Environmental Sustainability

Sustaining Creativity

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Via Julie’s Bicycle.

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Julie’s Bicycle has launched Sustaining Creativity, which is looking at what the creative community perceives as the critical drivers for change and the role of sustainability in this process.

The launch event occurred on November 19, 2013.

‘Sustaining Creativity’ is a series of conversations and events exploring environmental challenges, drivers of change, and the opportunities that transformative solutions offer to the creative community. 

‘Sustainability’ generally refers to an approach that balances social, financial and environmental considerations. Julie’s Bicycle’s focus is environmental sustainability. While Julie’s Bicycle recognises and seeks to reinforce the synergies between social, financial and environmental wellbeing, economic and social development are ultimately contingent on a healthy planet.

Sustaining Creativity will take a holistic approach, intent on shoring up strength and wellbeing over the coming decade. It will consider the likely systemic changes already influencing mainstream thinking and put sustainability at the forefront of creative and cultural innovation.

Sustaining Creativity will:

  • Discover what the business critical issues are perceived to be from a wide range of representatives from the creative community.
  • Extend ambition about what is possible using real examples.
  • Identify some key shifts needed to develop a creative infrastructure commensurate with global challenges.
  • Outline what might be done over the next five to ten years to create optimal conditions for change.
  • Foster confident decision-making that looks beyond political and funding cycles
  • Produce a series of events and publications

Julie’s Bicycle will gather and present this thinking at a national event in Spring 2014.

Galleries, Museums, and Climate Change l M&GQS | UQAM 2013 Seminar

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Galleries, Museums & Climate Change was M&GSQ’s 2014 seminar, an annual partnership with the University of Queensland Art Museum and the UQ Museum Studies Program.

On November 13th, the event featured:
+ Tour of University of Queensland’s Global Change Institute building as an environmental sustainable showcase
• Judith Nesbitt, Head of National and International Partnerships, Tate, on Environmental Sustainability at the Tate.
• Emrah Baki Ulas, Associate, Steensen-Varming, and Julian Bickersteth, Managing Director, International Conservation Services and co-authors The Technical Industry Report on Museum and Gallery Lighting and Air Conditioning, on future options for economically and environmentally sustainable methods of display environments, preservation and storage of art and cultural material.
• Dr Laura Fisher, National Institute for Experimental Arts, CoFA, UNSW, on Curating Cities and how the arts can generate environmentally beneficial behaviour change and influence the development of green infrastructure in urban environments.
• Panel discussion with all speakers moderated by Sarah Kanowski, ABC RN Weekend Arts.

Following refreshments, 6pm- 7pm, Fiona Hall, Janet Laurence and Caroline Rothwell discussed their work on display in the UQ Art Museum: Contemporary art meets the environment. The artists spoke about how they make visible the interconnections between nature and culture, and elaborate the devastating impact of human action on the environment.

Judith Nesbitt, Head of National and International Partnerships

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Judith Nesbitt leads Tate’s national and international programmes delivered through partnerships and exchanges. Before taking up this post, Judith was Chief Curator at Tate Britain (2001 – 2010) where she led the curatorial team and played a key role in shaping all aspects of Tate Britain’s programme of exhibitions and displays. She curated Michael Landy’s Semi-detached commission in 2004, co-curated the 2003 Tate Triennial Days Like These, the Peter Doig exhibition in 2008 and the Chris Ofili exhibition in 2010. Judith also leads Tate’s Sustainability Task Force, with the aim of reducing the organisation’s carbon emissions and embedding environmental sustainability in policy and practice.

Educated at the University of York and the Courtauld Institute of Art, Judith began her career at Leeds City Art Gallery, 1986-91, joined Tate Liverpool as Exhibitions Curator, 1991-1995 and was Director of Chisenhale Gallery, 1995-1998. She was Head of Programming at Whitechapel Art Gallery, 1998-2000, and Head of UK Content at eyestorm, the art media company, 2000 – 2001. She is Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Art, is a member of the Advisory Panel for Art on the Underground, and on the Board of Film and Video Umbrella.

Environmental sustainability at Tate 

For over five years, Tate has made a concerted effort to reduce its environmental impact and worked with colleagues in the museum sector to address the challenges specific to the sector.
This initiative has brought changes to how it cares for, presents and transports its collection, the operations across its varied estate, the design and engineering of its new buildings. Some of these changes are incremental; other changes require a greater shift, whether in practice or attitude. Staff, audiences, and artists all have a part to play in how we develop imaginative solutions to the environmental challenges of the 21st century.

