When? Tuesday, 9th October 2018, 9.00-17.00
Where? Wissenschaftspark, Gelsenkirchen
The european centre for the creative economy (ecce) invites you to take part in an interactive day looking at existing city, climate and culture practice and models and providing an opportunity for exchange and thinking about future actions to support and develop creative climate action in the cities of the Ruhr region, including practical approaches and tools to support climate action in the cultural and creative sector. The day is open to representatives of cities’ strategy, cultural and environmental departments and creative and cultural organisations as well as artists, cultural professionals and creators. The workshop will be held in English, with translation available throughout the day.
Why? Climate change is a defining challenge for cities and societies. Rapid urbanisation, pollution and resource depletion, coupled with the impacts of climate change such as extreme weather, are straining city infrastructure and impacting people's life. Many cities are rising to the challenge and working to deliver climate change and environmental policies and programmes requiring not just investment and technological solutions, but also nothing less than systemic social change. In the first volume of 2018, ‘Kultur & Politik’, the magazine of the German Cultural Council (Deutscher Kulturrat) addressed the links between culture and climate change and debating the role of sustainability within the cultural field. One of the authors, Bernd Bornhorst, addressed the agenda goals 2030 where culture is often understood as an object to be taken care – and demanded a more active role: culture above all must be seen as an acting subject being a driver for sustainable development! And many arts and culture organisations, artists, creative minds, cultural professionals and creators are already taking practical climate action and addressing climate change through their work. There are, however, few cities where the two have come together. And the cultural and creative sector’s potential to leverage – even lead – public engagement on climate change and environment in cities remains, as yet, underexploited. The day will be led by Catherine Bottrill and Claire Buckley, two leading experts on culture and climate change, from the environmental charity Julie’s Bicycle, which was also honoured with the Achievement Award, a non-monetary prize of the NICE Award in 2016.
A draft agenda (as of July) can be found here .
The workshop is free of charge, but we recommend you register as the number of participants is limited. Please register here or send an email .
About Julie’s Bicycle
Julie’s Bicycle is a charity that supports the creative community to act on climate change and environmental sustainability. We believe that the creative community is uniquely placed to transform the conversation around climate change and translate it into action. Founded in 2007, Julie’s Bicycle works with over 2,000 organisations, across the UK and internationally, to develop the skills and ambition to act and use their creativity to influence one another, audiences and the wider movement. We focus on strategic interventions rooted in practical actions, working across the cultural infrastructure – with artists, theatres, museums, galleries, festivals, producers, funders and policy makers to make the case for climate and environmental action through optimism and agency.
Links for further interest:
Essen, Grüne Hauptstadt Europas 2017