Initiative

Eight UK museums set out to ‘make carbon history’

This post comes to you from Culture|Futures

tyne-and-wear-museums590Eight 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.”

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 commitment 
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.”

“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
• Communication”


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.

For more information on how CO2Sense work with museums, you can contact Kristina Lomas on e-mail: Kristina [DOT] Lomas [AT] co2sense [DOT] co [DOT] uk or visit their home page:co2sense.co.uk

Sources: 
dur.ac.uk/oriental.museum/news
twmuseums.org.uk

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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10 Days of Climate Action – Call for Artists

This post comes to you from Cultura21

10 Days of Climate Action is an initiative of the Human Impacts Institute  to bring together artists, musicians and performers to install climate-inspired public works throughout New York City. In an effort to inspire New Yorkers to think more critically about our actions and their impacts, each day of 10 Days of Climate Action will present a climate theme and creatively engage the public in positive action around issues of climate change.

They´re looking  forward to submissions that push audience members to “think outside the box”, submissions from artists who intend to attack current and pressing climate issues through the creation of their work for a public setting and encourage them to find diverse sites and unique public settings. Each selected artist will be assigned a specific date to showcase their work during a ten day period in late September (21st-29th), as a part of the 4th Climate Week NYC, the annual global summit that takes place in New York City aiming to mobilize climate action.

Cash Prizes: 1st place – $500; 2nd place – $300; and 3rd place – $200

Submittal Deadline: 10am, Monday, August 13th, 2012

For more information, please visit http://www.humanimpactsinstitute.org/

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

Go to Cultura21

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Land Art Generator Initiative

This post comes to you from Cultura21

Saturday 28th August 2012. Staten Island, NY.

LAGI invites the general public to join them for an anonymous preview of the submissions to the 2012 LAGI NYC design competition for Freshkills Park. They will also be providing free copies of  the new version of A Field Guide to Renewable Energy Technologies, a book that details all of the different methods by which clean energy can be safely harnessed from nature.

For more information and to download the book, please visit www.landartgenerator.org

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

Go to Cultura21

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The Printed Version of “A Field Guide to Renewable Energy Infrastructure” Is Available In July!

Since it became available in February, this free online PDF has been downloaded over 60,000 times!  A few changes to the PDF have been made in the past week and so you may want to consider replacing yours with this newly improved version.

There have been many requests for a printed version and it has been announced that as of mid-July, there will be hard copies available. As Karim Elgendy of Carboun pointed out, “It can only really be a field guide when you can take it to the field.”

download the latest online version of A Field Guide to Renewable Energy Technology

Orders are being taken from those who are interested in a printed copy ($20). It will look exactly like the image above and will make a great looking and useful accessory. If you’re interested in receiving a copy, please fill in the number of copies in the form below and click “Order Now”. We’ll be shipping copies in mid July 2012. You can also come to one of our events this summer, where we will have copies available.

If you are an institution and interested in purchasing more than 10 copies, please get in touch with us and we will provide a great bulk discount. Email us at lagi@landartgenerator.org.

Printed “Field Guide to Renewable Energy Technologies” :

If you have any trouble completing your order, please let LAGI know.

All proceeds go to Society for Cultural Exchange in support of the Land Art Generator Initiative.

“MIT japan 3/11 initiative”

This post comes to you from Cultura21

By Benjamin Smith

November 14th, 2011
MIT (USA)

“In the aftermath of the disaster suffered in Japan, MIT launched the MIT Japan 3/11 Initiative, a multi-year collaborative project focused on disaster-resilient planning, design and reconstruction. Back from the first MIT Japan 3/11 workshop which took place this summer, Shun Kanda and Jim Wescoat will discuss the process and challenges in planning and implementing alternative strategies for disaster-preparedness. Shun Kanda is a Tokyo native and the Director of Architectural Studies for the MIT-Japan Program. James L. Wescoat, Jr. is Aga Khan Professor in the School of Architecture and Planning at MIT.”

