ART FOR A CHANGING WORLD

Lancashire Arts Network for Developing Sustainability

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Vicky Sword-Daniels, Julie’s Bicycle

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4 September 2025

agenda

Climate change and climate justice

The role of culture and the creative climate movement

Arts Council Environmental Programme

Guides for getting started

Lancashire cultural climate action and beyond

A not-for-profit

founded nearly 20 years ago

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We unite culture, Creativity

and climate action to drive change

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CLIMATE CHANGE: REACHING 1.5°C

CURRENT STATE

Global surface air temperature increases →

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We are very close to reaching 1.5 C over a 5-yr average (we reached it in 2024)

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We are overexploiting and damaging the ecosystems upon which we depend and losing biodiversity at an unprecedented rate

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We need new approaches which allow us to live within the Earth’s means…

WWF Living Planet Report 2022

How did we get here?

• Not a singular issue - deeply tied to land and water justice, environmental justice, labour rights, and gender, disability and racial justice.

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• Examining the root causes of the climate crisis.

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• Acknowledging unequal responsibility, unequal experiences of impacts, and unequal access to resources for adaptation.

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• Just transition to a more sustainable world - ensuring that our climate approaches do not cause more harm and lead to greater inequalities and injustices.

What is CLIMATE JUSTICE?

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Colonialism not only a driver of the climate crisis but also an ongoing issue that is exacerbating communities’ vulnerability to it. (IPCC)

Climate justice

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Climate justice

Europe and the US dominate, having released around half the CO₂ ever emitted.

https://www.carbonmap.org/#Historical

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Climate justice

https://www.carbonmap.org/#Historical

The role of culture + the creative climate movement

Together we can turn creativity into a powerful force for a just and regenerative future.

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ARTS AND CULTURE CAN CHANGE THE NARRATIVE

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Consumption

Individual

Fast

Extractive

Linear

Care

Collective

Slow

Regenerative

Circular

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Artwork

Collaboration

Path-Finding

Policy and Governance

Activism

Heritage

The Embodied

Organisation

Design &

Innovation

Lancashire cultural climate action

Imitating the dog – low-carbon DEEP touring

Image: Natalia Valderrrama, City off the Map installation

The City off the Map: exhibited in Colombia and UK link

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• Created a checklist for touring internationally (to reduce impacts)
• Minimised flights
• Co-produced with local artists, communities and researchers
• Fostered cultural exchange to learn, foster new ideas and create impactful work

Photo credit: Blackpool Council

palatine library - Net zero ecohub

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• Fitted out with carbon technology (heat pump, PV, LEDs)
• Demonstrator suite
• Offers free home energy advice at the Ecohub run by Groundwork and Blackpool Council
• Integrates nature and flood resilience in design
• Aims to support sustainable living to encourage expansion of blue and green corridors in the town

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“For us as arts practitioners, it means collectively exploring new ways of imagining different futures, finding alternative scenarios, discovering the joy and benefits of how we care for each other and the planet, as well as deep investigations into the unjust impacts upon people, communities and the more-than-human.”

Lancaster arts – social and environmental justice

Source: Environmental justice statement

Henna asikainen x Lancaster arts

Civic & social – community resilience

Image: Civic and Social, What If? cafe

As The World Tipped by Wired Aerial Theatre, Norfolk and Norwich Festival 2011 Photo Sophie Laslett

• A 17-day multi-arts festival that takes place in May, based in Norwich City Centre Park.
• Festival as a space where producers can push the boundaries of sustainability in the temporary world created, including:
• Participatory recycling experience at the festival (inspired by DGTL)
• ‘Green Trading’ standards for food halls
• Partnered with Greater Anglia and Beryl bikes and e-scooters to subsidise travel
• Council collaboration to integrate mains water and power to the site
• Created a new network for sustainable urban festivals

NORFOLK & NORWICH FESTIVAL

PROJECT CONSTELLATION

environmental programme

Since 2012

We’re supporting climate action at scale across the arts and culture sector

environmental programme

Responds to the Environmental Responsibility Investment Principle in Let’s Create

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Supports the sector to take action:

• Free Creative Climate Tools to measure carbon and share actions “beyond carbon”
• Policy and action plan guidance
• Provides resources, training and peer share opportunities
• Leadership and development programmes for NPOs and IPSOs

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key programme strands 2023-2026

• Transforming Energy is for organisations based in buildings, supporting them to decarbonise and meet their net zero targets.

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• Board Environmental Champions to embed environmental responsibility at governance level.

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• Creative Climate Accelerator and Creating Now for the Future - training and support for individual practitioners.

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• Leading resilience - building resilience to future changes in the climate.

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DECARBONISATION

gOVERNANCE

JUSTICE

RESILIENCE

2023-24 beyond carbon

#Global Mutirão

https://www.wemaketomorrow.global/

Tips and GUIDES to get started

COMMUNICATING WITH Cultural audiences

• 86% cultural audiences are worried about the climate crisis

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• 72% think cultural organisations have a responsibility to influence society about the climate emergency

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• 16% think cultural audiences place great importance on the role they can play in the climate emergency

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A key thing you can do in response to climate change is to talk about it.

Creative climate tools

Guides and resources to get started

Guides and resources to get started

Culture, Climate and Environmental responsibility – featured over 50 case studies of organisations taking practical action

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The interactive report is available here

Guides and resources to get started

What can we do to embed justice?

• Commission justice focused work
• Ethical funding and divestment
• Partnerships and collaborations
• Procurement and supply chains
• Policies and governance
• Join the movement

For any queries please contact vicky@juliesbicycle.com

THANK YOU