Like many galleries, Tate has achieved reductions in the energy demand of heating and cooling its buildings, and taken the opportunity presented by capital projects, such as expansion of Tate Modern, to achieve energy efficient design through passive measures, maximising natural lighting and developing the use of LEDs. All aspects of gallery practice are systematically examined, from re-usable wall systems for exhibitions, waste to heat contracts, to sustainable catering and trading. Aiming to embed sustainable practices across the organisation, Tate’s environmental strategy is championed by Green Reps, overseen by the Sustainability Task Force, regularly assessed by Trustees and detailed in its annual report.

The effort is not just an organisational one, since many of the most far-reaching changes require sector-wide agreement between lending institutions. Many international colleagues have indicated their readiness to adopt a smarter approach to running galleries and museums in the long-term public interest. Sharing experience and data is the first step towards well-founded changes of practice, which is why this seminar is a welcome opportunity.

Dr Laura Fisher, National institute for Experimental Arts 

Laura Fishersml5

Based at the National Institute for Experimental Arts (COFA, UNSW), Laura Fisher is part of the research team behind the Australian Research Council funded Linkage project Curating Cities. Over the last year she has been involved in building the Curating Cities database of eco-sustainable public art, which is a resource for researchers, artists, commissioning agencies, government bodies and members of the public who are interested in how public art can generate beneficial social change with respect to environmental sustainability. She is also currently co-editing the conference proceedings of the 19th International Symposium on Electronic Arts which was staged in Sydney in July 2013. Laura completed her doctoral thesis in the sociology of art at the University of NSW in 2012.

Curating Cities: public art and sustainability in urban environments 

Led by researchers at the National Institute for Experimental Arts (COFA) in partnership with the City of Sydney, Carbon Arts, Object, and the University of Cincinnati, Curating Cities examines how the arts can generate environmentally beneficial behavior change and influence the development of green infrastructure in urban environments. The project rests on the conviction that public art can very effectively serve the sustainability agenda if it is integrated into the processes of reshaping urban infrastructure and managing the efficient use of resources in cities. This presentation will explain the aspirations that underpin Curating Cities, and discuss several exemplary public art projects that have been documented on the Curating Cities database of eco-sustainable art. It will also discuss the database’s purpose as an informative and evaluative resource that documents the mix of aesthetic, civic and environmental concerns that each work seeks to address, and provides useful insights into the funding arrangements, multi-party negotiations and problem-solving processes that bring public art projects to fruition.

Curating Cities

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Julian Bickersteth is the managing director of International Conservation Services and Vice President of the International Institute for Conservation. He chairs the AICCM taskforce on Environmental Guidelines, and is coordinating a joint IIC and ICOM CC working group to examine the international position on potential relaxation of environmental parameters in museums.

Managing environmental parameters in museums in the face of climate change 

Relaxed environmental conditions for museums to reduce energy consumption, whilst not compromising the preservation of collections, have been on the table for consideration by the conservation community for at least the last five years. It is acknowledged that existing parameters are based on a blanket approach, and are unnecessarily tight for all but the most vulnerable of artworks. Major museums and galleries worldwide are recognising this and implementing relaxed parameters, such as the Tate, the Smithsonian and the V&A.
Two years ago it looked as though international agreement was close. However a significant proportion of the conservation profession are not convinced that the risks in relaxing these parameters can be safely managed. Accordingly consensus amongst conservators internationally is not going to be achieved and therefore there will be no new blanket environmental standards. This paper examines the current situation on this complex issue.

EmrahBakiUlasEmrah Baki Ulas, Associate, Steensen Varming , is a lighting designer, educator and researcher.
His career in lighting began working for the International Istanbul Biennale. He completed his studies in Germany and Turkey, and worked in Greece prior to joining Steensen Varming.
Emrah’s work spans over iconic and high profile projects, including heritage sites, performing art venues, museums and galleries, research and education institutions, commercial developments, monuments, urban lighting and masterplanning.
Emrah is a co-leader of the Master of Lighting Design Postgraduate Studio and an adjunct lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney and is also a frequent contributor of international lighting forums. He was featured as one of the top 30 upcoming professionals by the UK based BS Journal in 2008 and as one of the top 25 upcoming lighting professionals in the USA based AL Journal in 2010.

Technical Industry Report Lighting Air Conditioning

Emrah Baki Ulas

Acknowledgements: The Energy Efficiency component of this activity received funding from the Department of Industry as part of the Energy Efficiency Information Grants Program.

Judith Nesbitt’s visit to Australia is co-hosted by the Visual Arts Board of the Australia Council and the project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body.

Via M&GSQ l UQAM 2013 Seminar.

