Return to Earth: SA Climate/Arts Meet Up

All Images/Artworks supplied by Laura Wills.

Artists and cultural workers globally are grappling with the urgency of climate change and ecological collapse, asking how creative practice can illuminate pathways forward, strengthen community resilience, and imagine different relationships with the more-than-human world.

Across Australia, leading thinkers and practitioners are developing new models of care, sustainability and cultural responsibility—whether through regenerative practices, food systems, music, writing, or reworlding.

At a moment when many are questioning how their work can respond to the climate crisis, South Australia will potentially be hosting the global climate summit, COP31 (likely an announcement will take place mid-late November), giving our cultural practitioners to bring all that we have learnt to the global stage. Here in SA we have faced algal bloom, floods, drought and our need to centre our interconnected relationship with the living world around us has been brought to the surface of conversation more than ever. How will we respond?

SA ART/NATURE/CLIMATE ARTIST + SECTOR MEET-UP
Saturday 29th: 2pm - 3.30pm

CBD location TBA (RSVP numbers dependent)

This is intended as a gathering for Artists, Small-to-Medium Orgs, and Independent arts orgs - many of whom are already grappling with how to make and present work in times of crisis, and with the potential of COP on the horizon in Adelaide it feels timely and urgent to provide a platform for these conversations. 

Do you create work or conduct research in this space? Do you have a gallery, venue, or other offering which could help raise local South Australian voices during this time? If you are one of these, or have a framework to support this work, then feel free to join this event! Please share throughout your own networks or send this event onto other cultural creatives working in this space who you think should be involved.

The intention behind this meet up is as both a morale boost for the small-to-medium sector and independents, and to create a group that becomes a supportive framework for resilience and creative reclaiming going forward. National bodies are already asking for creative projects from SA - this is an opportunity for SA artists to collectivise, share opportunities, create opportunities and/or get behind exisiting projects to raise them up.

At this event we will:

• Hear from others about projects that they are doing.

• Option to present or pitch an environment/climate related projects that have the potential to be realised over 2026 (The Jotform has a section to RSVP to present a 3 min talk on your project).

• Offer project frameworks, venues or skills to others.

• The meet up will be responsive to what arises from the group.

• Map what who we know is doing what in this space as a collective.

• Gain a good sense of the projects taking place in the art/nature/climate space in SA.

• Learn more about what COP means for SA arts.

There is a JOTFORM to collect contacts and join the working group: RETURN TO EARTH: Sign Up to Retun to Earth Co-Hort here.

This list can be shared, can circulate information about actions and opportunities coming up and can be an avenue to collectivise and ensure that SA artists voices are heard through upcoming big global events ahead.

If you choose to join this list, you will receive emails with updates about COP that relate to the arts, we can circulate opportunities, share actions and events. You can also opt-in to share a project which will be collated and given to Radio Climate (a First Nations and artists led transmission project that transforms radio, podcasts, collective listening events, music concerts and gatherings into cultural platforms for care, knowledge-sharing, and climate action. Radio Climate will be based in SA during COP if it goes ahead and is looking for South Australian stories about arts/climate, particularly to do with sound!)

You can sign up now, or sign up after the event (the form will remain open).

The event acknowledges that COP has been proposed for Adelaide in 2026. While confirmation is still pending, this is a timely touchstone for the sector—sharing what is known, what might be relevant, and how artistic practice can contribute meaningfully in the lead-up to this international moment.

Regardless of whether COP takes place or not - this is a moment in time to gather, collectivise, support and celebrate our climate engaged artists!

Please feel free to share this invitation to others working in this space.
NOTE ON VENUE: There are a few venue options, and the venue will be published the week of the event dependent on the size and needs of the group.

By meeting together, the event will be an urgent and generative space for sharing strategies, practices and inspiration—while also exploring the balance of love and loss, and how art might cultivate resilience in times of crisis.