using art to influence the climate change narrative - by nor lastrina hamid

Using Art to Influence theClimate Change Narrative

Nor Lastrina Hamid for Post-Museum’s Climate Change Working Group

Why this topic?

I’ve always thought the climate change narrative in

Singapore has always been created and directed from a

top-down approach. Be it from Ministry of the

Environment and Water Resources

http://www.mewr.gov.sg/ Sustainable Singpaore

Blueprint http://www.mewr.gov.sg/ssb/ or National

Climate Change Secretariat https://www.nccs.gov.sg/

There are attempts for the climate change narrative to be

co-created by regular people like us through the NCCS

Video Competition

https://www.nccs.gov.sg/news/national-climate-change-competition

for example but that is pretty much it. The engagement

for people to feel they own this narrative stops short of

that.

And for me, for the longest time, that one-way interaction,

which is communicated through online texts,

infographics, videos, PDFs, talks and seminars pretty

much made me a I guess ‘serious’ observer of the

climate change narrative. And when I view things like

that, I become ‘serious’. So this is me. This is my

appearance and my face when I give presentations,

when I sit in as a participant. This is me when I am in

Singapore.

Me overseas, December 2015

To download and insert this 5 secs

video

https://www.flickr.com/photos/norlastrinahamid/23680245216/in/album-72157661741048301/

This is me when I am overseas. *Plays video* And I am

like this when I am outside of Singapore because I feel

the climate change narrative outside is much more

engaging and fun, it’s inspiring, and that yes, I can be

part of the climate solution.

What the warming world needs now is art, sweet artBill McKibben, Co-Founder of 350.org.

22 April 2005

http://grist.org/article/mckibben-imagine/

“But oddly, though we know about it, we don’t know about it. It hasn’t registered in our guts; it isn’t part of our culture. Where are the books? The poems? The plays? The goddamn operas?”

I started off my climate advocacy journey with 350

Singapore, which is the local chapter of the global 350

movement. 350.org is a global climate movement which

does online campaigns, grassroots organising, and

mass public actions in over 188 countries.

https://350.org/

This is what Bill McKibben said in 2005, before 350.org

was formed.

*reads and discuss what text means*

Let me bring you through a journey

2012

Yogyakarta,

Indonesia

Art Cafes

2014

Lima,

Peru

Overhaul Unused Spaces,

Chants, Street

Theatre

2013

Istanbul,

Turkey

Tea-House, Dance,

Music, Rally

2015

Paris,

France

Actions

2015

London,

United Kingdom

Street Art

So, let me bring you through a journey from 2012 to 2015 and share with you some

of these “sweet art” that I saw.

This is not to say that there is no art forms in Singapore which is used as a medium

to communicate climate change, environment, or sustainability issueas. There are

organisations and individuals doing this. I myself am not fully aware of everything that is going on, but if you’re interested do check out “Creative Responses to

Sustainability” as researched by Yasmine Ostendorf

http://asef.org/images/docs/Sustainability_SG_Guide_Web_151120.pdf She has interviewed individuals and organisations whose work interects the cultural space

and/or use art to talk about social and encironmental issues.

What I am sharing tonight is the kind of art that I feel is lacking in Singapore. The kind which plays with public spaces, the kind which involves the masses, the ones

which are not held indoors, not documentary screenings or art installations.

So, here, the journey begins.


2012

Yogyakarta,

Indonesia

Art Cafes

2014

Lima,

Peru


Chants, Street

Theatre

2013

Istanbul,

Turkey

Tea-House, Dance,

Music, Rally

2015

Paris,

France

Actions

2015

London,

United Kingdom

Street Art

2012. Yogyakarta.

Background context: I was working for a friend and got the

opportunity to travel a bit in Indonesia in 2012.

“Kedai Kebun Forum is an alternative art space in

Yogyakarta, managed independently by artists and

consisting of a gallery, performance space, ‘HALTE’ – a

text learning media in art, bookstore and restaurant.”

http://kedaikebun.com/

Elements+ Learning and collaborating+ Social interaction+ Exhibit without feeling judged+ Inspirational platform


2012

Yogyakarta,

Indonesia

Art Cafes

2014

Lima,

Peru


Chants, Street

Theatre

2013

Istanbul,

Turkey

Tea-House, Dance,

Music, Rally

2015

Paris,

France

Actions

2015

London,

United Kingdom

Street Art

2013. Istanbul, Turkey.

Tea-house space

Background context: Attending Global Power Shift. For that

week long event, our main venue was the University

space which hosted us.

Green space within a university was transformed to a

hangout place of sorts.

Crates to build a stage area- we used it for open-mic

session.

We had a tea-house where people left souvenirs and teas

from all over the world.

Art space behind Tea-House

There were painting areas where people could do their

own silk-screen printing on shirts.

The whole idea was to provide a space where people

could take time off from the event and hangout in this

informal space to connect with other people.

This 3:06 mins clip shows a bit of the Haka Dance performance from the Pacific Islands at Istanbul

Technical University, the march led by the Turkish Anti-Coal Movement at Kadikoy, and a bit of the party

at the boat ride along The Bosphorous.

To download and insert this 3:06 video

https://vimeo.com/69824035

This was my first exposure to a march.