Australian seminar: ‘Galleries, museums and climate change’

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Australian seminar: ‘Galleries, museums and climate change’

The title ‘Galleries, Museums & Climate Change’ pretty well indicates the agenda for what the participants of a one-day seminar held at the University of Queensland Art Museum in Australia discussed and shared knowledge about on 13 November 2013: a cocktail of energy efficiency, sustainability, climate change – and culture.

seminar-in-queensland20131

“The seminar looks at new approaches to environmental collection management protocols, lighting and sustainability. It also looks at ways in which our sector can educate and engage our audiences in issues of environmental sustainability and energy efficiency,” explained Executive Director of Museum & Gallery Services Queensland, Rebekah Butler.

Museum & Gallery Services Queensland – the peak professional body for the public museum and gallery sector in the Australian state Queensland – has organised the seminar in partnership with the University of Queensland Art Museum and the UQ Museum Studies.

Judith Nesbitt from Tate in United Kingdom led the discussion, speaking on the innovative work of this international cultural institution to reduce its carbon emissions and embed environmental sustainability across all areas of the organisation’s policy and practice. This includes building and exhibition design, through to the Tate’s catering and retail outlets.

Environmental sustainability at Tate

Judith Nesbitt is Head of National and International Partnerships at Tate in United Kingdom, and she leads Tate’s Sustainability Task Force with the aim of reducing the organisation’s carbon emissions and embedding environmental sustainability in policy and practice.

At the seminar, Judith Nesbitt gave a keynote speech on Environmental Sustainability at the Tate, and in the publicity material for the seminar, she gave a description of Tate’s efforts to reduce its environmental impact. She writes:

“For over five years, Tate has made a concerted effort to reduce its environmental impact and worked with colleagues in the museum sector to address the challenges specific to the sector.”

“This initiative has brought changes to how it cares for, presents and transports its collection, the operations across its varied estate, the design and engineering of its new buildings. Some of these changes are incremental; other changes require a greater shift, whether in practice or attitude. Staff, audiences, and artists all have a part to play in how we develop imaginative solutions to the environmental challenges of the 21st century.

Like many galleries, Tate has achieved reductions in the energy demand of heating and cooling its buildings, and taken the opportunity presented by capital projects, such as expansion of Tate Modern, to achieve energy efficient design through passive measures, maximising natural lighting and developing the use of LEDs.

All aspects of gallery practice are systematically examined, from re-usable wall systems for exhibitions, waste to heat contracts, to sustainable catering and trading. Aiming to embed sustainable practices across the organisation, Tate’s environmental strategy is championed by Green Reps, overseen by the Sustainability Task Force, regularly assessed by Trustees and detailed in its annual report.

The effort is not just an organisational one, since many of the most far-reaching changes require sector-wide agreement between lending institutions. Many international colleagues have indicated their readiness to adopt a smarter approach to running galleries and museums in the long-term public interest. Sharing experience and data is the first step towards well-founded changes of practice, which is why this seminar is a welcome opportunity.”

Source: magsq.com.au

No international agreement on parameters

How to reduce energy consumption without compromising the preservation of collections is an important and unresolved question with no consensus among museums which aim to manage the environmental parameters in the face of climate change.

“Relaxed environmental conditions for museums to reduce energy consumption, whilst not compromising the preservation of collections, have been on the table for consideration by the conservation community for at least the last five years. It is acknowledged that existing parameters are based on a blanket approach, and are unnecessarily tight for all but the most vulnerable of artworks.

Major museums and galleries worldwide are recognising this and implementing relaxed parameters, such as the Tate, the Smithsonian and the V&A.

Two years ago it looked as though international agreement was close. However a significant proportion of the conservation profession are not convinced that the risks in relaxing these parameters can be safely managed. Accordingly consensus amongst conservators internationally is not going to be achieved and therefore there will be no new blanket environmental standards.”

Curating Cities

Public art and sustainability in urban environments
Dr Laura Fisher from the National Institute for Experimental Arts spoke on the Linkage project Curating Cities. Led by researchers at the National Institute for Experimental Arts (COFA) in partnership with the City of Sydney, Carbon Arts, Object, and the University of Cincinnati, Curating Cities examines how the arts can generate environmentally beneficial behavior change and influence the development of green infrastructure in urban environments.

Over the last year Laura Fisher has been involved in building the Curating Cities database of eco-sustainable public art, which is a resource for researchers, artists, commissioning agencies, government bodies and members of the public who are interested in how public art can generate beneficial social change with respect to environmental sustainability.

“Curating Cities rests on the conviction that public art can very effectively serve the sustainability agenda if it is integrated into the processes of reshaping urban infrastructure and managing the efficient use of resources in cities. This presentation will explain the aspirations that underpin Curating Cities, and discuss several exemplary public art projects that have been documented on the Curating Cities database of eco-sustainable art.

