Let’s Change Culture: Design Your Environmental Action Plan
Course Overview:
This course is tailored for creative professionals seeking to develop useful connections and integrate sustainable practices into their work and lifestyle. Participants will explore the intersection of creativity and environmental stewardship, learning how to assess their environmental impact, adopt eco-friendly techniques, and develop personalised action plans. Through a combination of lectures, hands-on activities, and collaborative discussions, participants will gain the knowledge and skills needed to become agents of positive change in their creative fields.
Location: Positive Light Projects, Sidwell Street, Exeter
Course times: Tuesdays, 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Course dates: 7 weeks (1 module a week) - 28 Jan, 4 Feb, 11 Feb, 25 Feb, 4 Mar, 11 Mar, 18 Mar
Price Range: £210 - £280
(Please note that we will cancel the course a fortnight ahead if we don’t have sufficient numbers of participants - Participants will receive a full refund.)
Features: Live talks, personalised feedback, extensive materials, guest speakers, and project-based learning.
Enrolment: Open to creative professionals of all backgrounds and experience levels.
Prerequisites: None, but a passion for creativity and environmental sustainability is encouraged.
Learning Objectives:
Understand Environmental Impact: Gain insight into the environmental impact of creative industries and the importance of sustainability in creative practices.
Explore Sustainable Techniques: Discover eco-friendly materials, processes, and techniques applicable to various creative disciplines.
Assess Personal Impact: Conduct an environmental audit to evaluate your own creative practices and identify areas for improvement.
Develop an Action Plan: Design a customised environmental action plan with clear goals, strategies, and timelines.
Promote Sustainable Creativity: Learn how to advocate for sustainability within your industry and inspire others to adopt green practices.
Course Structure:
The course consists of six modules, each focusing on key aspects of designing and implementing an environmental action plan for creatives:
Module 1: Introduction to Sustainable Creativity
Overview of sustainability challenges and questions in creative industries
Case studies of socially an environmentally engaged artists and designers in South West England
Introduction to the concept of environmental action plans
Module 2: Sustainable Materials and Processes
Exploring eco-friendly materials and production methods
Techniques for reducing waste and minimising environmental impact
Balancing sustainability with other challenges like accessibility, inclusivity, costs
Innovations in sustainable design and manufacturing
Module 3: Environmental Audit
Conducting a personal environmental audit of your creative practice
Analysing resource consumption, travel, waste generation, and carbon footprints
Identifying areas for improvement and setting priorities
Module 4: Designing Your Action Plan
Setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals
Developing strategies and initiatives to achieve sustainability objectives
Allocating resources and defining responsibilities for implementation
Module 5: Implementation and Monitoring
Implementing your action plan and tracking progress
Overcoming challenges and adapting strategies as needed
Monitoring key performance indicators and measuring success
Module 6: Advocacy and Collaboration
Using your creative platform to raise awareness about environmental issues
Collaborating with peers, clients, and stakeholders to promote sustainable practices
Showcasing sustainable projects and initiatives to inspire others
Module 7: Communicating and Celebrating action and successes
Telling your climate action story
Stakeholder engagement
Reporting
Course Format:
Delivery: In person interactive workshops, and group discussions.
Assignments: Creative projects, reflective journaling, and collaborative initiatives.
Resources: Readings, videos, and guest speakers.
Community: Networking opportunities.
Course Materials:
Textbooks: Reading suggestions will be shared ahead of the course
Supplementary Readings: Selected articles and case studies on sustainable creativity and environmental action planning.
Tools Required: Environmental audit templates, creativity journals, access to online resources.
Course leader:
Name: Chloe Uden
Email: chloe@artandenergy.org
Biography: Chloe Uden is an influential artist and environmental advocate known for her innovative approach to integrating creativity with sustainability. She has dedicated her career to exploring the intersection of art, renewable energy, and community engagement. With a background in both the arts and renewables, Chloe has successfully spearheaded numerous projects that highlight the potential of creative solutions to address climate change.
As a co-founder of The Art and Energy Collective, Chloe has played a pivotal role in developing and promoting solar art installations, which combine solar technology with artistic design to create functional and aesthetically pleasing renewable energy sources. Her work aims to inspire people to think differently about energy production and to see the beauty and potential in sustainable practices.
The Art and Energy Collective specialises in designing mass-participation artworks that seek inspiration from nature and help people engage with energy systems that affect their lives. Their ‘Moths to Flame’ project won The Sustainability First People’s Choice Art Prize and involved over 58,000 people in making an artwork for COP26 The UN Conference on Climate Change. Their current artwork The Mossy Carpet seeks to celebrate the tiny actions that people take to make a better world and explore ‘How to Bury the Giant’ using carbon sequestration and nature positive action.
Chloe Uden is also known for her engaging workshops and public speaking engagements, where she shares her passion for combining art with environmental activism. Through her efforts, she has been instrumental in raising awareness about the importance of renewable energy and the role of creativity in solving environmental challenges. Her innovative projects and community-driven approach continue to inspire individuals and organisations to embrace sustainability and creativity in their daily lives.
Additional Information:
Organisation Website: www.artandenergy.org
Discussion Forum: Access through the course website for peer interaction and support on https://BuryTheGiant.Club
Resource Center: Online repository of supplementary materials and tools for project development is available for course participants.
Summary:
By the end of this course, participants will have developed a comprehensive environmental action plan tailored to their creative practices, equipped with the knowledge and skills to lead sustainable initiatives within their industries. This course encourages creative professionals to embrace sustainability as an integral part of their work, fostering a culture of green innovation and responsible stewardship.