Getting the climate and sustainability message across successfully is one of the biggest challenges facing practitioners and campaigners.
And finding ways to tackle this issue was the theme of the Content Rising event held at Wakehurst in Sussex last month.
The day included a mix of speakers, panels and workshops held in the beautiful grounds of Kew’s “bigger, younger and wilder sister” – and an opportunity to tour the Millennium Seed Bank.
Along with Gwyn Jones and other members of ASP (which supported the event) I went along to find out more. Here is my summary of some key points and learnings:
THE HEART OF BIODIVERSITY (Venue)
Wakehurst is the most biodiverse place on planet Earth. More than 40,000 different plant species are represented in the Millennium Seed Bank, a ‘living laboratory’.
THE POWER OF REST
Digital anthropologist Afreen Saulat – founder of @100kicks research and strategy studio – talked about AI and climate but that was not what caught my attention.
To use the power of imagination, she said, we need courage and rest. Time to dream. To think. To create space for imagination to happen. Afreen referenced The Nap Ministry movement, set up by founder Tricia Hersey (author of Rest is Resistance – A Manifesto).
In a world which typically promotes productivity and long working hours, it was refreshing to see rest as a powerful resource, something to build more into our lives and work.
IT’S NOT IMPOSSIBLE IF YOU CAN PROVE IT’S POSSIBLE
Anthony Pearce recently led communications at Human Nature, a company behind the Phoenix Project in Lewes, East Sussex. It’s an urban regeneration project to turn a former industrial site into a sustainable neighbourhood, for ‘healthier and better’ living.
Critics claimed the project was ‘naïve’, could not happen and was ‘greenwashing’. But Anthony and the team could demonstrate none of that was true. It WAS possible because it was happening.
CITIES TREATED AS NATIONAL PARKS
A fun and informative workshop by Daniel Raven-Ellison was about Guerrilla Geography. Held outside in the beautiful gardens of Wakehurst.
I loved hearing about the National Park City initiative (London is already established, Glasgow on the way) and the Slow Ways project to create a Citizen-led network for walkers, runners, riders, wheelers and cyclists.
RESPECTING PEOPLE & THEIR LANDS
Design researcher Michael Kibedi asked the Content Rising audience to consider how we do design that is less extractive AND respects people and their lands.
One of the many reflections and questions Michael prompted includes this one: How might design (and, therefore, technology and communities) look if we did not put the human at the centre of it?
BARRIERS & BUGBEARS
During a speaker panel about Youth Voice, Lira Valencia – known as the “urban wildlife queen” of Instagram – shared some gems around honesty, authenticity, being relatable and the importance of the language (“lingo”) we use for different audiences.
Lira pointed to four areas where things needed to be better for climate and sustainability action:
- (Awareness) We need climate education
- (Opportunities) People need to be able to see there are jobs in sustainability and green careers
- (Empowerment) People not seeing themselves as activists or having skills
- (Undervalued) Influencers should get paid
APPEALING TO YOUNG PEOPLE
Also on the Youth Voice panel at Content Rising was Vanessa Terschluse, a professional communicator working with Greenhouse Communications. Another highly energetic and eloquent speaker.
Vanessa encouraged those wanting to communicate with young people about climate should be trustworthy, honest, not too ‘self-promotional’ and, importantly, be empowering.
Campaigns might have a range of audiences – so test what messages connect with the young. It’s OK to be both ‘negative’ and to be hopeful at the same time, she added.
THE POWER OF CITIZENS
Jon Alexander, author of Citizens, spoke about the need for a new model of collective action – a triangle of Creator, Supporter and Enabler.
People seeing other people as the solution. People not relying on political leaders or corporates to come up with solutions. People just getting up and doing something to make their community better or be part of something much bigger for the world.
In essence: “All of us are smarter than one of us”
TINA TURNER & CLIMATE COMMUNICATIONS
Being creative about climate communications was the theme of Content Rising – and Matt Golding took that to heart.
The strategist and filmmaker took the Tina Turner song We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) and used it as a guiding theme for his presentation. Dare I say it was simply the best?
Of the many takeaways from Matt’s presentation, let me share just three:
1. Preaching about climate change does NOT offer a vision
2. We need stories about how we want the world to be
3. Community power, networked, can change the world (i.e. don’t believe your community stories are boring or your impact small)
Through Rubber Republic and his Antidote platform, Matt is sharing and testing stories about Citizens, ACTionism and community collaboration projects. It’s closely aligned with my own vision for storytelling about what’s happening in Scotland and beyond.
THANKS
A big thank you to Charlie Peverett, Tamsin Bishton, Koel Singh and all the team involved (including all the volunteers) in making Content Rising happen. Thank you to compere Pamela Gupta, workshop leaders, and panel hosts Chantelle Lindsay and Marisol Grandon.
And thanks to the team at Wakehurst for their hospitality and warm welcome. One of the best events I’ve been to in a long, long time.
CALL TO ACTION
Keynote speaker Farhana Yamin, lawyer and climate justice activist, gave a wonderfully rich and galvanising speech. She called on people to “Think BIG, talk BIG and dream.”
What might that look like, sound like or feel like for you?