It will also discuss the database’s purpose as an informative and evaluative resource that documents the mix of aesthetic, civic and environmental concerns that each work seeks to address, and provides useful insights into the funding arrangements, multi-party negotiations and problem-solving processes that bring public art projects to fruition.”

curatingcities.org

Contemporary art meets the environment: Artists Janet Laurence and Caroline Rothwell discussed their work on display in the UQ Art Museum. The artists talked about how they make visible the interconnections between nature and culture, and elaborate the devastating impact of human action on the environment.

Emrah Baki Ulas, lighting designer, educator and researcher, Associate at Steensen-Varming and co-author of ‘The Technical Industry Report on Museum and Gallery Lighting and Air Conditioning’ spoke on future options for economically and environmentally sustainable methods of display environments, preservation and storage of art and cultural material.

Showcase: As an environmental sustainable showcase the seminar took the participants on a tour of University of Queensland’s Global Change Institute building.

» Media release about the seminar: MRGalleriesMuseums Climate.pdf

Our Carbon Footprint

In August 2011, M&GSQ held a state conference which had a plenary entitled ‘Our Carbon Footprint’.

Slideshows and videos of presentations from this plenary session, such as Guy Abrahams’ CLIMARTE presentation ‘Climate Change, Sustainability and the Arts’ (video | powerpoint-document) are available online.
» Learn more on magsq.com.au

Culture|Futures is an international collaboration of organizations and individuals who are concerned with shaping and delivering a proactive cultural agenda to support the necessary transition towards an Ecological Age by 2050.

The Cultural sector that we refer to is an interdisciplinary, inter-sectoral, inter-genre collaboration, which encompasses policy-making, intercultural dialogue/cultural relations, creative cities/cultural planning, creative industries and research and development. It is those decision-makers and practitioners who can reach people in a direct way, through diverse messages and mediums.

Affecting the thinking and behaviour of people and communities is about the dissemination of stories which will profoundly impact cultural values, beliefs and thereby actions. The stories can open people’s eyes to a way of thinking that has not been considered before, challenge a preconceived notion of the past, or a vision of the future that had not been envisioned as possible. As a sector which is viewed as imbued with creativity and cultural values, rather than purely financial motivations, the cultural sector’s stories maintain the trust of people and society.
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UK: Certificate improves arts institutions’ environmental performance

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“Understand, commit and improve.” That is what is requred from the increasing amount of British arts organisations and institutions which undertake the so-called ‘Industry Green’ certification.

industry-green

The Industry Green certification was developed for the music, theatre and the wider creative industries to recognise commitment and achievement in managing and reducing carbon. It was developed by Julie’s Bicycle, a not-for-profit organisation working with the arts and creative industries to cut carbon emissions and make environmental sustainability a core component of their work. Established in 2007 by the music industry, Julie’s Bicycle has since extended its remit to the performing arts, visual arts and fashion.

With an audit report of the organisation’s environmental performance – covering energy, waste, water and travel – the Industry Green certification process is providing ever more organisations in the UK with the evidence to shout about their environmental successes. A certification of one, two or tree stars show staff, suppliers, artists and audiences that here is an organisation which is committed to going green.

Three stars to three organisations
In 2013, the outstanding three stars have been awarded to the opera institution Glyndebourne and the theatre production company Lyric Hammersmith both for the second year in a row – and they have been joined for the first time by Battersea Arts Centre.

Lyric Hammersmith is committed to becoming more environmentally friendly by reducing our carbon emissions by 10 percent each year

Nine British arts companies were successfully awarded the two star rating: Live Theatre, Northern Stage, The Sage Gateshead, Tyneside Cinema, Seven Stories, Greenwich Theatre, Hampstead Theatre, Soho Theatre, Young Vic.

And a one star certification goes to twelve organisations across the UK: Centre for Life, Dance City, Theatre Royal, Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums, Glasgow Film Theatre, Almedia, Bush Theatre, Donmar Warehouse, Royal Court, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Tricycle, Norwich Theatre Royal.

The Industry Green certification is compatible with, and complimentary to other environmental certification schemes including BS8901, ISO20121, ISO14001 and the Carbon Trust Standard.

“UNDERSTAND your environmental impactsPREPARE for compliancyREDUCE carbon emissions SAVE money SHARE the story BUILD your brand JOIN a community of companies working together to green the industry”

» See who is currently certified

» Download the Industry Green brochure (PDF) for more information.

» More info: juliesbicycle.com/industry-green

Culture|Futures is an international collaboration of organizations and individuals who are concerned with shaping and delivering a proactive cultural agenda to support the necessary transition towards an Ecological Age by 2050.

