The sixth episode centres around the transformative power of the arts in addressing climate change and how the arts can open spaces for experimentation and innovation in imagining new realities and societal models that integrate ecological awareness and sustainability. The episode features Dr. Jen Rae and Sarah Suib. They discuss art and design highlighting the need to learn and respect indigenous knowledge systems for a societal shift from extractivism to relational and interconnected ways of living. Dr. Jen Rae, an artist, researcher, and advocate for rewilding practices, emphasizes the role of the arts in community resilience, particularly in adapting to and preparing for climate-related disasters. of indigenous and nature-informed wisdom

Dr Sarah Suib 

Sarah is a consultant and the founder of Hint Studio, Brussels. She is also a designer and mender with years of experience in sustainable design and product development projects, user experiences, cleaner productions, ESG research, and frugal innovations. Her expertise lies in design thinking, design for sustainability, user research, and the circular economy. She works with small and medium sized companies to integrate sustainability and circularity strategies in their products and practices. Sarah is an alumnus of CCL Benelux (2023).

Dr Jen Rae 

Jen is an award-winning artist-researcher whose practice-led expertise is situated at the intersections of art, speculative futures and climate emergency disaster adaptation and resilience. Her work is predominantly articulated through transdisciplinary collaborative methodologies and multi-platform projects, community alliances and public pedagogies. Jen is Co-founder and Creative Research Lead at the Centre for Reworlding, a member of the Australian Task Force for Creative Recovery and a 2023 Creative Australia Fellow. Jen is an alumnus of CCL Australia (2023).

Links and references:
Centre for Reworlding - https://www.centreforreworlding.com/

Hint Studio - https://hint-studio.com/
Alfred Russel Wallace - https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/who-was-alfred-russel-wallace.html

Maria Campbell - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Campbell
Refuge (2018) - https://www.doherty.edu.au/news-events/events/refuge-2018-pandemic
The Past is a Sustainable Country - https://www.creativeclimateleadership.com/alumni/sarah-suib/

The Relationship is the Project - https://therelationshipistheproject.com/

The fifth episode explores what cultural policy is, its significance, and how it can influence societal change and play a role in social change, especially concerning climate and sustainability goals. The episode features Solveig Korum, Senior Advisor for Culture and Sustainability, and Rie Alkemade, Project Officer at the Cultural Relations Platform who discuss importance of preserving cultural practices and rights, particularly those threatened by climate change, and the potential of the cultural sector in promoting innovative and creative thinking in policymaking. The episode addresses how cultural policy can facilitate deeper, more meaningful intercultural exchanges and collaborations. Solveig and Rie discuss the need for policy that supports artistic initiatives related to sustainability and fosters dialogue between different sectors of society.

Rie Alkemade
Rie is a project and relations manager and a cultural producer with a keen interest in the creative artistic and cultural fields, and is a Project Officer for the Cultural Relations Platform. Her focus and passion has been primarily on cultivating sustainable partnerships and networks at a people-to-people level through fostering intercultural dialogue and exchanges based on mutual co-collaboration. Rie is an alumnus of CCL Benelux (2023).

Dr Solveig Korum

Solveig is an academic who works as an advisor for culture and sustainability at the R&D department of Kulturtanken – Arts for Young Audiences Norway. She is the co-founder of NaCuHeal Senegal, an NGO that operates tree-planting programs in West Africa and teaches Kundalini yoga at University of Oslo. Solveig is an alumnus of CCL Scandinavia (2022).

Song credit: Let The Light In by Marte Wulff (CCL Scandinavia 2022) and Chirkutt (Bangladesh). 

Links and references:

Kulturtanken - https://www.kulturtanken.no/en/
Cultural Relations Platform - https://www.cultureinexternalrelations.eu/

UNFCCC - https://unfccc.int

Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage - https://ich.unesco.org/en/convention
Faro Convention - https://www.coe.int/en/web/culture-and-heritage/faro-convention

2005 Convention on Diversity of Cultural Expressions - https://www.unesco.org/creativity/en/2005-convention

MONDIACULT 2022 - https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/mondiacult-2022-states-adopt-historic-declaration-culture
Global Cultural Relations Programme - https://www.cultureinexternalrelations.eu/global-cultural-relations-programme

Culture|2030 indicators - https://sdghub.com/project/culture2030-indicators 

Let the Light In - https://open.spotify.com/track/60YTkv3srf1EnbujqXbsXQ?si=e8146b3398eb489e

In this episode, artist, writer, educator and activist Alistair Gentry talks about the relevance of storytelling, language and creative tech in framing climate issues in a way that inspires meaningful action. We’ll be delving into emerging technologies and how they are influencing the creative landscape, and opening up new opportunities for engagement and activism while also unpacking the challenges and considerations for using these technologies ethically and responsibly. 

