Socially Engaged Art in times of Climate Crisis – NICA PhD/rMA Council Artistic Workshops

On the afternoon of the 22nd of April the NICA RMA/PHD council will hold an embodied  investigation into the role of art in brining individuals together as a means for creatively exploring solutions to the climate and ecological crisis. The event aims at interweaving together theory and practice through both discussion and embodied action.

Initiated by a short lecture by Dr Colin Sterling on the role of social practice in the Anthropocene; we begin with an analytic investigation into the ‘social turn’ and changing role of art in times of international crisis. Following this, we bring our understanding of these issues out of the intellectual and into the embodied realm with two artistic workshops. The first, presented by artist Suzette Bousema in collaboration with scientist Ingeborg Klarenberg (as part of the VU Connected World Scientific Impact Award)  explores how artists can function as intermediaries in presenting scientific knowledge to the public. In exploring this topic Suzette takes us inside the microscopic world of lichen; inviting us to look and listen deeply to these small scale life forms and reflect on lessons that can be learned from them.

Following this, artistic researcher Siobhan Bell invites us inside the regenerative world presented in her recent book publication ‘Duality’- instigating a session of communal utopic world building and storytelling. Ultimately, through these three forms of artistically approaching the ecological we ask participants to join us in conversation and investigation; in understanding how we might utilise creativity and collaboration in combatting the climate crisis.

Practical info

The program will start  in the Vox PoP at 14:00 on the 22nd of April and will finish at approximately 17:00 with time until 18:00 for further drinks and discussion. As the event is participatory we will cap the attendance at 22 people and ask for participants to RSVP prior to the event wherever possible. If spaces are available walk in’s will be possible up until the point when the artistic workshops begin.