The Cultural sector that we refer to is an interdisciplinary, inter-sectoral, inter-genre collaboration, which encompasses policy-making, intercultural dialogue/cultural relations, creative cities/cultural planning, creative industries and research and development. It is those decision-makers and practitioners who can reach people in a direct way, through diverse messages and mediums.

Affecting the thinking and behaviour of people and communities is about the dissemination of stories which will profoundly impact cultural values, beliefs and thereby actions. The stories can open people’s eyes to a way of thinking that has not been considered before, challenge a preconceived notion of the past, or a vision of the future that had not been envisioned as possible. As a sector which is viewed as imbued with creativity and cultural values, rather than purely financial motivations, the cultural sector’s stories maintain the trust of people and society.
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Julie’s Bicycle Autumnal Update

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It’s been a busy few months at Julie’s Bicycle. Below is a selection of news and events from the arts sustainability world as well as an update on all our latest goings on.

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Green Arts Marketplace at Showman’s Show

We will be hosting the Green Innovations Hub at Showman’s Show 2013 to coincide with the launch of our new Green Arts Marketplace, an online directory listing suppliers of green goods and services to the creative industries. All Showman’s Show exhibitors can apply for advanced accreditation through the Green Arts Marketplace and successful candidates will be marked out as ‘green’ suppliers at the event. Further details on the Green Arts Marketplace will be announced soon. If you are interested please contact chiara@juliesbicycle.com for more information.

Industry Green Certification Update

The Industry Green process is providing ever more organisations with the evidence to shout about their environmental successes. Since our last mailer, these organisations have achieved Industry Green status: congratulations to them all.

An outstanding 3 stars have been awarded to Glyndebourne and Lyric Hammersmith both for the second year in a row and they have been joined for the first time by Battersea Arts Centre.

Nine arts companies have been successfully awarded the 2 star rating – Live Theatre, Northern Stage, The Sage Gateshead, Tyneside Cinema, Seven Stories, Greenwich Theatre, Hampstead Theatre, Soho Theatre, Young Vic.

1 star certification goes to twelve organisations across the UK – BALTIC, Centre for Life, Dance City, Theatre Royal, Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums, Glasgow Film Theatre, Almedia, Bush Theatre, Donmar Warehouse, Royal Court, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Tricycle, Norwich Theatre Royal.

You can learn more about Industry Green here.

Sustainable Production Guide Launched

A new free resource joins our extensive suite of guides. The Sustainable Production Guide provides up-to-date, comprehensive information on how to embed environmental sustainability at the heart of your production process. Featuring profiles of environmental best practice in production, key resources and hands-on actions, the guide provides production professionals with all the tools they need to place the environmental alongside financial and artistic considerations. You can download your copy of the guide via the Julie’s Bicycle website. There are more guides coming soon so keep an eye out.

TANJA BEER – ACTIVIST IN RESIDENCE

Fresh from her stint at World Stage Design 2013 and giving an inspiring introduction to her work at our event on Sustainable Design for the Arts in September, Tanja Beer is currently working with Julie’s Bicycle as Activist in Residence.  A leader in ecological design practice and PhD candidate Tanja will be offering an insight into her practice, as well as supporting and feeding into our programme. Keep an eye out for blog posts and comment from Tanja over the next three months.

New Projects

The team at Julie’s Bicycle has been working on a wide range of different projects. Here are some highlights:

GREENING THE ARTS OXFORD
We are pleased to be working with Oxford City Council on an exciting new project bringing together ten cultural venues, organisations and events with the aim of making them as environmentally sustainable as possible. The twelve month project which kicked off with a half-day workshop last Friday.

MANCHESTER SUSTAINABLE EVENTS
This Autumn we will be supporting Manchester City Council’s new Sustainable Events Working Group as they develop five pilot ‘green events’ including Bonfire night, Christmas market and Chinese New Year celebrations.

CREU CYMRU
Julie’s Bicycle will be supporting Creu Cymru in an ambitious sustainability project over the next year, involving eighteen theatres and arts centres from across Wales. Our input will include a series of events and a bilingual sustainability toolkit. Read the full story here.

Long Horizons II

Extending the scope of our last, at times whimsical piece of forecasting Long Horizons, we are embarking on a six month project gathering the thoughts, ideas and activities of the UK arts community. Working with our partners BOP, Technology Strategy Board and Meteos, we are exploring how new drivers and values are altering what we do. We want to come up with a practical response to these overarching influences and get a clearer view of our long horizon. More to come on this project…

IPCC – Our Response

Like the rest of the sustainability world we have been following the build-up and release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) report on the state of the world’s climate closely and soaking up all the facts, figures, debate and conflicts. Read our response to the report’s findings on the Julie’s Bicycle blog.

