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Ahead of Earth Day, Salzburg Global Fellows focus on how the arts can help in mitigating climate change and designing a greener planet
Several returning Salzburg Global Fellows helped launch Salzburg Global Seminar’s 2021 series on Humanizing Power of the Arts earlier this month.
This series will explore the intersections between the arts, culture sector, and four interrelated strands of work: climate, health, education, and justice. On April 20, 2021, a small focus group convened online to discuss how arts could help mitigate climate change and design a greener planet.
The points raised in this discussion and three other online meetings will feed into a more extensive three-day hybrid program in November. This program will convene an interdisciplinary and intergenerational group of approximately 60 creative practitioners, researchers, and policymakers worldwide.
In this month’s meeting, following a round of introductions, the participants split into three breakout rooms. They addressed the following questions:
Several participants discussed Salzburg Global’s strength as a convener and bringing people together who do not usually speak with one another. There are positive ideas and developments worldwide, and Salzburg Global could help ensure that good practice is more widely known, accessible, and impactful.
While sharing this good practice, Salzburg Global could also operate an online clinic and help solve some of the problems cultural practitioners regularly encounter. One participant said it could be challenging for smaller organizations to maintain awareness of what is going on. A matchmaking service could be a valuable addition to Salzburg Global’s offerings.
Participants indicated a regular pattern of smaller events might achieve a greater impact than one online gathering. A regular rhythm of events might create more opportunities for serendipity, and stronger connections may form between participants. There is value in creating a welcome space where people can voice their concerns and build trust.
Reaching out to policymakers was seen as crucial. Their influence varies, and no policymaker is the same. By the nature of their positions, however, they do have the power to influence and persuade. They also have problems they need to solve.
Salzburg Global could create more opportunities for policymakers to connect with cultural practitioners, which may help them better understand how culture can contribute to sustainability.
The response to the COVID-19 pandemic has shown it is possible to bring about behavior change on a large scale. Artists and cultural practitioners could help policymakers explain environmental challenges in a simple way and unite people. They can help create empathy through their work and make subjects personal. One participant said people needed to see and feel things to act.
In November, the UK will host the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP 26. Participants discussed activities that could take place before, during, and after the conference. Several stressed the need to maintain momentum and better coordinate together among the existing plans other organizations have put forward.
One participant described COP 26 as a punctuation mark. A framework for action might be proposed, but nothing will happen at the conference itself. The real work begins afterward. Different stakeholders have to keep talking to one another and Salzburg Global could play an important role in keeping the momentum going.
April’s online meeting concluded with participants encouraged to keep sharing their ideas and continue an organic process of exchange. The next three online focus groups in this series will focus on health, education, and justice.