At London Arts and Health we recognise that many of our colleagues across sector are engaging with Climate Action through arts, health and wellbeing. We’ve rounded up some of the best updates from London and beyond to help inform your work and practice around the Environment.
LONDON CLIMATE ACTION WEEK – 24 JUNE – 2 JULY 2023
London Climate Action Week – has just passed, but the events in London boroughs had a focus on health, wellbeing and the transformative power of the arts.
IN A FIELD BY A BRIDGE FESTIVAL – 21 – 23 JULY – In a Field by a Bridge
In a Field by a Bridge is the first opportunity to showcase what London Bridge has to offer as a leading environmentally- focused business district, highlighting the transition to a carbon neutral economy, low impact living and healthy lifestyles. The impact of this festival on the local community, is aimed to create positive social and economic longevity far beyond this launch weekend, led by Wayne Hemmingway and Team London Bridge.
CITY OF LONDON- https://liverycag.org.uk/citys-of-london-climate-action-strategy/
City of London’s Climate Action Strategy:
- Achieve net zero carbon emissions from our own operations by 2027
- Achieve net zero carbon emissions across our investments and supply chain by 2040
- Support the achievement of net zero for the Square Mile by 2040
- Invest £68m over the next six years to support these goals of which £15m is dedicated to preparing the Square Mile for extreme weather events.
LONDON COUNCILS – Climate change | London Councils
London’s 32 boroughs and the City of London are taking action to be the solution to climate change. Many boroughs have declared a climate emergency, and all will be making changes in their own local areas through climate action plans. They are also working together in seven collaborative climate programmes to share best practice, join up activity, and grasp economies of scale.
JUNE 2023 report by London Councils, ReLondon and the GLA. – Consumption-based emissions by London boroughs have reduced but we need far more, warns new report | London Councils
SOUTHBANK CENTRE – Planet Summer | Southbank Centre
Together for climate hope. Find care, hope, connection and activism in our season teeming with talks, performances, music and family events responding to the climate emergency. This season takes its inspiration from the Hayward Gallery exhibition, Dear Earth: Art and Hope in a Time of Crisis, a group show itself inspired by artist Otobong Nkanga’s suggestion that “caring is a form of resistance”.
MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION – Disposal Toolkit
The climate crisis is one of the biggest challenges that we face as a society and museums across the UK are working with their communities to support action towards net zero. But we also have to do our bit within the museum space to break the cycle of endless accumulation and think more proactively and dynamically about our collections. This means undertaking active disposal and deciding where objects are best held. This toolkit will support museums to work with communities to make the best use of our rich and diverse collections.
THEATRES POOLING RESOURCES – National Theatre joins London venues to create first ‘sustainable production centre’ (msn.com)
The National Theatre has partnered with a string of London venues, including Young Vic, Royal Court and the Kiln to create a groundbreaking production centre.
The “large-scale” initiative in central London is being created in a bid to make the industry more sustainable by enabling the venues to share costumes, props and scenery.
LIVE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABILITY – Sustainability in Live Performance – Association of British Theatre Technicians (abtt.org.uk)
UK Live Performance Production Declares Climate & Biodiversity Emergency- is a global petition uniting all strands of the Live Performance Production industry. It is both a public declaration of our planet’s environmental crises and a commitment to take positive action in response to climate breakdown and biodiversity collapse.
THEATRE DESIGNERS GREENING UP PRACTICES – ecostage – Placing ecological thinking at the heart of creative practice.
Ecostage is a grassroots initiative founded by theatre designers that offers practical and creative ideas to green up practices in the performing arts sector and work together for change.
CENTRE FOR SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE IN THE ARTS – About CSPA – The CSPA (sustainablepractice.org) provides research, training, and consultancy services related to sustainable development, in particular ecological responsibility, in the arts and culture.
And finally, to cheer the soul, a wonderful, very local initiative – Inside a London Repair Café – Inside a London Repair Cafe – YouTube
