Can diverse cultural experiences and climate change awareness connect?
As we live on a transforming planet, we urgently need to be aware of actions that degrade our natural resources and turn them into sustainable ones. But how to inspire billions of people when there are just a few decades to act and avoid terrible future scenarios? Through the connection between the rational information and the emotional layers present in storytelling narratives, people may more clearly realise the consequences of their consumption habits and choices.
Having worked with museums and galleries for almost 20 years, I have witnessed how they can play an important role in society and influence contemporary life. Artworks and cultural experiences have the power to touch emotions, which is an important way to drive change. But how do we encourage people to reflect on their attitudes towards the planet and among ourselves? Today, climate change is considered one of the most significant challenges for humanity in this century. It will greatly impact underprivileged, diverse groups who face prejudices from society, such as women, ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, Indigenous people and those at the intersection of more than one of these groups. Cultural projects often portray diversity and sustainability as different subjects, but I see them deeply linked. In my professional practice within the cultural sector, it became essential for me to foster networks of people, professionals and cultural institutions interested in debating ways to expand the participation of socially-diverse professionals, and raise consciousness about environmental issues. The solutions to climate challenges that benefit more people should come from diverse voices, often silenced in society’s conversations.
As a mid-career creative professional, a gay man living in a country that has the highest violence against LGBTQIA+ communities, and experiencing those challenges in the global south, my aim as a storyteller for exhibitions, documentaries and gamification is to develop cultural projects co-led by socially-diverse regional representatives, collaborating with diverse cultural productions throughout Brazil. As much as possible, I work alongside ethnic and gender-diverse professionals to create more layered narratives that can connect to a broader audience. I also advocate for diversity as a way to innovate narratives in the cultural sector. In my recent research about these issues, a guiding question arose during my conversation with Hillary Carty, Executive Director of Clore Leadership: How to foster diverse perspectives and climate awareness through co-creation in cultural projects?
SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES
How could diverse voices embody the stories of people facing the consequences of climate change and teach us how to live sustainably? In the UK cultural sector, some recent exhibitions have embraced these challenges, with various results. For example, the highlight of the exhibition ‘Rising Tide: Art and Environment in Oceania’ at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh is a sculptural installation from George Nuku, a New Zealand artist. It imagines the state of the ocean 100 years into the future in an immersive landscape with a floating house crafted from single-use plastic bottles. Other artworks are made from pollution, like plastic construction strapping found on a beach in Guam, turned into traditional baskets. It also features historical objects from National Museums Scotland’s collections, such as spear points from the Kimberley region of Western Australia made by Aboriginal men from discarded glass bottles.
Many UK museums are beginning to spotlight environmental challenges related to their thematic focus. The Imperial War Museum Group is preparing a climate change, war and conflict temporary exhibition to open in around two years, and is researching environmental impacts within wars. Other venues such as Manchester Gallery, which has a climate-focused gallery, are looking into how internal processes can also allow space for sustainability discussions, revealing how the sector must act understand its share of responsibilities.
As context, in April 2021, the UK-based environmental non-profit organisation Julie’s Bicycle was commissioned to produce a report on the visual art sector’s climate impact. The report estimated that the art sector’s total global carbon footprint in the UK is around 70 million tonnes of CO2 per annum, including emissions from visitors travelling to museums and galleries.
Reducing impact should also be part of curatorial decisions. For example, including large-scale installations in a exhibition can significantly impact the carbon footprint. So, does including a particular installation add so much to the exhibition that it is worth the environmental cost? Could we, as curators, have included it in another way? Curators need to consider these factors when deciding on the content of exhibitions. Some exhibitions have managed to integrate climate awareness and social diversity thematics. The ‘A World In Common: Contemporary African Photography’ exhibition at Tate Modern presents works from Fabrice Monteiro, from Senegal, which materialise religious entities that represent nature using waste materials that cause pollution and Mario Macilau, Mozambique, which puts families in front of burning piles of trash. The temporary exhibition ‘From the Ashes’ in the Migrate Art Gallery in London presented artworks by Brazilian and British artists. With well-known names such as Richard Long and highlighting rising Indigenous artists, they used ashes from the deforested Amazon as material for the artworks to call attention to this issue.
