Living Symphonies is a sound installation based upon the forest ecosystem. The piece will tour four of England’s forests in 2014 in partnership with Forestry Commission England, Sound And Music and with support from Arts Council England.
Locations
Thetford Forest (24 May — 1 June 2014)
Fineshade Woods (20 — 26 June 2014)
Cannock Chase (26 July — 1 August 2014)
Bedgebury Pinetum (25 — 31 August 2014)
ecoartscotland is a resource focused on art and ecology for artists, curators, critics, commissioners as well as scientists and policy makers. It includes ecoartscotland papers, a mix of discussions of works by artists and critical theoretical texts, and serves as a curatorial platform.
It has been established by Chris Fremantle, producer and research associate with On The Edge Research, Gray’s School of Art, The Robert Gordon University. Fremantle is a member of a number of international networks of artists, curators and others focused on art and ecology. Go to EcoArtScotland
Arts Council England has published the report ‘Sustaining Great Art’, which presents results from the first year of environmental reporting by 704 major revenue funded organisations.Â
The results have been compiled into the single largest data set on the carbon emissions of arts organisations globally, and this achievement is reportedly already having ripple effects both in the UK and internationally, wrote Julie’s Bicycle in its December newsletter.
The report mentions a number of groups which are demonstrating benefits of collaboration, including:
• London Theatre Consortium, 13 theatres working to develop strategic, creative initiatives and share expertise and resources, including a sustainability strand
• Manchester Arts Sustainability Team, 13 arts organisations, venues and events, collaborating to support their own sustainability goals and Manchester’s climate change strategy
• Newcastle Gateshead Cultural Venues, 10 venues working to share learning and maximise their positive environmental, social, cultural and economic impact, with different workstreams, including a Green Campaign and Capital Investment Strategy which explores longer-term sustainable capital projects for the group
• Royal Opera House, Royal National Theatre and Royal Albert Hall, who entered into a three-year contract for collective energy procurement known as ‘The Arts Basket’ provided by the energy broker Power Efficiency in 2012. Other organisations have since joined and benefits include reduced costs, better risk management and longer-term price certainty on a green tariff supply.
The report was produced in partnership with Julie’s Bicycle. Currently working with over 1000 cultural organisations in the UK and Europe, Julie’s Bicycle offers free online tools, research, and bespoke consultancy to help arts organisations measure, manage, and reduce their environmental impacts.
Founded by the music industry, with expertise from the arts and sustainability, Julie’s Bicycle bridges the gap between the creative industries and sustainability. Based on a foundation of peer-reviewed research, Julie’s Bicycle sustains creativity, enabling the arts to create change.
Arts Council England and Julie’s Bicycle entered into a partnership in 2012 to deliver an environmental support programme for National portfolio organisations, Major partner museums and Bridge organisations. The partnership, which runs from 2012 to 2015, combines the annual CO2e measurement of energy and water use using Industry Green tools, and support to develop an Environmental Policy and an Action Plan for each organisation.
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. Go toThis post comes to you from Culture|Futures
Throughout November and December Julie’s Bicycles’ Environmental Sustainability team has been touring the UK, carrying out a series of workshops for Arts Council England organisations. Kicking off at the Shed at National Theatre London, they’ve been as far as Sage Gateshead, Leeds Art Gallery, mac Birmingham, Bristol Old Vic, Free Word London and Cornerhouse Manchester.
Feedback and results have been encouraging with 83% of attendees agreeing workshops were excellent or good. Thanks to everyone who has hosted or joined one of the 13 sessions across the country over this Autumn.
The team have also been sharing results and learnings from the first year of environmental reporting with Arts Council Relationship Managers, including next steps and how they can support organisations alongside Julie’s Bicycle. Julie’s Bicycle has already visited London, the North East, the West Midlands, Yorkshire and the North West, and will be visiting the East, South East and South West offices in early 2014.
The results are in! Arts Council England has published Sustaining Great Art, a report presenting results from the first year of environmental reporting by major revenue funded organisations, produced in partnership with Julie’s Bicycle.
An outstanding 90% of all 704 major revenue funded Arts Council organisations got involved, 79% felt that it has made a positive difference to their organisation, and 86% felt that it can make a positive difference to the arts and cultural sector.
