The role of creatives during the climate emergency
Image by @millolin via Upsplash
It isn’t possible to be an expert in everything. But you are an expert in yourself.
This is why it’s important to start where you are, consider where you’re at and move from that place of your own power or the power of your group.
So you’re a creative. That’s great. Most art forms were developed by humanity in pre-industrial times, before humans were releasing huge quantities of climate-heating gasses into the atmosphere. Making music, poetry, theatre, drawing, dance and the like, is great, and at its core a low-carbon thing to do.
So, if you’re a creative - Keep making art - Because it matters. It feeds the soul. It brings people together. It inspires. It tells our stories. It allows us to experience beauty. It strengthens empathy and the imagination. It gives people courage. It gives people rest and enjoyment. In the future when we’ve got everything sorted, we will have art. Probably LOTS of art, music, dance, theatre, gardens, poetry, stories, comedy etc. Art is humanity’s great inheritance and celebration of life. We’re unlikely to long for total separation from each other where art no longer makes sense. We’re more likely going to enjoy trust, kindness, respect, freedom, reliance and love of each other’s diversity and good company.
But here we are now, and you want to respond to the climate emergency. You want to do your bit in service of humanity's greatest challenge. Maybe you don’t want to feel the shame and guilt of contributing to the injustice and catastrophe. Perhaps you want to help to bring about a fairer, brighter, healthier world.
A formula to explore - on your own or with your group:
We worked with creatives across Plymouth, inviting them to join us in creative conversations about climate and we used an invitation to join us making The Mossy Carpet artwork to give structure to each session.
Sharing - A round table sharing of who people are and a bit about their creative practice.
Introducing mosses - Looking closely at mosses using drawing and magnifiers to help slow and open the conversation, we shared some of the stories of how moss live and how they can inspire us to have the courage to take small steps to a better world.
Making the mossy carpet - We demonstrated how to make a mossy tuft or pompom to add to the artwork and invited participants to share what sort of things they are already doing to respond to the climate emergency and what they might like to do next.
Sharing advice and tips - We invited participants to share the barriers they experience, what they might need to overcome those barriers and any advice or tips they would have for others.
Record - We asked participants to record what they would like to do next on our tardigrade telephone.
What can the arts offer communities responding to the climate and ecological crisis?
Over the course of all the sessions with Plymouth groups we collected a wide range of examples of the actions creatives are taking.
Examples include:
Photo by Tobias Rademacher on Unsplash
Accept that climate change is real and that we have a responsibility and must shoulder part of the burden, especially on behalf of those who can’t.
Taking care of ourselves, our communities, and our land.
Changing where their electricity and power comes from and what we do with it. Moving towards society powered by renewable energy.
Traveling but use public transport and supporting the growth of sustainable travel by working with them.
Developing new business models for using and sharing locally grown food or resources and reviving local industry.
Honouring the materials we use, understanding them, reimagining new ways of using them and making them precious.
Learning about the challenges face locally and beyond.
Experimenting, playing, discovering.
Working towards understanding what we, our teams and our communities need to respond to the climate emergency.
Having humility, being open to learning and change. Being brave and acting even when we can’t be certain.
Look to the past to find what worked in pre-industrial times and reminding others of our deeper heritage.
Engaging with the subject matter in the art we produce. Revealing the poetry.
Witnessing and sharing our experiences so people know they’re not alone.
Telling stories - human and non-human - Inviting people into empathy - showing people their power.
Bringing the fire and the passion for a better future for a more just life.
Inviting people in to enjoy arts experiences - Most art-forms were developed before the industrial revolution and so can be relatively low carbon - making poetry, music, painting, needle-work, - These all fill time that might otherwise be used using more emission intense activities.
Creating spaces and places which bring people together and where people can imagine together and share and share warmth.
Giving platform to un represented voices.
Helping our audiences and participants behave in ways that heal rather than harm life.
Supporting our communities to face the reality of the changes that need to be made. Giving people courage.
Imagining new ways of working, new services, new ways of living and manifesting them.
Framing the steps we can take positively.
Understanding our power systems and lobbying for change.
Restoring wild spaces and places which bury carbon.
Making connections with people who are also working towards a better future and supporting that journey.
Celebrating the human and non-human world and those who are overcoming challenges and pioneering new stuff.
Teaching people essential creative skills - How to face the blank sheet, how to transform an idea into something tangible, how to deal with failure and keep going, how to develop technical skills to refine and improve, how to find the poetry, how to research and explore, how to play.
What is clear is that despite a lack of resource, awareness, confidence, and connectedness, there is a huge amount of energy and great work happening in the culture sector in the space. But it is under-recognised, under-celebrated and evolving quickly.
Photo by @markusspiske on Upsplash
It would be helpful for potential collaborators and funders to better understand the richness and depth that the culture sector can bring to energise their work and the transition to a better world.
Do you have any views on the things that arts organisations can do to support our communities to journey towards a brighter greener future?
If so, please share your thoughts in the comments section below or email hello@artandenergy.org and we’ll add your comments.