As Arts Council England demands a greater focus on sustainability, cultural spaces are also aiming for more permanent plans. The People’s History Museum in Manchester wants climate to be more often represented in new exhibitions. Its cafe has a zero-waste program, and the institution is fundraising to refurbish its old building, which needs a new energy system. Southbank Centre has stated that sustainability is one of its strategic priorities, and it has set the goal of being a net zero-carbon organisation by 2040.
ENGAGEMENT WITH DIVERSE AUDIENCES
Cultural spaces need to be equitable, with under-represented voices being more present. For example, the Eden Project is an environmental and cultural site in Bodelva. Focused on massive greenhouses of plants from different regions, the ‘Spirits of the Rainforest’ section of the Rainforest Biome greenhouse also shows paintings from Don Francisco Montes Shuna and Yolanda Panduro Baneo, from Peru, who visually give human form to entities from Indigenous Peruvian populations that represent our connection with nature. In this way, traditional knowledge is presented alongside scientific approaches in this space.
In 2023, the People’s History Museum presented ‘Nothing About Us Without Us – Disabled People’s activism: past, present and future,’ a disability rights exhibition with more intersectionality in its represented stories. Adaptations to the exhibition’s design were made together with disabled groups. Its future projects include themes such as migration and LGBTQ+ rights.
Culture can also be an active tool regarding gender and sexual diversity awareness. Museums, for example, need to be a safe space for conversations and to be different. At the Queer Britain Museum, the curatorial process of selecting stories and objects that represent the wide span of gender identities keeps a constant eye on inclusion, support and care networks. As the first LGBTQ+-focused museum in the UK, it seeks to create content that shines a light on lived experiences and our collective responsibility to fight prejudices. Another exhibition that recently presented queer perspectives was ‘(Un)Defining Queer’ at the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester with artworks that addressed HIV prejudice, and at the Wellcome Collection in London the film ‘Permissible Beauty’ was featured in the “Cult of Beauty” exhibition, portraying black queer stories in their own right.
Although the number of women leaders is relatively high among cultural institutions, ethnic diversity is low in the UK, especially in curatorial roles and projects. According to the ‘Impact of ethnic diversity initiatives on curatorial roles in the UK arts and heritage sector 1998-2021’ document, in 2021, across all organisations and disciplines supported through Arts Council England’s national portfolio, museums had the lowest rate of ethnic diversity, with only around 6% of workers identifying as Black, Asian or Ethnically Diverse. Parallel research from Create (2018) estimates that only 2.7% of workers in UK museums, galleries and libraries are from minority ethnic backgrounds. These figures are based on Office for National Statistics data, representing a picture across the whole UK, not just in England.
Highlighting racial diversity and social equity, the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool provides awareness towards understanding the effects of colonisation and slavery today. It is located in Liverpool’s Albert Dock, yards away from the dry docks where 18th-century slave trading ships were repaired and fitted out. Being a city with a history of racial segregation, Liverpool has to address urgent themes about diversity and the fight against social inequalities in the UK. As an example, the ‘Unforgotten Lives – Rediscovering Londoners of African, Caribbean, Asian and Indigenous Heritage’ exhibition in Hampstead Heath Park in London in 2023 was vandalised with white ink.