The results have been compiled into the single largest data set on the carbon emissions of arts organisations globally, and this achievement is already having ripple effects both in the UK and internationally.
Eight museums in the Tyne and Wear in the north east of the United Kingdom are taking action to address climate change. In April 2013, they launched a new initiative called ‘Make Carbon History’. The first goal is to reduce their carbon footprint by 12 percent within the next two years.
With the UK Government committing to reduce carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050, museums across the north east of the country, in a region called Tyne and Wear, have decided they want to play their part in helping to achieve this target.
Led by Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums (TWAM) through the Museum Development Programme funded by Arts Council England, ‘Make Carbon History’ is a two-year programme of support that will enable museums to reduce their carbon footprint by 12 percent by 2015, whilst helping reduce their carbon footprint and become more sustainable. And not only that, they also want to help create a sustainable future for communities across the region.
“Art and culture has played a huge role in Tyne and Wear’s regeneration, however, the sector faces significant challenges ahead,†explains Sarah Carr, Senior Museum Development Officer at TWAM. According to her, the initiative is about creating a sustainable future for the region’s museums and in this way to ensure that they can continue to have a positive impact on the surrounding communities: “The purpose of museums is to inspire and educate, and I hope that the action we are taking to address climate change, will also influence museum audiences to look at how they can implement sustainability and reduce their own carbon footprint.â€
The not-for-profit low-carbon consultancy CO2Sense will work with the eight museums to identify and implement practical solutions to minimise their carbon emissions through reduced grid energy demand and sustainable facility management. These measures will allow the museums to reduce their energy bills, whilst also creating a more comfortable environment for visitors, staff and volunteers.
Environmental commitmentÂ
Tyne and Wear Museums is a grouping of 11 museums and galleries in the north east of England, administered by a joint board of local authorities. The group writes on its home page that its commitment is to provide “a world-class service that is sustainable and which aims to minimise the environmental impacts of our operations. We are committed to continually improving our green policies and will work to reduce our consumption of gas, electricity, water and other materials.â€
“The Director is fully committed to supporting the green campaign and champions green issues including setting a corporate objective in the organisation’s operational plan, chairing the TWAM Energy Reduction Group and ring-fencing an allocation of capital resources for sustainable ‘invest to save’ initiatives.
The Senior Management Team takes the lead on environmental performance, awareness and engagement activities for TWAM. Managers throughout the organisation are committed to improving the physical infrastructure and environmental management of their individual venues, and minimising the environmental impact of services they provide.
Staff are encouraged to participate in green polices and are kept up to date with green initiatives and activities through:
• Staff newsletter
• Quick tip emails to staff on energy saving and recycling
• Minutes of the Energy Reduction Group
TWAM has achieved the Julie’s Bicycle certification programme standard, Industry Green, which acknowledges its environmentally responsible business practices, and its commitment to ongoing improvement.
The Industry Green (IG) Standard is the environmental certification scheme managed by Julie’s Bicycle which provides an audit report of environmental performance covering energy, waste, water and travel.
The four core Industry Green criteria are:
• Commitment
• Understanding
• Improvement
• Communicationâ€
The museums across Tyne and Wear who are currently engaged in the programme are: Bebe’s World, Heugh Gun Batterty, Killhope Lead Mining Museum, Woodhorn Museum, Oriental Museum, Durham Light Infantry, Middlesborough Institute of Modern Art, and Hexham Old Gaol.
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. Go toThis post comes to you from Culture|Futures
The first annual reporting deadline is May 31st 2013. To meet it, the reporting process must be started now.
Julie’s Bicycle are running a series of webinars to help organisations report.
Webinars are free but you must register to attend. You may attend any number of webinars.
Those organisations or individuals new to environmental reporting are advised to start with Module 1. Those with more experience may wish to begin at Module 2 or 3. Some webinars will be run multiple times to give everyone a chance to attend.
We are in the process of subtitling the webinars and improving other aspects of accessibility. In the mean time please do not hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any specific needs.