Sustainable Theatre Competition Winner Presentations at WSD2013

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Sun 8 Sept 16.30 – 18.00

The Willow Theatre

BUY TICKETS 

The Sustainable Theatre competition winner will showcase their winning designs.

World Stage Design 2013 opened up a unique opportunity to design a temporal alternative sustainable theatre. The competition was open to professionals and emerging practitioners from across all related disciplines and received over 100 entries from 26 countries.

The Willow Theatre, designed by architect Tim Lai and theatre designer Brad Steinmetz, both of Columbus, Ohio, USA was voted as the winning design and has been built for the event.

Ian Evans, WSD2013’s technical director and a senior lecturer at RWCMD, said: “The design brief was a tough one. We asked for a venue that was eco-conscious, could seat up to 150 people, host a variety of events and be self-built, all for an outlay of less than £20,000. Yet the response has been magnificent, many using highly original approaches and suggesting a wide variety of materials, including hay bales, cardboard boxes and packing crates. The entry from Brad and Tim was everyone’s favourite, though, because as well as meeting the technical brief, it is going to look and feel very interesting – an innovative blueprint that can be copied for other settings.”

The building’s strength will come from hired and returnable industrial scaffolding while the decorative fronds and interior walls will be made from UK-produced horticultural fleece, a re-usable material which can also be recycled to make more of the same fabric.

Internal fittings, including the floor and wooden seating will also be re-usable, recyclable and/or reclaimed and the roof will be retractable to take advantage of natural light and ventilation.

Volunteers will build the temporary venue in time for a full programme of events which will see a series of talks, workshops, debates and shows exploring environmental sustainability and the arts.  The programme is titled People, Profit, Planet and you can read about it in full here.

You can follow the build of the theatre with the live webcam here.

 

Culture’s role in environmental change

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The British newspaper The Guardian asks: What have the cultural and creative industries got to do with climate change?

guardian-culture-network

“Climate change is not just about the climate – it will have huge knock-on effects on human rights, economics, democracy, equality and social and civil justice landscapes.The cultural and creative industries already make work that reflects implicitly and explicitly on these issues listed above. We already stir the imaginations, minds, emotions, spirits and souls of audiences on these subjects. So why is environmental sustainability the topic so often missing from the list? The window for averting climate change is narrow. If we want to choose our own path, not have one forced upon us, we need to take responsibility and act now. We must have the courage to programme much more work about environmental issues…”

Guardian Culture Professionals Network – 15 July 2013:
Culture’s role in environmental change The live and digital work of the cultural and creative industries is key to a low carbon transition and future, says Hannah Rudman

Guardian Culture Professionals Network’s Facebook page

Newsletter from The Guardian Culture Professionals Network
Date: 16 July 2013
Subject: Culture’s role in environmental change | Sustainability should be at the heart of our artistic vision 

What have arts and culture got to do with climate change?

“As a sector we are a powerful collective imagination and a trusted voice” – so starts consultant Hannah Rudman in her piece for us on the role the culture sector must play in making positive environmental change. “We must tell stories of hope and warning about what the future holds.”

There’s no doubt about the capability of the arts to create life-changing experiences — and life will change quite significantly if we don’t look after our planet.

The facts and figures might speak for themselves, but the arts can make them speak louder. “Our disruptive, audacious thinking can get people engaged,” adds Hannah. “Our stories about ecological sustainability and greener living will be essential to preparing us all for a new ecosystem. Statistics cannot motivate us in the same way stories can.”

And for more stories on sustainability in the arts, read these from director of Julie’s Bicycle, Alison Tickell: why sustainability should be at the heart of our collective artistic vision; and

why reporting data will give the arts confidence to act.

Matthew Caines | Journalist | matthew.caines@guardian.co.uk

What’s new this week

Culture|Futures is an international collaboration of organizations and individuals who are concerned with shaping and delivering a proactive cultural agenda to support the necessary transition towards an Ecological Age by 2050.

The Cultural sector that we refer to is an interdisciplinary, inter-sectoral, inter-genre collaboration, which encompasses policy-making, intercultural dialogue/cultural relations, creative cities/cultural planning, creative industries and research and development. It is those decision-makers and practitioners who can reach people in a direct way, through diverse messages and mediums.

Affecting the thinking and behaviour of people and communities is about the dissemination of stories which will profoundly impact cultural values, beliefs and thereby actions. The stories can open people’s eyes to a way of thinking that has not been considered before, challenge a preconceived notion of the past, or a vision of the future that had not been envisioned as possible. As a sector which is viewed as imbued with creativity and cultural values, rather than purely financial motivations, the cultural sector’s stories maintain the trust of people and society.

