Connecting Communities and Heritages against Climate Crisis is a collaborative and expansive programme exploring how intergenerational learning about climate change mitigation and adaptation can be shared through a cultural experience encompassing art, language, and a call to action. This work will explore these methods for learning about similarities, differences, and shared themes and approaches through local art, language and culture, and its efficacy in achieving behavioural change.

Art for Action: Artivism

Background

To introduce this idea, as part of Mock COP27, which took place in November 2022 in Inverness, local primary schools were issued a challenge by Highland One World (a global learning centre) to produce pieces of art from recycled materials which focused on a Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) and would inspire others to take action on climate. The submitted pieces of art were displayed at the Highland Council chambers in Inverness while the Mock COP took place and for the following 2 weeks so Highland Council staff and visitors to the chambers could see the work.

The main aims:

• To encourage schools to explore the SDGs and research SDG issues that relate to the Climate Emergency.
• To support pupils to translate learning on the issues into informed action through participation in artivism projects.
• To support pupils to have a voice during COP 27 by creating a climate action gallery to raise awareness and advocate for change on issues that were important to them.

Forthcoming activity:

• Art for Action programme is expanding to include primary schools/young people from Scotland, Wales and Nigeria to engage in climate action post COP28. The main aims are to:
• Build awareness amongst children/young people, their families and school/local communities about mitigation and adaptation methods for climate change in use in their local area.
• Encourage two-way intergenerational sharing of mitigation and adaptation methods through cultural channels based around local materials, language, and heritage.
• Promote sharing of this knowledge between different cultures – Scotland, Wales and Nigeria (in the first instance)
• Encourage an understanding of the ways in which art can be used to raise awareness of social and environmental issues and help create social change