Performative Landscapes: Connection and Engagement

Prosjektbeskrivelse

Prosjektbeskrivelse fra prosjektets søknad til Kreativt Europa:

The PLACE project tackles a core driver of the climate crisis; the alienation of European citizens from nature. Research shows that, especially in urban areas, nature deprivation (insufficient access to green spaces) is a key driver of health and mental health issues and contributes to the inaction on environmental protection. In simple terms, people do not feel motivated to protect what they are not personally connected to. Therefore, climate awareness is insufficient to create widescale climate action, European citizens need to (re)engage with nature on an emotional level. They need to shift from perceiving the environment as a space (generic, disengaged) to experiencing it as a PLACE (specific, meaningful, emotionally infused) through personal connection to the land. The Cultural and Creative sector’s contribution to this challenge lies in the power of art to turn climate change from something abstract and far away into something tangible and close by. Equally, it can turn an abandoned, decaying patch of greenery in a city, into a lively, buzzing hub of creativity and climate activism. To achieve this, the project first trains artists in “performing landscapes”, an innovative methodology that focuses on regaining nature as artistic material and on strategies of care (combining artistic practice with methods of environmental protection). The training involves both theoretical (permaculture) and practical elements (eco-sensitive gardening, site-sensitive art). In the second phase, the trained artists will adapt the methodology to local ecological and community needs and work with local artists and communities to establish 3 pilots at socially and environmentally diverse sites across Europe. During the pilots, ownership and responsibility of caring for the established green spaces will be gradually passed on to local residents. Best practices and lessons learned will be shared with the CCS at Stakeholder Workshops, while locals will celebrate the artistic output.

Performative Landscapes: Connection and Engagement – Promoting regaining nature as artistic material, strategies of care and an eco-, and community-sensitive use of green spaces – EU Funding & Tenders Portal (europa.eu)