The main objective of the measure is for cultural and creative industries to make connections between climate change and other pressing environmental issues, enabling a new perspective on its urgency and relevance to society, the economy and to government.
The projects and programmes are ad hoc and unrelated to a specific government policy or directive and have been undertaken, in the main by independent artists, arts organisations and NGOs around the country. Responses to environmental challenges have been identified in sectors such as craft, design, festivals and outdoor events, theatre, visual arts, fashion and architecture.
The projects and practices listed address the following environmental issues in their work:
• Food production and innovation
• Water conservation
• Energy generation
• Waste reduction and closed loop recycling
• Sustainable transport
• Pollution (e.g. mining)
• Biodiversity conservation
• Reforestation
They do this through the ‘Seven Trends’ of creative climate action adapted from Julie’s Bicycle including
i. Artwork
ii. Art activism
iii. Connection with nature
iv. Education and behaviour change
v. Circular economy
vi. Sustainable infrastructure
vii. Creative collaborations
viii. Conservation
ix. Transition
In putting together a report on these projects and programmes, produced by researcher Sholeh Jonhston in collaboration with the National Arts Council of South Africa and Vrystaat Arts Festival are to
- Establish processes that connect people across the South African movement of creative and cultural change-makers and create a sense of community and shared purpose.
- Make the role of culture in meeting environmental and social challenges in South Africa visible to the cultural sector itself, key strategic organisations and funders of cultural activity, policymakers in the fields of culture, environment and human rights, and the international cultural (and cultural policy) community.
- Lay the foundations for how cultural policy makers and other strategic stakeholders can better support and maximise the impact of cultural leadership on environmental issues.
- Articulate the diversity of responses already taking place and begin to gather learning that could be shared to further inspire action and optimise impact.
- Capture the impact that this activity is having on society and the environment, and if data is not available, provide recommendations on how this impact could be captured
| Name of partner | Type of entity |
|---|---|
National Festivals such as Afrika Burn, Vrystaat Arts Festival, Eco Film Festival, Well Worn Theatre Company, Outreach Foundation, Greenpop
| Civil Society Organization (CSO)
|
Artists such as Blessing Ngobeni, Claire Rousell, Gregory Maqoma (Johannesburg), Hannelie Coetzee (Johannesburg), Kai Lossgott, Kevin Kimwelle, Linzi Lewis, Mandy Coppes, Mbongeni Richman Buthelezi, Santo Mofokeng, Willem Boshoff (Johannesburg), Virginia
| Civil Society Organization (CSO)
|
- Institutions: Craft and Design Institute (National), Design Society Development DESIS lab (Johannesburg), Green Building Council, Iziko Museums (Cape Town)
| Civil Society Organization (CSO)
|
- Academia: Dylan McGarry (Environmental Learning Research Centre, Rhodes University), The Sustainability Institute (Stellenbosch), Re-Future (University of the Free State’s Centre for Development Studies, Qala Phelang Tala, the Programme for innovation i
|