Can arts and culture help create a sustainable future for the planet?
Our four-part series explores the ways in which the cultural sector can contribute to Europe’s post-pandemic societies through the immense creativity and imagination it has to offer. In this final part, we focus on creating a sustainable future.
Throughout this series of articles on post-pandemic Europe, we’ve focused on how the cultural and creative sector (CCS) brings value in diverse ways to European societies.
We discussed the significant role the culture and arts play in the European economy. We explored how cultural and artistic activity can positively contribute to health and wellbeing, and also how increased cultural participation can help support individuals and societies as a whole.
All of these wonderful benefits will soon be of little consequence, however, if we don’t face the biggest challenge of our time: dealing with the effects of climate change that has been the result of our way of living and using the Earth’s resources.
The pandemic: a glimpse into a better future?
Funnily enough, it took a global pandemic to show us that several ‘impossible’ changes in the way we live can actually be achieved on a wide scale.
It’s safe to say the coronavirus has had a huge impact on the way we travel, conduct business and connect with each other. Significant, but short-term changes like these have already made a noticeable difference (for example, in terms of global carbon emissions).
More specifically for the CCS, the pandemic has kicked off a lot of transformation that we should now consider ramping up. For example, we’re now thinking more seriously about how arts and culture can impact on society’s welfare (i.e. a healthy economy and a thriving labour market) as much as its well-being (i.e. Europeans’ health, cultural participation and sense of community).
We’re also coming to realise that in terms of production, quality might be better than quantity. In other words, winding down mass production—which in any case encourages superficial consumerism—in favour of smaller productions that are focused on making a personal impact.
The way artworks reach their audience is another aspect of the CCS that’s rapidly changing due to the pandemic. Physical spaces are giving way to remote access and digital or hybrid spaces, reducing travel-based pollution and waste, while at the same time reaching larger audiences as well.
With all these existing avenues for positive transformation in mind, we can see EU-funded cultural and creative projects playing a twofold role in creating a more sustainable future for us all.
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Overhauling CCS production-distribution-consumption cycles
While producing cultural or artistic works may not be as damaging to the environment as drilling for oil, the sector certainly contributes its own share of carbon emissions, waste and pollution.
Some examples include film productions and events that are notorious for consuming enormous amounts of energy (The London screen production industry has carbon emissions of about 125,000 tonnes/year, roughly equivalent to the annual emissions from almost 24,000 homes). The fast fashion industry model has yet to adequately integrate recycling or other sustainability measures. Creatives in general tend to be frequent travellers, and those air miles add up to a hefty carbon footprint.
So what can the CCS do to reform its value chain towards sustainability? As it turns out, quite a lot.
The audiovisual sector has already started the difficult discussion around sustainable filmmaking, and is examining whether skyrocketing European film production is the way forward. What is becoming increasingly clear is that the development of projects should—at the very least—integrate into their planning considerations of sustainability, potential environmental damage and recycling.
And if cultural or arts projects want to get EU funding in the future, these considerations might very well be obligatory. As of 2021, the EU will be asking for climate objectives to be reflected across EU funded initiatives, with an overall dedicated budget of 25% across programmes including the creative funding pillar, Creative Europe. The new European Bauhaus initiative also intends to create direct links between the CCS and sustainable architecture and urban development.
Some innovative CCS projects have already got a head start: What Design Can Do aims to transform the design sector with the No Waste Challenge, while Green Filmmaking is nurturing professionals involved in sustainable film production.
Looking at what can be done in its own supply chain to create a more sustainable planet is a movement that is clearly gaining momentum within the CCS. However, the sector can go even further, by inspiring the rest of the world to imagine, and more importantly, implement alternative ways of living.
“So what can the CCS do to reform its value chain towards sustainability? As it turns out, quite a lot.”
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Changing mindsets to create a better, more sustainable planet for all
When we talk about the benefits of culture and the arts to society, most people consider the positive impacts on their own, individual level. But the CCS can and does have a wide and measurable impact when it comes to collective action as well. And there is no bigger case study than changing our mindsets and habits in order to imagine and create a better future.
Whether it’s through film, music, theatre or dance, culture and the arts have long been educating the public, holding up a mirror to our lives, and creating empathy and a sense of shared experience. These are all important if we want to move from ‘me’ to ‘we’ thinking. And regarding the pursuit of an inhabitable planet in 2100: we are definitely all in it together.
More than that, the CCS can actually show us how it can be done. Whether it’s new ways to design cities or eco-friendly living, culture and the arts can inspire and motivate. We cannot underestimate hopeful and positive actions like these, when so often we are presented with apocalyptic scenarios and scare tactics to change our behaviours.
Few creatives have worked as tirelessly to show us a beautiful alternative future as David Attenborough. His most recent documentary A Life on Our Planet laid out a powerful call to action: “In every moment of every day, there’s a choice to be made. If we all make our choices with nature in mind, then together we’ll find a way to live in balance with the natural word. After all, we are nature”.
The takeaway
In short, if we want to have an inhabitable planet in the later half of the 21st century and beyond, we absolutely must work together to restore biodiversity, and for that, we need to create a more circular economy.
Deeper structural changes are required in our global supply chains to create a more sustainable future. The CCS is already proving itself to be well equipped to rise to this great challenge through the imagination and creativity it has to offer. Let’s make sure we use it well.
Arne van Vliet is the Creative Director of TrueMotion. He’s passionate about the creative arts and specialises in finding funding for innovative creative projects that are reshaping the arts landscape in Europe.