Full Program Announced for Climate Crisis and the Arts Forum at the Adelaide Festival

Adelaide Festival has announced the line-up for the 2022 Climate Crisis and the Arts forum, a free one-day event on Friday 11 March at the Pioneer Women's Memorial Garden. The inaugural event will feature conversations with some of Australia's leading artistic voices and environmental activists who will explore creative opportunities to educate, inspire and mobilise communities for climate action.

Designed as a catalyst for artists, arts organisations and anyone interested in climate action within their own community, the curated panels will discuss the role of the arts in driving urgently needed environmental change.

44 local and international activists have confirmed for the program to date, including:

• Damon Gameau - filmmaker (2040), author and environmental educator
• Rona Glynn-McDonald - proud Kaytetye woman from Central Australia who is founder and CEO of Common Ground
• Tiahni Adamson - First Nations youth environmental activist and state coordinator of Seed
• Berish Bilander - composer, musician and CEO of Green Music Australia
• Sharni Honor - creator of award-winning travelling backyard festival series The Porch Sessions and co-director of Summertown Studio
• Jess Scully - author, arts curator and Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney
• Alison Tickell - founder and CEO of Julie's Bicycle (live streamed from the UK)

Adelaide Festival Artistic Directors Rachel Healy and Neil Armfield said: "In 2020, Adelaide Festival became the first major Australian arts festival to be certified carbon neutral. We invite everyone to come along and discover how both arts audiences and arts workers can be an exemplar of environmental responsibility and how we can all help build a sustainable future."

Climate Crisis and the Arts producer Beatrice Jeavons said: "The climate crisis remains the largest global challenge of our time. However, it's also an opportunity to come together and build a better future. Climate change is everyone's business and while it is hard not to become overwhelmed by the urgency, there are so many incredible ways to tackle this head on. I'm confident the arts and cultural sector will play a significant role in inspiring us, highlighting solutions and mobilising collective climate action."

The forum is one of five Adelaide Festival events supported by the UK/Australia Season, a partnership between the British Council and the Australian Government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Season is a major cultural exchange designed to strengthen and build cultural connections between the two nations. It centres on the theme Who Are We Now? to reflect on our history, exploring our current relationships, and imagining a better future together. The Season takes place in Australia from September 2021 to March 2022, and in the UK from September 2021 to December 2022.

Country Director Australia at British Council Helen Salmon said: "A key focus of the UK/Australia Season is collaboration, across disciplines, face to face and using new technologies to build capacity and innovation. Our programme is artist led and climate was one of the four key themes that emerged through our grant funding process. The arts and cultural sector will play a significant role in communicating the urgency of the climate crisis. Our artists' insights, ideas and dedication are essential to how we reimagine and create a better world. We're thrilled to partner with the Australia Council on this event that demonstrates our shared commitment to action and sustainability and will inform future goals and developments."

Founder and CEO of Julie's Bicycle Alison Tickell said: "The climate crisis is a cultural crisis and therein lies the answer: what we do now to orient to this monumental challenge really matters. The creative community in Australia is already generating collective purpose, commitment to action and integrity we so urgently need. Julie's Bicycle is honoured to be a part of this inspiring moment."

Australia Council Head of Industry Development Jade Lillie said: "The Australia Council is delighted to partner with the British Council to support this initiative through the important UK/Australia Season partnership. It is important to drive discussions about the role of the arts and cultural sectors to respond to climate change and address the current and future challenges of environmental sustainability."

Chief Executive of Green Industries SA Dr Ian Overton said: "Green Industries SA is proud to partner with Adelaide Festival for a second year in a row because of their strong commitment to a more circular economy and to minimise every aspect of their carbon footprint. It's a partnership we value for the wide audience the festival attracts. The Adelaide Festival partnership also lets us continually connect this audience to the idea that a circular economy is one of the fastest and most effective ways to address climate change, through its philosophy to reduce, reuse, recover and recycle all of our resources."

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