Alistair Gentry

Alistair is an artist, writer, producer and educator in creative writing, performance, live and participatory art. He has been an activist in artists’ livelihoods and wellbeing for about 15 years, with particular focus on LGBTQ+, disabled, low income background and self-taught artists and leaders. He has collaborated extensively with scientists and technologists, particularly in the social sciences. Alistair is an alumnus of CCL UK (2023).

Links and references:
Tim Berners-Lee - https://home.web.cern.ch/science/computing/birth-web
DoxBox trustbot - https://culture.theodi.org/doxbox/
Bank Job and Power - https://twitter.com/bankjobpictures?lang=en

How dirty is your data? - https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/dirty-data-report-greenpeace.pdf

Open Data Institute - https://theodi.org/

The effect of language, storytelling and rhetoric on attitudes towards sustainability is indisputable. Framing climate issues in a way that inspires meaningful action is important now more than ever. In this episode documentarian, campaigner and activist Syed Jazib Ali discusses what is needed to build authentic narratives and campaigns and projects that are both moving and high-impact. We also explore climate fatigue, relevance of legal action, the trend towards climate optimism and performative activism. 

Syed Jazib Ali 

Jazib is a documentarian, campaigner and activist hailing from the indigenous Pahari tribe of the lower Himalayan region of the politically and ecologically sensitive Jammu and Kashmir. His award-winning documentaries and advocacy work are globally recognised, amplifying the stories of the underrepresented. His creative projects have been part of COP26, COP27 and he has worked with international NGOs, Think Tanks and United Nations organisations. Jazib is an alumnus of CCL Benelux (2023).

Links and references:

Passage to Kashmir - https://filmfreeway.com/RaheMuztar

Act Now Film - https://www.bath.ac.uk/campaigns/actnowfilm-youth-voices-on-climate/

Theatre Green Book - https://juliesbicycle.com/news-opinion/read-the-theatre-green-book-volume-1-sustainable-productions/

5 broken cameras - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5_Broken_Cameras

The Slow Factory's Media Justice for Collective Liberation Fund - https://slowfactory.earth/

In this episode, Emma speaks to activist and artist Jessica Sim and communications professional Yula Rocha. They share experiences of how they have used research and data to understand the attitudes and behaviours of their audiences, and how they have used this information to create impactful and effective campaigns. They discuss the challenges they have faced in trying to adapt to and shift audience behaviour and the strategies and leadership they have used to overcome them.

Jessica Sim 

Jess is an activist and artist who is passionate about ecology, and committed to developing creative communication methods to inspire more mindful living. She established the Museum of Garbage with FLYING roots, co-founded Circuit Istanbul and Nadas Istanbul - organisations that focus on establishing community spaces that foster nature connection through creative programming. Jessica is an alumnus of CCL Creative Europe Wales (2017).

Yula Rocha

Yula is a journalist and communications manager at People’s Palace Projects, where she works with artists from the Xingu Indigenous Territory and favelas of Rio de Janeiro. SHeproduced the first Indigenous Film Festival at the ICA and an arts installation at Venice Architecture Biennale and has chaired climate and arts events at Chatham House and for Chevening scholars. Yula is an alumnus of CCL UK (2023).

Climate change disproportionately affects different communities, and the fight for justice in the face of this crisis is essential. In this first episode host Emma Blake Morsi speaks to Julie’s Bicycle’s Farah Ahmed and academic and activist Vasna Ramasar for a deep dive into how practitioners, artists and activists use their talents and platforms to raise awareness and advocate for climate justice.

Farah Ahmed  

Farah is the Climate Justice Lead at Julie’s Bicycle and also a facilitator on the Creative Climate Leadership programme. Their interest lies in how art and culture can centre perspectives from the frontlines of climate impacts, and how we can imagine and build meaningful decolonial, care-centred, and anti-capitalist communities. Farah is also co-founder and facilitator of Diaspora Futures, and a trustee for Platform London.

Vasna Ramasar 

Vasna is a senior lecturer in the Division of Human Ecology and program director for the Culture, Power and Sustainability international Masters at Lund University, Sweden. She/ they engage feminist and decolonial approaches to research in environmental and social justice and finding alternatives to destructive development paradigms. She is also a member of the Collective Against Environmental Racism in Denmark, Global Tapestry of Alternatives, and Women Against Harmful Extractivism in Africa network. 

In this bonus episode, show producer Diego Galafassi, host of the Creative Climate Leadership program Sweden and Scandinavia, speaks to Emmanuella Morsi, host of the 6-part series podcast. 

Welcome to the Creative Climate Leadership Podcast. A podcast series on the role of the arts in this time of converging crisis. Don't miss an episode and get in touch with us at [email protected]