Arts & Ecology

Happy Christmas

From all the Arts & Ecology team at the RSA and Arts Council England we wish you a very Happy Christmas! A big thank you to the artists we are working with and to all our wonderful partners and supporters.

We have had a fantastic year and 2008 is set to be even more productive, beginning with the first in a series of events on ‘Culture in a time of Crisis’. Please put 6pm on 6th February in your diary – the Arts Minister James Purnell, the incoming Chief Executive of Arts Council England Alan Davey, Cornelia Parker and Professor Stephen Hopper, Director of Kew will be on the platform. With a drinks reception at 7.30 pm. We will send you more details in the New Year.

One Big Day

Last week I went to One Big Day, an event organised by Arup, an innovative, international firm of engineers and consultants providing design, project management and consultancy services, in partnership with Climate Group. Bringing together leaders from government, business and civil society, the question that framed the event was how we can achieve a low-carbon UK by 2050. I went on behalf of Michaela Crimmin, RSA Head of Arts and London Leader.

The day started by looking at our current situation. Jim Walker from The Climate Group explained statistically the damage we are causing and the targets we are aiming to meet; as well as addressing public opinion and the barriers to the UK becoming 80% carbon neutral by 2050. One of Arup’s current building projects is the Dongtan eco-city outside Shanghai, China. In a fictional film, with that comically old fashioned sci-fi feel that portrayals of the future often have, Arup presented their vision of everyday life in a carbon neutral community, 40 years from now. This would be a compact and highly efficient community dealing with waste, food, energy, water etc collectively, with most amenities within walking distance and the inhabitants working from home to reduce travel emissions.

Later that morning we were asked to discuss how to unlock the major opportunities and barriers to a low carbon economy. One thing raised on our table was how to mobilise local communities. After ten minutes enthusiastic talk about communities living more sustainably together, one person asked the sobering question, ‘Who is my community, as far as I know I don’t live in a community?’ highlighting another major barrier to tackle. The feedback from all the groups included barriers such as lack of consistent information and understanding, time scales and too many bad choices. Many of the opportunities centred on developing an economy around renewable energy and energy efficiency, creating new services and employment and providing the education to make this possible.

In the afternoon speakers, including Jeremy Webb, the editor of new Scientist and Mark Watts from the Greater London Authority, looked at climate change from a business, NGO, media and government perspective. Newscaster John Snow chaired the open discussion at the end with an impressive amount of energy. From an Arts & Ecology perspective one important point from the floor was where is culture in all of this? When it comes to innovative thinking, which tackling climate change needs, it seems to make a lot of sense to get the cultural industries more directly involved. Arup is itself addressing climate change in creative ways and in the wrap up John Miles, from Arup, stated that the next phase of these events would also include a cultural agenda.

Notes from Delhi - Week 2

Read on for extracts from week two of the Arts & Ecology residency at KHOJ Artists' Association.  You check out the full version on the Arts & Ecology project page.

19th November

'Asim takes us to the Yamuna River.

On the way, I see a man giving a block of ice ‘a seaty’ on the back of his bike - he’s pedalling fast cos it’s melting.

First stop is an illegal Muslim settlement that neighbours the Yamuna River.  A high red fence cuts access to the banks of the river, it has been recently erected - 2005 or so. The reason for the erection is unknown. We look through the fence at green misty marsh beds, the river stench encircles us.

We go to the bridge. We can’t take photos here - there’s a general fear that bridges and other vital civil structures may come under terrorist attack. We look over and the smell of pollution is so over whelming I get a headache from it.

There are a lot of plants taking up a lot of space. Asim tells us the story; Lady Mountbatten, the wife of the last Viceroy of India was having an affair with Jawaharlal Nehru (first Prime Minister of India). As a token of her affection she gave him water Hyacinth, the settler plant started occupying every inch of the waters taking advantage of its resilience to the system in place. It starves the water of oxygen so a beetle was modified to combat the Hyacinth’s strong hold and its reign collapses. Interesting analogy.

On the other side of the road we can walk down to the bank. One of the boaters takes us for a spin through toxic foam, passing plastic bags and general detritus. Even though the river is extremely polluted things seem to carry on, things somehow keep going, Swifts dip the water and I still get that sense of relief and grounding I find a trip on the water offers.

Boys are diving for things of value.
The river is sacred yet its physical mortality is not recognised.
 
…. the alchemy of transformation is rapid and very visible here.' 

21st November

'In pursuit of the idea of self made and the exploitation of the hand made. I visit the local basement embroiderers in Kirkee village. They are all in basements, young men do all the work, some are paid a meal a day. We visit four in total, the work they are doing is extremely fine and sells for a lot of money. Taking photos is generally not an option, and the atmosphere is quite tense. The last place we visit is the most comfortable. It’s small with three people working and we talk directly the embroiderer’s. I ask him if they can teach me embroidery.

They say it takes at least 6 months but I could go along. I like the idea of taking on a job of this kind. Heath and I discuss this as an option for the project producing a map on the shawls whilst I go to work to learn about the people’s lives and the technique.

Unfortunately this would require a time much longer than our remaining weeks. Possibly could see if I could go for three days to add to the research experience.'

Notes from Delhi - Week 1

The first Arts & Ecology residency began in November at KHOJ Artists' Association in New Delhi with artists Kayle Brandon and Heath Bunting. 

Throughout the duration of their residency Kayle and Heath are sending us their accounts, observations and thoughts. You can read their diary in its full entirety on the projects section of the Arts & Ecology website but here on the blog we'll provide you with a couple of snippets from each week. Enjoy!

15th November

‘Walked around Kirkee village where KHOJ studios are sited. The village used to have lots of farming land then the city grew around it and ran through it. The floor is littered with sweet wrappers, later I find out they are chewing tobacco wrappers. The dogs seem exhausted; lots of the bitches have tits that drip to the floor, overwhelmed by reproduction.

Things have a beaten, worn appearance; I think the climatic elements of the desert in the north, the monsoons and the sun play liberally here.

Delhi is colourful. People wear very colourful clothes, well, the women wear very colourful clothes, traditional to India wear, and men seem to tend toward the western trouser, shirt set up.

Here a new shopping Mall has risen on one side of a busy road. Directly on the other side, is a community that live in tents and have horses and goats. The border that separates the two contrasting places is the road which is always swamped with vehicles. Conveniently crossing the road isn’t an easy undertaking.

Rachel and I go over and look around the highly guarded, air conditioned Mall. We try on very expensive dresses, then return to the village. We are able to transgress realms fashioned out of class, money and status systems. We are realm hoppers.’

18th November

‘Another day of money moving in and out of pockets… Gandhi’s portrait in and out of millions of pockets (he’s on every bank note).

Decided to go the Mahatma Gandhi Museum, we commence a haggle with an auto drive, and then in the auto we go, back into the bedlam of Delhi’s road network. Auto journeys are fast becoming the staple of my experience; long, short curly ones, fast, bumpy, scary ones.
 
Inside the Gandhi museum the lights go off and then on a few times. During the loss of power there are moments of standing and looking at things in half light, the experience is somehow emotional.

Memorable things: A chart of the salt march, a room dedicated to the Khadi principle, spinning wheels and pictures of men spinning in conference centres, gardens and assembly rooms. The museum hosts a collection of Gandhi’s things; his dentures, can opener, foot scrubber, and sandals to name a few.’

Extracts taken from Kayle Brandon's residency diary, November 2007.