future Within Us kicks off our 5th Climate Change Theatre Action festival with original short plays that grapple with a changing world. Join us in person in New York City or online for this funny, poetic, and poignant evening of theatre, music, and magic tricks!

Featuring original short plays by Nicolas Billon (Canada), Chantal Bilodeau (U.S.), Miranda Rose Hall (U.S.), Ethan King (Philippines), and Kevin Matthew Wong (Canada). Conceived by Chantal Bilodeau and Julia Levine. Directed by Britt Berke.

Sunday, September 17, 2023
5:00-6:30 pm
In-person and Online
Caveat, 21A Clinton Street, New York, NY

$20 early bird (until Sep 10)
$25 standard
$25 at the door
$10 livestream

GET YOUR TICKET NOW!

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The Future Within Us is officially part of Climate Week NYC, an annual climate event that brings together business leaders, political change makers, local decision takers, and civil society representatives of all ages and backgrounds to drive the transition, speed up progress, and champion change that is already happening.

The Future Within Us is made possible with funds from Creative Engagement, a regrant program supported by The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) in partnership with the City Council, and administered by LMCC, as well as by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature .

We gratefully acknowledge the State of New York and The Puffin Foundation for their support of this project.