Mobilize Arts & Culture
Just Transition mural created by Bruno Smoky in Oshawa featuring the CUPW & Green Jobs Oshawa. For more info please visit School for Climate here.
“The role of the artist is to make revolution irresistible”
If we are to tackle the climate emergency with the necessary speed and scale, we need everyone on board. And who better to lead this transformation than the artists and cultural leaders among us? The arts and culture sector in Canada has a significant role to play in creating the political and cultural shifts needed for real systemic change. The sector is full of leaders who are invested in a climate-safe future and who understand the need for emergency-level action.
CEU was part of bringing together SCALE (Sectoral Climate Action Leadership for the Emergency), a national roundtable of leaders from across the arts and culture sector. SCALE started with a small coordinating group of seven, and now includes more than 60 members organizing across various working groups with a common purpose: to rapidly move the arts and culture sector into emergency-level climate leadership, both within the sector and as a catalyst to broader Canadian society.
SCALE represents a broad swathe of Canadian arts and culture institutions. Combining the power of artists, museums, media organizations, community organizations and arts funders, the roundtable works in a horizontal and democratic format to bring everyone's voice to the table to catalyze transformative climate action. The roundtable works to transform the sector from within while also holding federal and provincial decision-makers accountable for advocating for strong climate-focused cultural policy.
Getting Involved
Are you an artist, creative, or art professional, and wish to get involved in this work? You can get in contact with SCALE through the organization’s website.
What would a climate and ecological emergency plan look like for the arts and culture sector?
With sector actors, the CEU is currently helping develop an emergency plan for the sector. Once this is complete, you will be able to find it here.
Campaign Leads
Anjali Appadurai
Anthony Garoufalis-Auger
Our Initiatives and Partnerships
For more inspiring murals and arts ideas, check out the School for Climate. The School for Climate was created to empower artists to convey what a vision rooted in climate justice looks like, what a different cultural story feels like, and the role each community and industry can play in bringing that reality to fruition. Leveraging creative skillsets, the School for Climate develops creative experiences; from artwork to immersive environments, to express the power of climate solutions.
And check out the terrific videos created by Artists for Real Climate Action (ARCA) here.
THE SECOND WORLD WAR HAD A POPULAR SOUNDTRACK. THE CLIMATE MOBILIZATION NEEDS ONE TOO.
There is some Canadian climate mobilization music out there:
Joel Plaskett’s song Where There’s a Will, written and performed for the Nova Scotia launch of A Good War.
Victoria-based duo Decades After Paris have produced a full concept album of climate-themed music, including this great song.
Check our Buckman Coe’s Gathering Storm video (featuring the Tiny House Warriors).
Sarah Harmer has a terrific new song out called New Low that captures the climate mobilization moment.
Raffi's rousing new song in support of the millions of young people around the world urging climate action - tribute to Greta Thunberg.
Toronto-based Jen Schaffer and Shiners wrote this song inspired by A Good War.