2012

Yogyakarta,

Indonesia

Art Cafes

2014

Lima,

Peru


Chants, Street

Theatre

2013

Istanbul,

Turkey

Tea-House, Dance,

Music, Rally

2015

Paris,

France

Actions

2015

London,

United Kingdom

Street Art

2014 Lima, Peru

The Convergence Space

Background context: I attended COP20.

Casa de Convergencia TierrActiva (a.k.a TierrActiva Convergence Space)is an

activist hub managed collectively by TierrActiva Peru and Bolivia with the support of Global Call for Climate Action. It is an independent, autonomous

space, collaboratively created by dozens of local and foreign activists and artists. The space is open and can be used for meetings, workshops,

presentations, discussions, making art, cultural events, and generally for bringing together and nurturing the movements for alternatives. You are

welcome to use it for your informal meetings, presentations, trainings etc.While financial support for the space came mostly from the GCCA. Oxfam and

CAN-LA have provided support for additional needs. Countless activists have supported with their creative energies and hard work.

We operate under a philosophy of system change, not climate change. Beyond TierrActiva, several collectives are centrally involved in creating the

space—including f.ex. the Arts and Culture Commission of the People’s Summit. TierrActiva Bolivia is running a “conscientious food” kitchen on the

spot.

The Convergence Space

Note: All kinds of people come to the space.

Builders, The Community, Street Artists.

Chants - “We are all Saweto” / “Todos somos Saweto”. 1:24 mins clip by Oxfam Peru

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgV70z2G1W8

Download and insert this 1:24 mins clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgV70z2G1W8

Fossil of the Day - COP20: Fossil of the Day, Day 11. 19:38 mins clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUSA9_dgYp0 by Climate Tracker


clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUSA9_dgYp0

and play the first 6:20

This was the first time I saw street theatre and

how it can be used to engage people effectively.


2012

Yogyakarta,

Indonesia

Art Cafes

2014

Lima,

Peru


Chants, Street

Theatre

2013

Istanbul,

Turkey

Tea-House, Dance,

Music, Rally

2015

Paris,

France

Actions

2015

London,

United Kingdom

Street Art

2015, Paris, France

Actions- Acts of Silence and Skits

Background context: I was attend COP21

Photo 1: Fast for the Climate. Faith leaders

and civil society leaders gather at a table

with empty plate sets.

Photo 2: Clowns going to the march - Literally

“green washing”

Photo 3: #D12 .. Play video.

Paris D12 Red Line march - 1:30 mins clip by 350.org https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSLc6JInfuI


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSLc6JInfuI


2012

Yogyakarta,

Indonesia

Art Cafes

2014

Lima,

Peru


Chants, Street

Theatre

2013

Istanbul,

Turkey

Tea-House, Dance,

Music, Rally

2015

Paris,

France

Clowns

2015

London,

United Kingdom

Street Art

2015, London, UK

Street Art

Photo 1: Roa.Roa, a hugely talented Belgian street artist from Ghent, is renowned for his

giant black and white animal street art. Roa started off in the street art scene painting animals on abandoned buildings and warehouses in the

isolated industrial areas of his hometown. Today, Roa’s animals may be found slumbering on the sides of semi derilict buildings and peering out

from shop shutters in citiy streets all across the world from New York to

Berlin and Warsaw to Paris. “Graffiti is one of the most free art expressions of the world; you don’t do it for money nor for an institution, it’s free

expression and it liberates yourself creatively from a lot of restrictions.” http://streetartlondon.co.uk/artists/roa/

Photo 2: Jonesy.

Bronze castings on top of lamposts. More

http://www.shoreditchstreetarttours.co.uk/tag/jonesy/

Photo 3: *Forgot the name*Neon paint

How can we use art to influence the climate change narrative in Singapore?

What can we do engage the public and get them involved?

Art Cafes Overhaul Unused Spaces,

Chants, Street

Theatre

Tea-House, Dance,

Music, Rally

Actions Street Art

Resources to check out

Art.350.org http://art.350.org/

Projects, Resources, Videos, Artivist Network

Beautiful Trouble | A toolbox for revolution http://beautifultrouble.org/

Tactics, Principles, Theories, Case Studies, Practitioners

Creative Responses to Sustainability (Singapore Guide)

http://www.asef.org/images/docs/Sustainability_SG_Guide_Web_151120.pdf

Cultural initiatives engaging with social and environmental issues

Group ActivityGet moving :)

1. Think of a cause

Choose either 2 or 3

2. Think of how you can use a public space to promote your cause. Share

3. You have 3 mins to perform an act (Think: Dance, Chants, Movements). Share

Six Tools for Climate Change Art by Franke James

Elements to think about for group activity

Source:

http://www.frankejames.com/6-tools-to-make-world-leaders-see-the-big-picture/

1. Symbols- How to show climate change

2. Metaphors- Make things stick

3. Witness- Help the viewers see

4. Cultural change- Who are we?

5. Human nature- Touch a nerve

6. Action- Do something green

Group Sharing

Closing Activity

The Fan Dance -Gail Lotenberg, LINK Foundation. 8:58 mins clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MygafRWpq_8&feature=youtu.be

Download and insert this 8:58 min clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MygafRWpq_8&feature=youtu.be

Thank you.