From Creative Practice to Climate Justice Action

Main Image: The Climate Guardians, Greenwich and Docklands International Festival 2016.

WHY?

As you may know the planet and climate are in accelerating crises with natural disasters, social instability and warming temperatures that are endangering many species, including humans.

The Climate Crisis is a cultural crisis as we grapple with unsustainable lifestyles, systems and aspirations. Arts and culture have a big role to play in leading change.

Nature is culture and we need to have an ecosystems approach to our relationships within it, ever conscious of limited resources and not creating waste.

The live performing arts sector in particular has vital low carbon skills, practices and processes that are live and They help connect people to the world around us, build imagination and empathy beyond the current destructive paradigm towards transition, regenerative practices and a livable future.

WHO?

From Creative Practice to Climate Justice Action is for artists, cultural workers, academics, environmental activists, community members, funders, climate scientists and policy makers interested in exploring the role of the live arts in responding to the Climate and Ecological Emergency, through transformation and transition, with social justice at the heart.

Led by Independent producer Pippa Bailey, a British Australian artist and cultural worker, who is travelling overland to the UK as much as possible to get to this event, an experiment in adaptation, disaster preparedness and rehearsing different futures. She is joined by First Nations artist and plant specialist Henrietta Baird, a proud Kuku Yalanji woman from Far North Queensland and Gabrielle Moleta, whose UK company leads Transformation work. This work involves the actor in detailed, specific observation of animals and birds.  They are joined and supported by Professor Jorge Lopes Ramos, co-founder and Executive Director of ZU-UK and Professor of Interactive Theatre and Performance at the University of Greenwich. 

It is important to note that independent artists and cultural workers are vital to adaptation and transition at this time of great social upheaval because they are agile risk takers, able to see across systems and move more quickly than most organisations and institutions. Hosting this event is an act of radical creative opportunity.

Featuring an extraordinary collection of expert practitioners,  Over a week we will mindfully build connection between embodied practices, systemic challenges and volatile contexts. 

WHEN?

Monday 1st - Friday 5th July (9am-5.30pm)

WHAT?

Five days (come for a day or come for the week). The program will be finalised soon.

Each day will start with some creative practice to inform wider conversations in the afternoon (see rhythm of each day below)

WHERE?

Getting to Bathway Theatre

ACCESS

The Bathway theatre and studios are all on the ground floor and fully accessible.

PROGRAM

We encourage participants to spend whole days at this event to benefit from connecting tangible and intangible knowledge systems.

DAY 1 - Waking to the Crisis & rehearsing better futures

9.00am      WELCOME 

9.15am      Warm up with Gabrielle Moleta

10.00a       Stepping back to leap forward - Pippa Bailey & Henrietta Baird

10.30am     BREAK

11.00am     Everyone's a singer - Tracy Durrant

11.45am     What makes a good rehearsal (to rehearse a liveable future) - Laurie Sansom

12.45pm     LUNCH (a Caribbean lunch is provided for Day 1 Only to celebrate the film Premiere - see below)

13.30pm     FILM PREMIERE - Re-igniting Windrush folk song and stories to improve African-Caribbean mental health  - this new
                  local film is discussing African Caribbean Mental Health, created by Everyone’s a Singer in collaboration with the                                University of Greenwich.

14.15pm      Conversation: Waking to the Climate Crisis and local links with Tracy Durrant, Dr Myrtle Emmanuel, Dr David Hockham 
                  Ozlem Onaran, Professor of Economics, will share ideas about the green caring economy and Just Transition.

15.30pm    BREAK

16.00pm    Tools to help navigate systems

17.00pm    Reflections on Day 1

17.30pm       Day 1 Ends

Please note that the performance Within Touching Distance by ZU-UK will be performing all week - slots available to book on site.Within Touching Distance is a one-on-one mixed reality artwork that combines VR experience with a choreography of care and tactile gestures by a live performer.

DAY 2 The Power of Stories and places

9.00am       WELCOME 

9.15am       Warm up with Gabrielle Moleta (playing with bear)

10.30am     BREAK

11.00am      Storytelling as an embodied and holistic practice with Sita Brand of Settle Stories.

13.00pm      LUNCH

14.00pm     Conversation: How story is shaping the world around us, what stories do we need now? With Deborah 
                   Hart from CLIMARTE (Australia) and Julie Forchhammer from KlimaKultur (Norway)

15.30pm   BREAK

16.00pm     Creative play time - self directed opportunity to share and make plans

17.00pm     Reflections on Day 2

17.30pm     Day 2 Ends

Please note that the performance Within Touching Distance by ZU-UK will be performing all week - slots available to book on site.
Within Touching Distance is a one-on-one mixed reality artwork that combines VR experience with a choreography of care and tactile gestures by a live performer.