MIT Japan 3/11 Initiative:   http://web.mit.edu/japan3-11/home.html

The “Zones of Emergency: Artistic Interventions – Creative Responses to Conflict & Crisis” Fall 2011 lecture series investigates initiatives and modes of intervention in contested spaces, zones of conflict, or areas affected by environmental disasters. The intention is to explore whether artistic interventions can transform, disrupt or subvert current environmental, urban, political, and social conditions in critical ways. A crucial question is how can such interventions propose ideas, while at the same time respecting the local history and culture.

More information at the Zones of Emergency Blog: http://zonesofemergency.mit.edu/

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

Go to Cultura21

Benefit party for Green Wave’s newest project, The Electronic Music Alliance.

Friday, June 3 at 9:00 PM to Saturday, June 4 at 3:30 AM

Belasco – 1050 S. Hill Street Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90015

It’s a bit last minute but we are being gifted for use the new multi-multi-million dollar club, The Belasco www.thebelasco.com in downtown LA for the night of June 3rd.  They club will open their doors to us with all staff for the evening for free. We get 100% of the door!

If you have ever wanted to contribute more to Green Wave, here’s your chance! Just show up & BRING EVERYONE YOU KNOW!  Reach out to people in your office that you have always thought of inviting.  Make it a pseudo work party for a great cause.  We can fit everyone -it’s a giant club!  Maybe we can create a competition -who can get the most people and help save the world ;)

Help us make this a special night!  If you have any ideas, I am open -just email or call.  Let’s party at a crazy awesome club and make a difference in the world!

Money from the door/ ticket sales and a portion of bottle service for the evening will go to EMA and our Million Acre Initiative.  Here is more info on the event.

On June 3rd, 2011 we come together in support of the Electronic Music Alliance (EMA Global) which is a project of Green Wave non-profit organization to celebrate leaders in our community, our DJ’s, Performers, Promoters, and all the People who create positive change in the world.

We are proud to be hosted on this evening by the world-class multi-purpose event and entertainment complex, The Belasco Theater (http://www.thebelasco.com/) which is also making its grand debut.  A relic of 1920’s Los Angeles, The Belasco recently underwent a $12 million dollar renovation and has the largest sound system in Southern California (which we can’t wait to hear!)

100% of the proceeds of the door will benefit EMA and with every ticket that is purchased, you will become a special member of our alliance.

Tickets are available through Groove Tickets at $10 for a limited time:

http://fla.vor.us/199667-EMA-Benefit-Show-tickets/EMA-Benefit-Show-Los-Angeles-The-Belasco-June-04-2011.html?afflky=X9SZQX

They will go up to $15 next week and $20 at the door.

Special Guests and Honorees:

  • Ken Jordan of The Crystal Method & DJ Rap (together for the first time)
  • Static Revenger

Duo Sets by:

  • DJ Eva & DJ Oscure
  • DJ Mike Teez & DJ Jim Carson
  • +More TBA!

The Electronic Music Alliance Official Launch event is put together by a handful of amazing individuals and companies that are donating their time and services to the cause and we’re really grateful for their support and services.  Thank you from EMA and Green Wave!

Robe Going Green at PLASA | iSquint.net

Robe has some huge news for PLASA next month.  They are keeping the product announcement under wraps right now, but they will be announcing 7 new products at PLASA.

What makes these seven new fixtures exciting is the commitment to going green that Robe just announced.  Robe is launching a major new green initiative – “Think of the Future – Consider Nature” – at PLASA 2010

Read the rest from  Robe Going Green at PLASA | iSquint.net.

The Theatres Trust Ecovenue project at PLASA 2010

Theatres Trust will be profiling the Ecovenue project, and all its participants at PLASA 2010 in The Theatres Trust’s very own ‘Ecovenue’ on Stand 2-M28 at Earl’s Court, showcasing the environmental efficiency practices being implemented across the London venues involved with the project. In addition to profiling the venues, the Ecovenue area in Earls Court 2 will also feature technologies designed to rationalise the environmental footprint of theatres.