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Arts transmit messages of climate change youth campaign

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Pakistan_GPSbanner“Check out the colorful banner that was painted by our team in Pakistan! And click LIKE if you believe that more art in the climate movement is a very good thing,” wrote the organisers of a climate activists’ summit on Facebook to highlight photos of participants bringing banners to the event.

While Istanbul in Turkey is in the news for its protests on Taksim Square and Gezi Park, another kind of civil society mobilisation with a global perspective is currently taking place in one of the suburbs of the city.

500 members of Generation C – the climate generation – have travelled from 134 different countries to attend a youth climate activists’ conference in Istanbul. The American climate campaign organisation 350.org organised the event, which they call ‘Global Power Shift’, in an attempt to build a global movement to solve the climate crisis.

powershift-dance-1

And as the picture above shows, music and dance to centre stage right from the opening plenary on the first day, where the participants also stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Warriors of the Pacific, when they sent a message that as the ocean waters rise around their island homes, they are not drowning – they are fighting.

powershift-dance-in-Istanbul_FB_2

“Using the power of music to transmit the message of environmental sustainability and behavior change in energy uses” is a strategy which the 350.org Southeast Asia coordinators formulated and launched in their national programme.

In Ho Chi Minh City on 20 June 2013, they hosted a music night in anticipation for the Global Power Shift campaigning where top Vietnamese singers and ‘GPS Goodwill Ambassadors’ like Thanh Bui, Pham Anh Khoa, Sy Luan, Thuy Hoang Diem, and PiBand, pulled a crowd of over 400 young people.

“If we want to change the world, we have to first change ourselves. I believe in the power of music because music is the best way to inspire and change people’s perceptions about the Earth’s problems,” singer and musician Thanh Bui shared with the crowd.

Vietnam_GPS_june2013

“Our special guests went beyond performing their songs to comment on their shared love of nature, humanity, and the country, revealing personal stories concerning climate change through improvised rap,” reported Nhi Thoi on 350.org:

The Global Power Shift meeting in Istanbul is meant to be a launchpad for something much bigger – national mobilisations throughout the world. In the next week, the organisers will start a planet-wide project to scale up the movement and establish what they hope will become a new course for the global climate movement.

Mike Spine – a singer, recording artist, and music teacher on a six-month global humanitarian music tour to six continents raising awareness for social, economic and environmental justice – was quoted by 350.org as saying:

“I’m very lucky to work with 350.org in the United States. Climate change is a huge challenge, and I’m very impressed to see young Vietnamese people respond strongly to 350’s movement. I hope to be able to bring this enthusiasm to the young communities in the countries where I pass through in my tour, and I’m confident that global youth are those who will make a change.”

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Culture|Futures is an international collaboration of organizations and individuals who are concerned with shaping and delivering a proactive cultural agenda to support the necessary transition towards an Ecological Age by 2050.

The Cultural sector that we refer to is an interdisciplinary, inter-sectoral, inter-genre collaboration, which encompasses policy-making, intercultural dialogue/cultural relations, creative cities/cultural planning, creative industries and research and development. It is those decision-makers and practitioners who can reach people in a direct way, through diverse messages and mediums.

Affecting the thinking and behaviour of people and communities is about the dissemination of stories which will profoundly impact cultural values, beliefs and thereby actions. The stories can open people’s eyes to a way of thinking that has not been considered before, challenge a preconceived notion of the past, or a vision of the future that had not been envisioned as possible. As a sector which is viewed as imbued with creativity and cultural values, rather than purely financial motivations, the cultural sector’s stories maintain the trust of people and society.
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Land Arts Generator Initiative events

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Arsenal-Gallery-200x300June 27- August 30, Arsenal Gallery, Central Park, New York

“Our civilization has been built on non-renewable resources and an outmoded presumption that nature is limitless. Certainly art will continue to serve many purposes; however, for artists and designers who choose to engage in what Joanna Macy terms The Great Turning, what is the role of beauty?” —Ann T. Rosenthal

This opening event kick off the summer exhibition at Arsenal Gallery (in Central Park), NYC, is also act as the book launch to their latest publication “Regenerative Infrastructures,” which features 60 submissions to the 2012 LAGI design competition for Freshkills Park as well as several essays, including “Redefining Beauty within the Context of Sustainability” by Ann Rosenthal

Formerly a symbol of immense urban waste, the Fresh Kills Landfill is being transformed into an enormous parkland destined to exemplify the values of ecological restoration and environmental sustainability. In partnership with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, the Land Art Generator Initiative held an ideas competition for a site-specific public artwork designed to operate as a source of clean energy for the city utility grid, using Freshkills Park as the design site. This volume features many of the top submissions to that open call, each with the capacity to power hundreds of homes. The Land Art Generator Initiative creates sustainable design solutions that integrate art and technology into renewable energy infrastructure around the world. Regenerative Infrastructures draws a much needed connection between the two critical issues of sustainable development—energy generation and waste management—highlighting solutions that address both problems at once, thereby creating economically beneficial hybrid utility installations.

