Comedian

ashdenizen: from no plays about climate change to three in a month

January 20, 2011Ashden Directory, newsActivists, Andrew Bovell, Avoidance, Bbc, Chai, Choreographer, Climate Change, Comedian, Film Makers, Heretic, Ipcc Reports, Marcus Brigstocke, Mike Hulme, Open University, Origin Of Species, Paradigm, Podcasts, Radio 4, T Touch, Tricycle, Wallace Shawn

It was only a couple of years ago that this blog was writing aboutÂ why theatres don’t touch climate change. It seemed, at the time, as if there was something about theatre, or the way people conceived of mainstream theatre, that made the subject almost impossible to treat. This was part of a more general avoidance of the environment as a subject for the performing arts. TheÂ Ashden Directory had been launched, back in 2000, as a way of following and encouraging those works which did engage with this subject.

But now things are changing. Eighteen months ago there wasÂ finally, a good play about climate change. Â It was also possible to see in the works, for instance, of Wallace Shawn and Andrew BovellÂ the green shoots of climate change theatre.

Fast forward to January 2011, and this month alone three climate change plays will open in London -Â Greenland at the National,Â The Heretic at the Royal Court, andÂ Water at the Tricycle.

Why is this important? Because climate change alters the way we think about our lives. The news contained within the various IPCC reports will beÂ as influential, as paradigm-shifting, on the way we see ourselves as Darwin’sÂ Origin of Species. It is, ultimately, a question of values and relationships. As such, it is a natural subject for theatre.

But new plays don’t open in a vacuum. For them to succeed, there needs to be a lively engaged audience that has some sense of what is at stake. That’s why we have also been involved with the Open University in producingÂ a new series of podcasts that puts cultural work around climate change in perspective.

The podcasts bring together 17 artists, activists, writers, film-makers, scientists, entrepreneurs and academics, including comedian Marcus Brigstocke, choreographer Siobhan Davies, BBC environment analyst Roger Harrabin, architect Carolyn Steele and Mike Hulme, author ofWhy We Disagree About Climate Change.

Radio 4’s Quentin Cooper chairs these four ‘Mediating Change’ discussions which cover the history, publics, anatomy and futures of cultural responses to climate change.Â The podcasts areÂ now available to download from iTunesU.

via ashdenizen: from no plays about climate change to three in a month.

ashdenizen: four podcasts on culture and climate change now online

December 21, 2010Ashden DirectoryBroadcast Quality, Campaigner, Choreographer, Climate Change, Comedian, Critical Framework, Film Makers, Heretic, Itunes, Joe Smith, Marcus Brigstocke, Momentum, Podcasts, Popular Culture, Quality Format, Robert Butler, Siobhan Davies, Tim Smit, Tipping Point, Vicky

A new series of four podcasts onÂ Culture and Climate Change is now online atÂ iTunes U. The discussions bring together artists, writers, film-makers, scientists, academics and journalists with a comedian, a choreographer, a campaigner, and an entrepreneur.

TheÂ Mediating Change series is hosted by Quentin Cooper and contributors include Tim Smit, Marcus Brigstocke, Siobhan Davies (see pic), Roger Harrabin, Joe Smith and two of the Ashden Directory’s editors, Wallace Heim and Robert Butler.Â More details here.

The producer, Vicky Long, says:

Cultural activity in this area is gathering real momentum, with ‘Greenland’ opening at the National Theatre and ‘The Heretic’ opening at the Royal Court early next year. We feel itâ€™s vital a critical framework is developed alongside this emerging work.

This series represents a first sustained exploration of culture and climate change in a publicly-available broadcast-quality format.

via ashdenizen: four podcasts on culture and climate change now online.

Jon Stewart and the Art of Responsibility

March 19, 2009newsComedian, Comedy Show, Corporate Interests, Daily Show, Diddy, Economic Crisis, Finance Investment, Forests, Invaluable Service, Jim Cramer, Jon Stewart, Mad Money, Natural Resources, Political Comedy, Relevance, Retirement Fund, Rivers, Transparency, Utilitarianism, Visibility

This will not be the first place youâ€™ve heard of Jon Stewartâ€™s interview with Jim Cramer, of Mad Money, on the Daily Show. This may be, in fact, one of the last places youâ€™d expect to see it mentioned. This is a blog about environmental art. The Daily Show is a mainstream political comedy show. The interview was largely about finance, investment, and the economic crisis (which are not separate from natural resources, blah diddy you know the drill . . . )

But as comedian, Stewart provided an invaluable service. He called Cramer out. He urged Cramer and his network to use their visibility and connections for the public good, and not in service to investors, corporate interests, or mere ratings. He chided Cramer for misusing his powerful influence.

And thatâ€™s the essence of its relevance. At greenmuseum.org weâ€™re constantly seeing artists who are using their craft as a tool for the public good, whether with education, aesthetic power, or literal utilitarianism. Theyâ€™re doing it with the planet in mind, defending rivers, forests, communities, connections. Jon Stewart is defending the very nature of work, the transparency of media, and his parentsâ€™ retirement fund.

To all of those who voted to cut NEA funding: I defy you to look at the body of work on greenmuseum.org and not understand the public service that artists provide. Tell me that Jon Stewart lecturing Cramer like our nationâ€™s Cultural Daddy isnâ€™t achingly important. Come to grips with the incredible responsibility that comes with the work of culture. And I say: boo-yeah. Now letâ€™s get some work done.

Go to the Green Museum