UK Based Event to Inspire Urgent Action on Climate Change

The Season 2018 (working title)

A creative season celebrating the environment and inspiring action on climate change.

What is it?

From June 1st to December 1st 2018 a UK based, internationally connected ‘Season’ will unite the Creative and Cultural Community in a global chorus celebrating the environment and inspiring urgent action on climate change. It is programmed to coincide with the landmark COP24 global climate talks due to take place in November 2018.

The Season will celebrate the widest (and wildest!) range of creative responses to climate change and the environment across arts, design, broadcast, film, fashion, music and in museums, galleries, theatres, venues, cinemas, festivals, parks, schools, and on the streets.

What can you do?

You can choose to do any number of things, including:

  • Programme special events, commission a piece, organise debates, curate an exhibition, provide space for spontaneous performances, host open calls…We just ask that you put climate change and the environment centre stage in whatever creative way you can!
  •  Turn your organisation or practice inside out and tell audiences about what you’re doing to work more sustainably behind the scenes.

The most important thing is that you speak out. All together this season will champion change, showcase sustainable practice, and inspire urgent climate action. If you want to be inspired by what others have done, browse through case studies below or visit: http://www.juliesbicycle.com/the-season-2018-brief

Who can take part?

Everyone is welcome – individuals as well as organisations, large and small-scale, local and national, commercial to community.

JOIN IN

Take part between June 1st to December 1st 2018:

1. Tell us if you are interested in joining. Sign up here to register your interest in taking part: http://eepurl.com/ctcwp5

2. If you are an NPO, or planning to apply to the portfolio this February, it would be fantastic for you to include environmental sustainability and mention ‘The Season 2018’ in your submission, operationally or artistically. Even if you are not sure how you will engage, we encourage you to mention it via a simple phrase such as:

{Organisation name} is participating in Julie’s Bicycle, Artsadmin and Battersea Art Centre’s ‘Season 2018’ taking place between June – December 2018 celebrating the environment and inspiring action on climate change. (Please do adapt to suit you)

The Season Team

Judith Knight Artsadmin, Alison Tickell Julie’s Bicycle, David Jubb Battersea Arts Centre, Lucy Wood and Olivia Gray. If you have any queries get in touch: theseason2018@gmail.com

What do we want to achieve?

The Season originated during an industry discussion about the arts and climate change. When the provocation question arose ‘What if the UK cultural and creative sector were to come together in a collective moment focusing on climate, raising profile and awareness to such an extent that it could not be ignored?’ countless organisations in the room said they wanted to join in, and the idea took on its own momentum.

We want to:

• Put the issue of climate change higher up both personal and political agendas and rethink our relationship to the environment.

• Celebrate the vibrant green movement already taking place across the arts and creative industries, and inspire others to join.

• Make positive change feel achievable for all.

• Inspire creativity and unleash new design to construct a low-carbon world.

• Raise our voices to policymakers to show them that they have the support to make ambitious political decisions for a sustainable future.

• Create spaces for people to intellectually and emotionally engage themselves with climate change and what it means to build a sustainable, equitable future.

Next steps

A steering group currently comprised of Artsadmin, Julie’s Bicycle, Battersea Arts Centre and London Theatre Consortium is talking with organisations across the UK who want to take part. The conversation to date has been about creating regional networks by identifying a champion in each region, with organisations supporting each other to be part of this national season. Organisations and individuals are encouraged to take their own lead, but will be brought together by a central website and major social media campaign.

Early champions committed to the project represent a range of art forms, geographic spread and size to ensure diversity and inclusivity, including: Curzon Cinema Group, Manchester International Festival, Lyric Theatre Hammersmith, Free Word, Artsadmin.

Why does it matter?

Powered by human activity, climate change is wreaking havoc on average global temperatures, weather patterns, ocean levels, land and water ecosystems, disrupting natural equilibriums that have sustained life for over 800,000 years with potentially disastrous consequences on communities, habitats, and biodiversity across the globe. We need to rapidly control greenhouse gas emissions, rethink our land and water use, and completely reshape the way we use and employ resources and technologies.

The creative community has a vital role to play in meeting global sustainability challenges. Climate change is not just a problem of science or technology: many (although by no means all) of the solutions we need are well known and understood. But action to date has not been commensurate with our knowledge. That makes climate change, at its core, a cultural challenge. And at the heart of culture sit the arts and creativity: the stories we tell, how we tell them, and elusive matters of the heart – how we feel about things – but also how we design, craft, and build the world around us, demonstrating positive solutions and stimulating imagination.

Further information and inspiring case studies can be found here: http://www.juliesbicycle.com/the-season-2018-brief

And remember to sign up simply go to: http://eepurl.com/ctcwp5


Image courtesy Norfolk & Norwich Festival 2014, The Voice Project

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