nordic talks session 2 – 9 june 2022

Invited speakers:
– Hugi Ásgeirsson (SE) Co-founder of Blivande & Cobudget
– Karen Jonkers (NL) Researcher and Proces-manager C-REALIST
– Annika Bromberg (SE) Set and costume designer with a focus on international performing arts and sustainability

Moderator: Iwona Preis (SE) Director of Intercult

Climate change is a cultural challenge that requires action here and now.
– Can the artists creatively frame a common purpose?
– In which way can the cold scientific facts be translated into human emotions and the intangible issue of climate change be broken into small personal components?
– How can the cultural centres and organisations support these types of actions?

The three international experts will discuss the role of artists and culture in the global issue of climate change.

In 2005, in an article titled “What the Warming World Needs Now Is Art, Sweet Art,” 350.org founder Bill McKibben wrote that although we knew about climate change, we didn’t really know about it; it wasn’t part of the culture yet. “Where are the books? The plays? The goddamn operas?” he asked. An intellectual understanding of the scientific facts was not enough – if we wanted to move forward and effect meaningful change, we needed to engage the other side of our brains. We needed to approach the problem with our imagination. And the people best suited to help us do that, he believed, were the artists.(artistsandclimatechange.com)

While the economic and social value of art and culture is increasingly recognized in cities – especially in the Nordic countries –, it is much less known how they can contribute to the creation of environmentally sustainable cities. Social resilience is the ability of human communities to withstand and recover from stresses, such as environmental change or social, economic or political upheaval. According to many observers, the climate issue is a cultural challenge. Creativity and art generate economic and social capital: they are important for the economy, as well as for health and well-being, social integration, renewal and perhaps most importantly, shape urban identity. Now we realize that culture is also crucial for creating socially cohesive cities that are resilient, future-proof and much more fun places to live.

The event will take place in Stockholm where democratic openness, artistic quality, cultural heritage, social relevance, economic potential and ecological profiling contribute to providing the residents with the opportunity to take part in a cultural and physical environment that matters to and affects them.