As part of this initiative, The Theatres Trust will launch its first ‘People’s Choice’ award for sustainable theatrical products to complement the existing PLASA Innovation Award for Environmentally-focused products.

All exhibiting manufacturers at PLASA 2010 are invited, as part of an open call for entries, to put forward products to be considered for this Theatres Trust award. The Theatres Trust will then select those that represent either a significant step forward in the resource efficiency of an existing product or a new product intended to contribute to the resource efficiency of a theatre to be featured in the area.

Visitors to PLASA 2010 will be able to vote on the product they feel best represents progression towards sustainability, while also learning about the advice that the Ecovenue participants are receiving and the experiences of the 24 already signed up to the project.

The PLASA Show runs from the 12th – 15th September. For a Theatres Trust ‘People’s Choice’ award application form, please email Tim Atkinson.

via Ecovenue – Resources – The Theatres Trust.

The thing we shouldn’t be asking artists to do


Heart of Darkness by Cornelia Parker, 2004 from Earth: art of a changing world, London 2009

This is Climate Action on Cultural Hertitage week – it’s an initiative championed by Bridget McKenzie as a response to the growing number of individuals and organisations calling for a more clearly defined sense of purpose from the arts and heritage sector.  People like Al Tickell of Julie’s Bicycle ask: “Why do we expect moral leadership to come from corporations and science? Surely the meaningful nature of the arts in society puts it in a position to take a lead on climate action?”

There are two aspects to this. Firstly it’s about how we behave ourselves. Art fairs, say, have become an example of the muscularity of the art industry. As curators/critics Maja and Reuben Fowkes have asked,  is this world of global art jamborees a sustainable one? Gustav Metzger’s Reduce Art Flights was one of the artist’s passionate “appeals”, this time to the art world to reconsider how they had been seduced into transporting themselves and their works around the globe. Furtherfield.org’s We Won’t Fly For Art was equally explicit, asking artists to commit to opting out of the high profile career track that conflates your ability to command air tickets with success.

Industries can change the way they behave. Tickell’s work with the music business has already shown how a cultural industry can transform itself in terms of process.

But there’s also the role of art as a spoke in the wheel of culture. Science itself changes nothing. To become a transitional society requires more than policy. The real change must be cultural. So should climate be the subject matter of art?

Pause for thought: Do we want rock stars enjoining us to change our ways? Please God, no. See? If it doesn’t work for rock music, why should it work for other art forms?

In an article being published next week on the RSA Arts & Ecology website, Madeleine Bunting will be arguing strongly against the urge to push artists into an instrumental role in climate:

“The visual arts offer a myriad of powerful ways to think and feel more deeply about our age and our humanity, but it is almost impossible to trace the causal links of how that may feed through to political engagement or behaviour change,” she cautions.

It is time to accept that artists don’t simply  ”do” climate. Even the most obviously campaigning art is of little value if it is simply reducible to being about climate. They may be inspired to create by the facts of science and economics, as Metzger and Ruth Catlow and Marc Garrett of Furtherfield were in those examples above, but if you asked them to make art about climate they’d almost certainly run a mile.

What was interesting about the RA exhibition Earth: art of a changing world was the way that made that explicit. Artists like Cornelia Parker and Keith Tyson were clear in saying their pieces that they weren’t necessarily conceived with climate in mind at all, (though both are passionate about the subject). The decision to include Parker’s Heart of Darkness as an a piece of work to make us ponder the destruction of our planet was a curatorial one.

There’s a kind of separation between church and state needed here; institutions shouldn’t just be looking to their carbon footprints, they should be looking to see how they can contextualise this cultural shift with what they show their audiences – whatever the artform. It is up to the curators, directors and art directors to take on this role. In this coming era, we urgently need events, exhibitions and festivals that make us feel more deeply about the change taking place around us – and we need them to find new audiences for those explorations too.

But what we shouldn’t be doing is asking artists to make art about climate.

Read Bridget McKenzie’s Framework for climate action in cultural and heritage organisations

Follow Climate Action on Cultural Hertitage #cach on twitter

Go to RSA Arts & Ecology