For more information : http://landartgenerator.org/newsevents/

Cultura21 is a transversal, translocal network, constituted of an international level grounded in several Cultura21 organizations around the world.

Cultura21′s international network, launched in April 2007, offers the online and offline platform for exchanges and mutual learning among its members.

The activities of Cultura21 at the international level are coordinated by a team representing the different Cultura21 organizations worldwide, and currently constituted of:

– Sacha Kagan (based in Lüneburg, Germany) and Rana Öztürk (based in Berlin, Germany)
– Oleg Koefoed and Kajsa Paludan (both based in Copenhagen, Denmark)
– Hans Dieleman (based in Mexico-City, Mexico)
– Francesca Cozzolino and David Knaute (both based in Paris, France)

Cultura21 is not only an informal network. Its strength and vitality relies upon the activities of several organizations around the world which are sharing the vision and mission of Cultura21

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Conference in Indonesia: ‘The Power of Culture as Catalyst in Sustainable Development’

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bali-conference1New pathways for locating culture as an integral part of sustainable development will be explored and highlighted when a World Culture in Development Forum is held in Bali, Indonesia, on 24-29 November 2013.

The aim of the World Culture in Development Forum is to create a space to discuss, debate and contest established ideas and approaches, and in doing so to recommend:

• new pathways for locating culture as an integral part of sustainable development,
• ethical frameworks for ensuring community engagement and stakeholder benefits,
• qualitative and quantitative cultural indicators for measuring sustainable development, and
• inputs into the framing of Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs in the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

It is envisaged that the World Culture in Development Forum will result in strategic initiatives to:

• promote knowledge communities for intercultural, intergenerational and interfaith dialogue,
• further ethical investment and business practices for cultural industries,
• establish clearing houses for people-centred projects and practices, emphasising local knowledge systems, and
• develop conceptual frameworks informing the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

Leading international agencies and critical thinkers, notably Nobel Laureates, will challenge the participants on four seminal themes that will form the overarching framework of World Culture in Development Forum 2013:

• Culture, Freedom and Social Sustainability,
• Culture and Economic Sustainability,
• Cultural Convergence in a Global Context, and
• Culture and Environmental Sustainability

Gender mainstreaming, active youth engagement and children of today and tomorrow will be the cross cutting themes woven across the entire Forum. A series of discussions, debates, performances and symposia will be programmed with the participation of experts and practitioners from across the world. An inspirational and leading edge cultural programme will be part of the hospitality spectrum.

The UN General Assembly (2011) has called for a more visible and effective integration and mainstreaming of culture into development policies and strategies at all levels. It is important to note that despite the recent global financial crisis there has been continuous growth and prosperity in the domain of culture among the countries of the South. This is the most significant indicator in considering the paradigm shift from the persistent deficit model of culture in development to an affirmative and empowering approach where creativity, knowledge, culture and technology are drivers of job creation, innovation and social inclusion.

The Common Statement on the Outcome of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio +20) calls for innovative and entrepreneurial ways of moving forward. We have learned from the successes and failures attaining of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It is acknowledged that there remains much to be done including ensuring that culture in all its dimensions needs to be integrated more forcefully in development. Culture must become an integral part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the post-2015 Development Agenda.

For more information please contact:
WCF Secretariat, Ministry of Education and Culture, Republic of Indonesia,
Building A, 2nd Floor, Jl. Jenderal Sudirman, Senayan, Jakarta 10270, Indonesia
Tel: +62 21 3611 3104 • email: secretariat@wcf-bali.com

Web site: wcf-bali.com

Culture|Futures is an international collaboration of organizations and individuals who are concerned with shaping and delivering a proactive cultural agenda to support the necessary transition towards an Ecological Age by 2050.

The Cultural sector that we refer to is an interdisciplinary, inter-sectoral, inter-genre collaboration, which encompasses policy-making, intercultural dialogue/cultural relations, creative cities/cultural planning, creative industries and research and development. It is those decision-makers and practitioners who can reach people in a direct way, through diverse messages and mediums.

Affecting the thinking and behaviour of people and communities is about the dissemination of stories which will profoundly impact cultural values, beliefs and thereby actions. The stories can open people’s eyes to a way of thinking that has not been considered before, challenge a preconceived notion of the past, or a vision of the future that had not been envisioned as possible. As a sector which is viewed as imbued with creativity and cultural values, rather than purely financial motivations, the cultural sector’s stories maintain the trust of people and society.
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