Module 1 – An Introduction
1.1. Environmental Reporting: what is it, how does it affect you and why is it important?
This webinar is for Arts Council England’s major revenue funded programmes. It is for the staff tasked with creating an environmental policy and action plan, and submitting energy and water data through the Julie’s Bicycle IG Tools.
Aim: This webinar will provide an introduction and overview of the Arts Council’s environmental reporting requirements. It will explain the necessary steps to comply and the help on offer.
The webinar will include:
Introduction to the Arts Council’s environmental reporting and Julie’s Bicycle.
Why is this happening now?
How does it affect you?
What are the benefits for your organisation?
What help is available?
What is an environmental policy and action plan?
What are the IG Tools?
Q&A
Dates: March 13th 10am – 11am | March 27th 10am – 11am
2.1. How to Create your Environmental Policy and Action Plan – Environmental Reporting for Creative Organisations
This webinar is for Arts Council England’s major revenue funded programmes. It is for the staff tasked with creating an environmental policy and action plan, and submitting energy and water data through the Julie’s Bicycle IG Tools.
Before attending this webinar you should begin developing your policy and action plan in line with our guidance.Â
Aim: This webinar will take you through the process of creating an environmental policy and action plan in line with the Arts Council’s environmental reporting requirements.
The webinar will include:
Introduction to the Arts Council’s environmental reporting and Julie’s Bicycle – what is expected of you.
What is an environmental policy and action plan?
How can they benefit your organisation?
Top tips for creating an environmental policy and action plan.
What help is available?
Trouble shooting Q&A – your chance to ask the experts about any problems you are having with the environmental reporting process.
Dates: March 20th 10am – 11am | April 10th 10am – 11am | April 24th 11am – 12pm | May 1st 10am – 11am
2.2. How to Use the IG Tools - Environmental Reporting for Creative Organisations
This webinar is for Arts Council England’s major revenue funded programmes. It is for the staff tasked with creating an environmental policy and action plan, and submitting energy and water data through the Julie’s Bicycle IG Tools.
Before attending this webinar you should have created an IG Tool account.
Aim: This webinar will take you through the process of using the IG Tools in line with the Arts Council’s environmental reporting requirements.
The webinar will include:
Introduction to the Arts Council’s environmental reporting and Julie’s Bicycle.
What are the IG Tools?
How can they benefit your organisation?
Collecting data – how to ensure you have the information you need in the correct format.
Creating your first IG Tool entry – step by step.
Trouble shooting Q&A – your chance to ask the experts about any problems you are having with the environmental reporting process.
Dates: March 6th 10am – 11am | April 10th 11am – 12am | April 17th 11am – 12am | May 1st 11am – 12am
3.1. Small is Beautiful – Specialist Advice on Environmental Reporting for Organisations with Five Employees or Less
This webinar is for Arts Council England’s major revenue funded programmes with five employees or less. It is for operational staff tasked with creating an environmental policy and action plan, and completing an IG Tool entry.
Aim: This webinar provides practical guidance for organisations with five employees or less on complying with the Arts Council’s environmental reporting requirements.
The webinar will include:
Introduction to the Arts Council’s environmental reporting and Julie’s Bicycle.
What you need to focus on as a small organization.
Using the IG Tools as a small organisation – where the benefits lie.
Creating an environmental policy and action plan for a small organisation – focusing on what counts and amplifying your efforts.
Industry case study.
Trouble shooting Q&A – your chance to ask the experts about any problems you are having with the environmental reporting process.
3.2. Planning, Engaging and Acting – Specialist Advice on Environmental Reporting Organisations with 100 Employees or More
This webinar is for Arts Council England’s major revenue funded programmes with 100 staff or more. It is for operational staff tasked with creating an environmental policy and action plan and completing an IG Tool entry.
Aim: This webinar provides practical guidance for organisations with 100 employees or more on complying with the Arts Council’s environmental reporting requirements.Â
The webinar will include:
Introduction to the Arts Council’s environmental reporting and Julie’s Bicycle.
Setting the scope: realistic targets and recruiting help from across your organisation.
Using the IG Tools as a large organisation – dealing with large amounts of data.
Creating an environmental policy and action plan for a large organisation – creating useful tools for use throughout your organisation.
Industry case study.
