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Barbican Art Gallery, the Horniman Museum and Gardens, and Tate Britain are among the institutions preparing to mark global discussions on climate change at the inaugural London Art + Climate Week.
As the United Nations gears up to host its latest summit on climate change, COP30, beginning in Brazil next week (10 November), the Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC) has invited the likes of the British Library and the Design Museum to take part in a five-day, public-facing programme on environmental action and the visual arts.
Co-founder of the GCC and current director, Heath Lowndes, told Arts Professional: “The overwhelming response we’ve seen from organisations participating in this event demonstrates that climate action is no longer a fringe issue in the sector, but the norm.”
“Climate action in the arts,” he added, “can no longer be ignored.”
From zine-making workshops to panel discussions
Between 12 and 16 November, and in partnership with digital art platform gowithYamo, London Art + Climate Week is to stage a series of special events around the capital city.
These events range from a “drop-in family craft workshop” at the Horniman Museum and Gardens, where children are invited to create their own “climate hero zine”, to a series of presentations on how the art world is facing up to the climate crisis, presented by auction house, Christie’s.
Each one is free, and open to the public.
In addition, London Art + Climate Week will involve participating galleries by highlighting their ongoing exhibitions themed around the environment, sustainability, and ecology.
Lowndes explained: “With COP30 in Brazil, it was the ideal moment to bring climate to the forefront of the cultural conversation.
“We hope London Art+Climate Week will provide a platform for new ideas and creative approaches to the climate crisis, inspiring action within the arts and beyond.”
Sponsorship debates and the environment
Asked by Arts Professional how GCC reconciled the question of a dismal landscape for arts funding with climate consciousness, considering the reliance many organisations may have on corporate sponsors some activists deem unseemly, Lowndes expressed optimism that eco-awareness was the norm, not the exception, in the art world.
“Ultimately we hope this will encourage more arts organisations to reflect on their operations and make more environmentally responsible choices,” said Lowndes, of the five-day event, though he admitted these were “challenging times across the sector”.
“Beyond their operations, arts spaces have a crucial role to play in educating and inspiring responses to the climate crisis,” the GCC director continued.
“Members of the public have a right and responsibility to make their concerns heard and ensure museums and galleries reflect their values.”
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