Sea Change project in The Environment Strategy for Scotland

Culture for Climate Scotland is delighted to have our project Sea Change featured in The Environment Strategy for Scotland. In Sea Change our artists are working in two coastal towns to develop plans for how communities need to transform in response to climate change.

The Environment Strategy aims to create an integrated framework for Scotland’s role in tackling the interconnected crises of climate change, pollution and nature loss. As such, it is really valuable to have arts-based projects like Sea Change highlighted at the highest level so they can act as a model for more detailed levels of planning on these crises.

The project is referenced within section 5 of the strategy, which details the goal of ‘Scotland’s society is transformed for the better by living sustainably, in harmony with nature’, with 5.5 (pages 59-60) highlighting ‘Harnessing the transformational power of the arts’.

At Culture for Climate Scotland we believe wholeheartedly in the invaluable role of culture in achieving the transformational change to an environmentally sustainable Scotland. We are pleased to see this included in The Environment Strategy, and the connections referenced with the Scottish Government’s own Culture Strategy and Creative Scotland’s Climate Emergency and Sustainability Plan. We look forward to seeing the action taken by The Scottish Government and Creative Scotland to deliver on the actions set out in the strategy.

Lewis Coenen-Rowe, culture/SHIFT Manager at Culture for Climate Scotland, says:

‘I’m pleased to see the value of arts-led work on climate change being reflected at the highest level of Scottish Government strategy. It’s a real vote of confidence in the fantastic work that Sea Change artists Eve Mosher and Gabby Morris are doing, and the transformational power of the embedded artist approach. I hope this news helps everyone we’re working with in Montrose and Buckie feel proud of what we’ve achieved so far and energised for what we can do next.’

Below is an excerpt from ‘Harnessing the transformational power of the arts’ that references the Sea Change project:

‘The arts can play a powerful role in mobilising the shifts in social norms and values needed to tackle the nature, climate and pollution crises. They can trigger change by engaging people in deeper ways, helping us to reimagine relationships between people and nature and think more creatively about sustainable futures. They can engage diverse audiences in ways that policy alone cannot achieve and support innovative approaches, such as “giving voice” to nature in decision-making through creative practices. A wide range of exciting initiatives are already underway across Scotland.

For example, Culture for Climate Scotland is leading a project – ‘Sea Change: Co-creating costal futures’ – demonstrating how community-led, arts-based approaches can be used to help empower communities in Montrose and Buckie to advocate for and enact a just transition in their area. […]

Our Culture Strategy Action Plan includes a commitment to “harness the transformational power of culture to deliver on climate change”. Creative Scotland plays a key role in delivering this through its Climate Emergency and Sustainability Plan. Through delivery of this commitment, there are exciting opportunities to explore the role of culture and the arts in empowering and inspiring the societal shifts needed to help tackle the nature, climate and pollution crises. In this way, culture and the arts can act as a delivery mechanism to support progress towards all of the Environment Strategy’s outcomes.

• Support opportunities, as part of delivering the existing Culture Strategy Action Plan commitment, to harness the role of culture and the arts in inspiring action to tackle the nature, climate and pollution crises.
• Explore the potential for arts-based methods, including storytelling creative skills and expertise, to support our public engagement and participation activities.’

Read The Environment Strategy (PDF).

Find out more about Sea Change, a project working with local artists Eve Mosher and Gabby Morris to support two coastal communities – Montrose and Buckie – develop ways of responding to climate change in their area and influence decisionmakers.

Learn more about culture/SHIFT, our programme for embedding the arts into climate and community work.