Trouble shooting Q&A – your chance to ask the experts about any problems you are having with the environmental reporting process.
Dates: April 17th 10am – 11am | May 15th 11am – 12pm
3.3. Finding Opportunities in Complexity – Specialist Advice on Environmental Reporting for Mpm’s and Large Multi Venue/Activity Organisations
This webinar is for large Arts Council England’s major revenue funded programmes with multiple venues and/or activities, including arts festivals. It is for operational staff  tasked with creating an environmental policy and action plan, and completing an IG Tool entry.
Aim: This webinar provides practical guidance for Mpm’s and other large multi venue or multi event organisations on complying with the Arts Council’s environmental reporting requirements.Â
The webinar will include:
Introduction to the Arts Council’s environmental reporting and Julie’s Bicycle.
Setting the scope: how to manage large estates and complex reporting structures to fulfill requirements.
Focus on the IG Tools: how to collect data and create an account for multiple activities, accounts and entries.
Focus and prioritisation – environmental policies and action plans for complex, multi activity organisations.
Industry case study.
Trouble shooting Q&A – your chance to ask the experts about any problems you are having with the environmental reporting process.
4.1. Changing Light Bulbs or Changing Minds? The Case for Sustainability and Future Proofing of the Arts
This webinar is for heads of Arts Council England’s Major Revenue Funded Programmes.
Aim: This webinar explores the issues and implications of Arts Council England’s environmental reporting requirements and builds the case for cultural leadership on sustainability.
The webinar will include:
Opening address by Alison Tickell, CEO of Julie’s Bicycle.
Introduction to the Arts Council’s environmental reporting and Julie’s Bicycle.
Key note and discussion from leading voices within the creative industries.
If you have any suggestions for organisations you would like to see feature in this webinar, or topics you would like covered then please let us know atsupport@juliesbicycle.com
4.3. Big ambitions for year two – What are the opportunities beyond the May 31st reporting deadline?
This webinar is for Arts Council England’s major revenue funded programmes. It is for all employees of Npo’s and Mpm’s already making progress on sustainability.
Aim: This webinar demonstrates the organisational, financial and reputational benefits of a continued commitment to sustainability.
This webinar wil include:
Introduction to the Arts Council’s environmental reporting and Julie’s Bicycle.
Sustainability benefits beyond the scope of the Arts Council reporting.
4.4. Arts Council England’s Environmental Reporting 2013: Troubleshooting
Environmental experts Julie’s Bicycle host an open troubleshooting clinic on Arts Council England’s new environmental reporting requirement for Npo’s and Mpm’s. Please send any specific questions in advance to support@juliesbicycle.com.
Creative Carbon Scotland is a partnership of arts organisations which puts culture at the heart of a sustainable Scotland.
We provide a range of services which help the cultural sector achieve this goal. These include:
Training in carbon measurement and reporting;
Initiating special projects which engage organisations, artists and audiences in the sustainability debate and inspiring behavioural change;
Lobbying government, funding bodies, organisations and artists for the role of the arts in building a more sustainable Scotland.
Our work will help Scotland’s cultural sector to be at the forefront of current debate on climate change by influencing public awareness and inspiring behavioural change as well as providing practical support in carbon management and strategic planning projects.
This is in line with likely future funding requirements from Creative Scotland which will require arts organisations to report their carbon emissions in line with Scottish Government policy and following a similar move by the Arts Council England.
ecoartscotland is a resource focused on art and ecology for artists, curators, critics, commissioners as well as scientists and policy makers. It includes ecoartscotland papers, a mix of discussions of works by artists and critical theoretical texts, and serves as a curatorial platform.
It has been established by Chris Fremantle, producer and research associate with On The Edge Research, Gray’s School of Art, The Robert Gordon University. Fremantle is a member of a number of international networks of artists, curators and others focused on art and ecology. Go to EcoArtScotland
Dr Astrov is a new blog on ‘arts / culture and environmental sustainability’. Ian Rimington is the writer. He works as a Relationship Manager specialising in environmental sustainability and theatre at Arts Council England, but the blog expresses his personal views.