Cultural projects must be accountable and portray narratives that support people from minority ethnic backgrounds, those who are transgender and those with disabilities. Now is the time for us to come together and act collectively for a positive change in the cultural sector’s workforce diversity and make a generational difference. The Imperial War Museum highlights the need to do more in the sector, with KPIs in place. The Peace Museum in Bradford has used its current renovation as an opportunity to bring more of Bradford’s social diversity into the exhibition spotlight. It is investing in co-producing with community groups to collect plural stories. The Science and Industry Museum in Manchester has established an advisory board for diverse voices, developing community partnership plans. The Science + Media Museum in Bradford aims to attract the localSouth Asian audience with a tailored programme for schools and through consulting with local community groups. It will also enhance accessibility features in its new galleries still under renovation, including content for neurodivergent visitors. In its ‘Above the Noise’ exhibition about the power of community radio stations, it exercised shared ownership over content. Some co-created projects are part of ‘Open for All’, a Science Museum Group programme to provide greater access, equity and diversity in all their museums.
THOUGHTS FOR AN INCLUSIVE FUTURE
In the grand scheme of things, the cultural sector is not one of the planet’s great polluters, and we all agree that museums and galleries are a force for good. However, we know that exhibitions can be very wasteful, and every sector needs to think about how it can reduce its environmental impact. The difficult work of trying to build a more sustainable operation can feel like yet more pressure. Nevertheless, this culture shift must be acknowledged and supported by senior management teams. A director’s commitment is crucial, and some investment may be required to boost teams’ action or acknowledge extra responsibility. But it is not only cultural institutions that are changing. Audiences have already assumed different attitudes and visiting habits. Recent cultural and technological shifts after COVID-19 have evolved people’s expectations of what makes experiences worthwhile or appealing. People assume the right to co-opt and redistribute content, not just to look at it. They seek opportunities for creative expression, both self-directed and in response to the messages they consume. They also want to be respected and recognised because of their unique interests. These shifts are transforming how cultural institutions, from museums and galleries to libraries to for-profit “experience vendors”, do business.
All of these expectations can bring cultural institutions closer to their fundamental goals. Artworks, interactive exhibitions and object-centred institutions are uniquely equipped to support creative and respectful community dialogue. Interpersonal interactions around content can strengthen relationships among diverse audiences, while engaging visitors with new ideas, encouraging critical thinking, supporting creativity, and inspiring people to take positive action, which can be attained through inclusive and co-created practices. Millions of creative, community-minded people are ready to visit, contribute to and participate with cultural institutions and exhibitions that support their interests. While many people explore their passions in online communities, there is enormous potential for them to come together in physical spaces organised around stories, videos, interactive content and artworks that matter to them. People can make a significant social impact when they have safe, welcoming places in their local communities to meet new people, engage with complex ideas and be creative. This change has to be addressed with conviction and commitment across trustees, funders, staff, committees and the boards, especially to support diverse communities in being part of the conversation around themes of climate change adaptation.
Climate change is more than white British, as diverse groups are increasingly feeling the impacts and culture needs to portray their stories. Performative acts from cultural institutions, such as greenwashing, can do harm in the long term and must be challenged. Examples show that mid size and smaller organisations have impressive actions in place that can serve as prototypes and inspiration. Developing trust, relationships and new ideas takes time and investment but the effects can be long-lasting as they create a more porous structure, with entry points for diverse audiences to connect and engage with cultural narratives and venues. Processes can differ from organisation to organisation, but a common purpose can be shared: a more diverse, inclusive, sustainable and relevant cultural sector needs to play its role in our century’s greatest challenge. If the climate is changing, why aren’t we?
About the author
Dr Leonardo Menezes is an exhibition curator, audiovisual director, screenwriter, content creator, and director at Other Wave Content, focused on exhibitions, experiences, documentaries, courses and published content. He has curated exhibitions for the Museum of Tomorrow in Rio de Janeiro and SESI Lab in Brasilia, and has directed three feature documentaries for cinemas and streaming platforms. Leo is a 2023/24 Chevening Fellow on the Clore Leadership Programme, where he investigated how social diversity and climate change could promote narratives in cultural projects highlighting values such as sustainability, empathy and co-creation.
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