DAY 3. Systemic constellations and changing systems

9.00am       WELCOME 

9.15am       Warm up with Gabrielle Moleta (playing with Heron)

10.30am     BREAK

11.00am      Systemic Constellations work with Niamh Dowling, Principal of RADA, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London.

13.00pm      LUNCH

14.00pm      Conversation: Systems change needed for Climate Justice - what needs to shift in the performing arts. With Jo Verren                         from UNLIMITED and Louisa Hrabowy from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and David Evans, ex National Theatre                           Wales and now of Theatricalsolutions.

15.30pm      BREAK

16.00pm     Introduction to Lost Species Day and creating space for eco grief with Persephone Pearl

17.00pm     Reflections on Day 3

17.30pm     Day 3 Ends

Please note that the performance Within Touching Distance by ZU-UK will be performing all week - slots available to book on site. Within Touching Distance is a one-on-one mixed reality artwork that combines VR experience with a choreography of care and tactile gestures by a live performer.

DAY 4. Creating games, international power plays and Climate Justice - ELECTION DAY

9.00am       WELCOME 

9.15am       Warm up with Gabrielle Moleta (playing with bear)

10.00am     Catabolic Collapse - performance by Persis Jade Maravala ZU-UK This immersive experience delves into the realities of                      living in a world facing multiple, simultaneous crises.

10.50am      BREAK

11.10am      Creating games with Professor Jorge Lopes Ramos crafting uncomplicated games that foster connections among                                   participants in an engaging and approachable manner.

12.30pm     Make- Up Artist and Shaman (MAaS) participatory experience by ZU-UK
                  The talent is about to go on air for a live televised interview. But a chance encounter with a Make-up artist is about to                        change the course of their lives forever.

13.00pm      LUNCH

14.00pm      Conversation: Creative climate justice action on the international change agenda - with Professor Jorge Lopes Ramos,                     Tim Laning of Grendell Games, Myriam Taylor de Carvalho from Humanity Summit to discuss G20, COP meetings and                           adding culture to the Sustainable Development Goals.

15.30pm      BREAK

16.00pm      Creative play time - self directed opportunity to share and make plans

17.00pm      Reflections on Day 4

17.30pm      Day 4 Ends

Please note that the performance Within Touching Distance by ZU-UK will be performing all week - slots available to book on site.

DAY 5. Building creative communities and imagination for change - ELECTION RESULT DAY

THIS DAY IS OPEN TO ALL AS WE MAKE PLANS FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE ACTION FOLLOWING THE ELECTION

9.00am       WELCOME 

9.15am       Warm up with Gabrielle Moleta and Henrietta Baird - connecting to the world around us

10.30am     BREAK

11.00am      Building community and imagination for change - ensemble, collaboration and saying yes with Pippa Bailey, Gabrielle                           Moleta, Henrietta Baird

12.30pm      DECELERATION - performance by ZU-UK, a walking experience that offers a unique and immersive journey designed to                         guide participants through a process of slowing down.

13.00pm      LUNCH

14.00pm      Conversation: Conversation: On a mission to transition and sharing creative plans generated across the week. Speakers                       include Miriam Levin, Director of participatory programmes at DEMOS and Stephen Armstrong, a freelance journalist who
                   contributes to Tortoise Media

15.30pm      BREAK

16.00pm     Reflections on a week of action - connections and plans

17.00pm     PUB (tbc)

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PRINCIPLES

Respectful

Kind and caring

Curious

Supporting brave spaces

Self aware of power & privilege

Open to sharing

We reserve the right to refuse entry to people who are not engaging in the spirit of curiosity, care and adaptation.

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HOW MUCH?

This event is led by independents without funding. We are exploring what we value as individuals, as societies, as a species. There are many ways to engage.

Priced to be accessible, and led by unsalaried artists, we are asking people to think about the value of this exploration as well as what they can afford. Prices are low for freelancers and unwaged participants, we are asking people in salaried roles to pay a bit more. 

There is some flexibility and we ask you to tell us why you have chosen each price. There are limited free spaces for local artists and the opportunity to barter for a place. We are also looking for volunteers.

Traditional ideas of success, worth and value are all on the line as we play for a regenerative future. Don't hesitate to get in touch if you want to discuss options.

This event is also supported by the SHIFT and The Sustainability Unit at the University of Greenwich.

Venue Partner

Supported by