In his opening blog, Ian visits the BritishMuseum with his son, fascinated by the dominating sculptural figure of the Easter Islandstatue Hoa Hakananai’a (Hidden Friend). The Ancestor Cult that produced these figures gave way during a time of environmental devastation and extinctions to the Birdman Cult. On the back of the sculpture, marks have been added from that newer cult, more like graffiti than the monumental face. In the differences between these carvings, Ian finds evidence of the changing relations of art and culture to the environment.
Another Pacific island features in a second blog, as Ian attends a read-through of Pitcairn, a new play by Richard Bean. The play tells of the events following the mutiny on the Bounty after Christian Fletcher and the sailors tried to set up a paradise republic there at the end of the 18th Century. This leads on to how the reason beloved of the Enlightenment falls short against the forces of values, beliefs and intuition, and to how art might produce behavioural changes.
The blog is aptly named. Dr Astrov is the visionary physician-philosopher in Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, who presciently grasped the principles of ecology and the ethical relations of humans to nature. His worry that the forests were disappearing forever, rivers drying up and the climate ruined was assuaged by his own planting of sapling birches. In Act III, he shows Elena, who neither understands nor is interested, his maps of the changes in the landscape, the losses of farms, animals, forests. “(Man) destroys everything with no thought for the morrow. And now pretty well everything has been destroyed, but so far nothing new has been put in its placeâ€.
We look forward to following Dr Astrov.
Here is a clip of that Act III scene with Astrov (Laurence Olivier) and Elena (Rosemary Harris) in the 1943 film.
“ashdenizen blog and twitter are consistently among the best sources for information and reflection on developments in the field of arts and climate change in the UK†(2020 Network)
ashdenizen is edited by Robert Butler, and is the blog associated with the Ashden Directory, a website focusing on environment and performance.
The Ashden Directory is edited by Robert Butler and Wallace Heim, with associate editor Kellie Gutman. The Directory includes features, interviews, news, a timeline and a database of ecologically – themed productions since 1893 in the United Kingdom. Our own projects include ‘New Metaphors for Sustainability’, ‘Flowers Onstage’ and ‘Six ways to look at climate change and theatre’.
Yesterday saw the launch of our latest guide, Energising Culture, the first in a two-part guide on future energy strategies for cultural buildings, published in partnership with The Theatres Trust and Arts Council England.
Energising Culture aims to equip the leaders of cultural buildings with an understanding of the core issues around energy demand and supply, and implications for operational and investment decision-making. It makes the case for energy as a business-critical issue.
The guide covers practical and operational interventions, the current range of technological, compliancy and financial incentives, sources of funding and investment models available.
It also provides case study examples of innovative and bold responses to the energy challenge from the cultural sector.
At the most recent State of the Arts (SOTA) conference hosted by Arts Council England in Salford had, for the first time, two sessions on ‘Artists and our future environment’, with speakers James Marriott from PLATFORM; the writer Jay Griffiths; Mojisola Adebayo, writer, performer, director; and Andy Field, co-director of Forest Fringe.
All of SOTA’s sessions – on the creative economy, changing society, imagination, fundraising – touch on environmental themes. But these two drew out specific questions of the relations between artists and environments, of the material effects of artistic practices on the Earth, and of the importance of artistic expression of environmental themes.
This interest by SOTA in the environment comes about, in part, from talks between ACE London and arts organisations with an environmental focus in the London region – organisations who had lost their Regularly Funded Organisation status, and questioned ACE’s policies on the environment and climate.
James Marriott’s session, transcribed on the PLATFORM blog, sets out how this collaboration between disparate organisations has worked, and how substantial shifts in ACE’s environmental directions are taking shape.
“ashdenizen blog and twitter are consistently among the best sources for information and reflection on developments in the field of arts and climate change in the UK†(2020 Network)
ashdenizen is edited by Robert Butler, and is the blog associated with the Ashden Directory, a website focusing on environment and performance.
The Ashden Directory is edited by Robert Butler and Wallace Heim, with associate editor Kellie Gutman. The Directory includes features, interviews, news, a timeline and a database of ecologically – themed productions since 1893 in the United Kingdom. Our own projects include ‘New Metaphors for Sustainability’, ‘Flowers Onstage’ and ‘Six ways to look at climate change and theatre’.
