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Season for Change

Inspiring urgent climate action

Season for Change was a UK-wide cultural programme from 2020-21, inspiring urgent and inclusive action on climate change, delivered by Julie’s Bicycle and Artsadmin

About

Season for Change was a programme that mobilised artists and cultural organisations to put climate action at the heart of their creative practice and programming, and platform voices that are historically excluded from the climate conversation.

Led by Artsadmin and Julie’s Bicycle, and supported by Arts Council England and Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Season for Change spanned 18 months from 2020-21 – as the world counted down to COP26.

The programme was a celebration of artists and the environment, bringing together new perspectives on confronting the climate crisis as part of the UK’s most ambitious cultural movement focused on climate action and climate justice.

Read a report outlining the reach and impact

Here’s what we achieved between June 2020 to November 2021:

  • We connected with over 1 million people via press and media
  • We engaged 231,000 members of the public through our commissions
  • 182,000 people engaged online over the lifetime of the programme
  • We commissioned 15 artists
  • 230 events were submitted to the open programme
  • 100 artists and creatives were supported with paid opportunities
  • 3,010 artists, arts professionals and scientists attended the 29 Season for Ex-Change and related climate sector events.

We shared a report in April 2022 showing the success, impact and reach of the programme which you can read in various accessible formats below.

The report shows the power of the arts to engage audiences in conversations about the climate emergency and how it has influenced people’s behavioural change towards the environment, with the impact on communities being particularly profound. Audience research found that exploring climate change through arts programming is an effective way of engaging people in this global issue.

Download the full report here in PDFplain text and Large Print formats.

two-page summary report is available in PDF and other formats:
Plain text
Large Print
Audio
Easy Read

What happened

Season for Change showcased the creativity and leadership of the UK’s cultural sector on the most important issue of our time through:

  • 15 participatory commissions with arts partners and artists nationwide that engaged diverse communities with the climate crisis.
  • Season for Ex-Change’s free online events and resources to empower artists and cultural organisations to take action and inspire their audiences.
  • A national campaign of events, called the open programme, where artists and arts organisations across the UK could submit their events to be promoted.

“Season for Change demonstrated the power of artists to lead, inform and empower communities in the climate justice movement. This excellent programme of arts activities not only changed hearts and minds but generated much needed action on climate.”– Róise Goan, Artistic Director, Artsadmin

people walking on a street holding a tree in front of McDonald's
Walking Forest, Coventry City of Culture 2021

Impact on communities and people’s behaviours and attitudes

Season for Change commissions were focused on working with, engaging and empowering communities:

For Love Ssega’s project Airs of the South Circular in Lewisham, South East London, his music video campaign reached over 100,000 residents living in Lewisham, around a third of the population, raising awareness of the dangers of air pollution. Over 80% of people surveyed said the video made them more passionate about air pollution.

For Rosa Cisneros’ project Roma: Recycle-Reuse-Reimagine, in Sheffield, Coventry, Liverpool, Birmingham, Cardiff and Slovakia, she created a children’s book with families and children in Roma communities nationally:

“You know I can’t believe how much I have learned from such a simple but so powerful children’s book! I started to recycle! I strongly believe that these books are going to make a massive difference in our community!” – Participant

5 womxn standing in a park with their mouths open shouting, people watching
Selina Thompson, Immersion. Photo by Bettina Adela

The programme-commissioned report, ‘Can Cultural Events Catalyse Engagement With Climate Change? A Season for Change Case Study, written by Briony Latter and Adam Corner, also showed how the arts is a critical tool in engaging the public in urgent conversations around the climate emergency, and inspiring action:

“For campaigners, science communicators and policy makers, it’s familiar to ask how the work they do helps or hinders public engagement with climate change. But in arts and culture, these questions are newer, and in some ways harder to ask and answer in the first place. Our report, drawing on social science and public engagement research, is based on interviews and insights from the Season for Change programme. We hope it will contribute to a dialogue about how the power and prominence of culture can move the climate conversation forwards.” – Briony Latter and Adam Corner, report authors

Explore the archive of events and commissions: www.seasonforchange.org.uk
@JoinTheSeason_ #SeasonForChange

A pilot of Season for Change ran from 1 June until 16 December 2018, finishing to coincide with the COP24 UN Climate Negotiations in Katowice, Poland. Organisations and artists across the UK sparked conversations about the future of our planet through performances, exhibitions, talks, film screenings, workshops and events.

Season for Change in 2018 was initiated from the What Next? movement by Julie’s Bicycle and Artsadmin, in association with Battersea Arts Centre.


seasonforchange.org.uk

Twitter @JoinTheSeason_
Instagram JoinTheSeason_
Facebook seasonforch4nge

person painted blue wearing floral shirt and trousers, standing in a field
the dream(ing) field lab. Photo by Flannery Miller
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