Communicating Climate Change – what matters, what works?
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival, Komiket in the Philippines and Manchester-based Creative Concern are asking those questions, as part of an opening salvo for the “10 Years to Save the World” international comics project, which is supported by the British Council as part of its Time for Action initiative.
An online discussion will place next week, and the organisations involved would like to hear your views about the best way to communicate climate change to young people.
“Climate change is the biggest challenge of our time and getting the message right is vital to encourage everyone to take action,” say the team behind the 10 Years to Save the World project. “We’re running an online discussion to find out what messages motivate change.
“We’ll take this findings to inform a new project that brings comic artists and the climate change challenge together to create new artwork that will encourage more people to take action.”
The comics-focused 10 Years to Save the World is one of at least 14 creative commissions that are part of Time for Action, exploring climate change through art, science and digital technology, supported by the British Council.
The commissions were awarded through a competitive open call process, and over 480 proposals were received from all over the world. Funded by British Council, the commissions will be developed by individuals and organisations in the UK working with partners in 28 countries.
The aspiration for these commissions is to stimulate global conversations about climate change, and to inspire transformational change. The creative commissions will bring people together from the UK and 28 countries in varied cultures, from indigenous communities and rural areas to bustling metropolises to understand each other’s perspectives and collaborate on creative responses and solutions towards climate change.
10 Years to Save the World uses comics to stimulate climate change action in young people aged 18 – 24. This partnership will produce a 10-part digital comic anthology, using a variety of styles from comic strips to longer designed story-telling and graphic novels, which will be brought to life with animations, provocations and interactions, based on Creative Concern Manchester and C40 toolkit methodology.
Each of the ten comic strips will represent one of the remaining 10 years we have to save the world, and the final comic anthology will be made available online and to download and share in the UK, the Philippines and globally alongside the Lakes International Comic Art Festival (presented by Lakes Arts Festivals) and the Philippines International Comics Art Festival (presented by Komiket) through an immersive and interactive website.
It’s the aim of the partnership behind that the project and its underpinning methodology will challenge young people’s everyday actions and attitudes.
Other projects include an online Museum of Plastic, the creation of Cooperative Innovations (England) and Eden Festival of Action (led by Greenpop, South Africa), looking back from a future where single-use plastics have been banned and climate destruction has been averted; and Nine Earths, a new collaborative and interdisciplinary project that explores the relationship between our carbon footprint, the global consumption of day-to-day life and the differences within global cities and cultures. The project p, delivered by D-Fuse (England), Metal (Liverpool), RMIT University (Vietnam), Maya Chami (digital and visual artist), Sembilan Matahari (Indonesia), AguaForte (Brazil), Multiplicidade (Brazil), brings together independent artists, climate activists and local communities in the UK, Indonesia, Lebanon, Brazil and Vietnam.
Also in the works is Street Art Opera, an active programme inviting young participants to write, develop and perform an opera in response to climate change from a human and social perspective; and the Green Spaces Atlas, which will work with young people to conceptualise, visualise and develop urban green space models for abandoned and neglected spaces in urban neighbourhoods.
“These creative commission projects shine a light on climate ideas and action around the world and the desire for greater collaboration around these shared challenges,” says Tania Mahmoud, Cities Programmes Lead, British Council.
“We have been amazed by the quality and breadth of ideas through this open call – it was an incredibly tough decision, but we are delighted with the diverse and rich selection of final projects that have come through this commission. They are proof that climate action isn’t only possible, it’s innovative, it’s exciting and it makes a difference.”
• Communicating Climate Change – what matters, what works? | Online Event – no preparation necessary! Full details here on Eventbrite | 5.00 – 6.30pm, Thursday 11th March 2021 | Join by clicking on this Zoom link at 5.00pm on 11th March. Just click to connect, you do not need an account
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Digital Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events
Philippine International Comics Festival returns next month as free, online event 
In Review and in Pictures: Lawless 2023 
Commando honours artist Gordon C Livingstone with latest releases 
AI and comic creation in the spotlight: free Comics Connection online event next week