Written by The Emergency Room
One year ago today, The Emergency Room’s initial symposium was drawing to close with our 'Now What?! #2' session. In fact, one year ago today, we came together and wrote a mission statement, boldly stating our hopes and ambitions for the future of The Emergency Room.
Well, I think it’s fair to say that no-one’s plans for 2020 have turned out exactly as they expected. Like everyone, it took us at TER a while to adjust to the current pandemic-affected situation. A lot of our plans for 2020 involved organising physical meetings, and clearly this hasn’t been possible, especially back in the Spring when we all knew so little about the virus and what kinds of events could and couldn’t be run safely.
So, we adapted. Like many others, we shifted our activity online, and used our organisational and creative skills to run a series of targeted campaign actions. This was particularly important because, amidst such a turbulent year, big polluters have been doing their best to glut themselves on public money, and to get away with even more shady business than usual. In response, we coordinated a number of actions:
● We organised a virtual drinks session, #FridayDrinkswithWayne for Cardiff Airport’s new Chair Wayne Harvey, asking him what his plans were for reducing the environmental impact of his industry. We also sent him a polite but strongly worded letter to let him know what *our* expectations were.
● In the summer, we coordinated a campaign called #FutureofFlight, a week of creative action focusing on the aviation industry, which included fun creative actions for you, our lovely community to join in with, and we produced a campaign video featuring local musicians and performers from across the UK, which was viewed by over 5000 people.
● We have been publishing a regular blog, featuring opinion pieces by local writers on different aspects of the intersection between culture and climate.
● We signed an open letter to Welsh Government by the Cardiff Green New Deal initiative.
In these campaigning efforts we were emboldened and encouraged to have the support of many wonderful friends and allies, including (but not limited to, and in no particular order), Cardiff Greenpeace, Isembard's Wheel, Jimmy Boy Blue, The Landing Crew, Phil Croxall, Cardiff Extinction Rebellion Caerdydd, Extinction Rebellion Cardiff Arts, ItsJust Pross, Alys Morgan Pearce, Green New Deal Cardiff - Cytundeb Gwyrdd Newydd Caerdydd and others! Thank you to each and every one of you.
But that’s not all. In addition to the projects mentioned above, in the background we have also been working hard on putting together some exciting plans for the future! Firstly, we are currently producing a resource booklet with lots of handy guidance and inspiration for using the arts to tackle the Climate Crisis. We’re aiming to publish it next year, so keep an eye out!
Furthermore, amidst the stress and uncertainty of the pandemic, many people in the Welsh arts sector came together to form the Wales Cultural Alliance, a network of creative people working together to reshape the arts sector, so that rather than going back to business as usual, we can build back better. TER are working with the Alliance’s Climate and Culture Working Group to plan some large scale initiatives for the Welsh arts sector, working collectively to achieve Climate Justice.
So, not the year we expected, but a busy and productive year nonetheless, and with more important projects ahead! We’re really grateful to be supported by excellent collaborators, and by you our community. It means a lot to be able to work on these critical issues we are so passionate about, knowing that friends and allies are out there, walking the same path. Maybe you’d like to get more involved in the work of TER, perhaps writing a blog piece as a guest writer, or having your say in the Wales Cultural Alliance. We’re always happy to talk, so if there’s anything you’d like to discuss with us, feel free to drop us an email at info.emergencyroom@gmail.com.
Until then, with hope, humour, and determination,
The Emergency Room
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