Culture Declares is a movement of individuals and organisations in the arts and culture sectors declaring a climate and ecological emergency. Beyond this declaration, we form communities (e.g. in local Hubs) to tell truths, take action and seek justice.
I was a core co-founder of this movement, from early 2019 and I am still actively involved across strategy, communications and evaluation, as well as supporting Culture Declares East of England including running events in Norwich.
To get an overview of what Culture can do after declaring emergency, you can read my thinkpiece on The Roles of Culture in Response to the Earth Crisis.
This work has involved:
- Writing the original website, setting up databases and comms tools, then writing the current website and working with Bullet Creative on its design.
- Developing a Culture Takes Action blueprint for change and toolkit, including delivering training and social media.
- Being involved in the comms and plans for all the actions and events, including the April 2019 launch, the July 2019 assembly, the ‘rally for imagination’ and many more since.
- Involvement in gatherings & meetings to engage large national organisations such as the Natural History Museum and Tate to declare emergency and develop programmes in response.
- Involved in convening an Alliance of Declarers of many other declaring initiatives within and beyond the cultural sector.
- Writing a large number of learning resources, presentations, position statements and strategy documents. See, for example, the Earth Day Call to Action.
- Delivering a Festival of Change at the Museums Association conference, Autumn 2019
- Developing a new strategy, ways of working and structures, in 2020 and again in 2024.
- Presenting about and championing CDE on multiple occasions, online and in person, in the UK and at international conferences.
- Developing an impact evaluation plan.
- Devising several online events as part of The Offer series.
- Involved in Culture Declares East, running events in Norwich, such as Reimagine the City.
- Supporting our involvement in the People’s Picket of DCMS in April 2023.
- Supporting and writing reports from two major assemblies in 2023, one ‘Together We Act’ at the Southbank Centre and Unlocking Our Agency online.
- Contributing to the refresh of the declaration statement and Holding Earth film for the 5 year’s celebration in 2024. (My own re-declaration and short film here.)
