RSA No Way Back? Conference
RSA: No Way Back?, International Conference
Year
2006
Client
RSA
Partners
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
Arts Council England
Services
Conference development and management
Location
LSE, London
No Way Back? Conference
Bridget Sawyers was commissioned by the RSA to develop and manage a two-day international conference and other elements of the Arts & Ecology Programme including a week-long workshop to the Pear River Delta.
RSA Arts & Ecology Programme
This programme was set up in April 2005 under the RSA’s ‘Moving towards a zero waste society’ Manifesto Challenge. A partnership with Arts Council England quickly developed along with the delivery of a series of events, a dedicated website, education pilots for schools, a publication and the establishment of a major networking group. A number of opportunities were formed for artists to engage with ecological issues that are affecting the planet today and in the future. The London School of Economics joined this partnership to foster an international dimension, focusing on China and the exploration of working across many disciplines, including philosophy, sociology and psychology.
This was a broad reaching programme that aimed to place the arts as a central player in the global attempts to explore, communicate, challenge and propose solutions to the huge issues at stake – Climate change, desertification, waste and dwindling biodiversities – and all examined through artists and interdisciplinary dialogue.
One of the components of the programme that took place in December 2006 and launched the next and more public phase of the Arts & Ecology Programme was the conference, conceived as an enquiry – No Way Back?
“The artist-led workshops were a highlight, showcasing how contemporary visual arts can inspire innovative solutions to pressing ecological issues”
No Way Back? Celebrated the end of the first phase of the Arts & Ecology programme and was held at the London School of Economics over two days, December 11th & 12th 2006. It was an International Enquiry linking the arts with other disciplines to explore the connections and tensions driving environmental and socio-economic changes and challenges being faced by the world today.
The event brought together artists, geographers, ecologists, economists, architects, politicians, sociologists, philosophers, anthropologists, scholars, the media and business. It provided a platform for the presentation and discussion of shared concerns from many different perspectives. It comprised keynote presentations, case studies, discussions groups, workshops, screenings, walks, readings and artists spoke about and presented their work.
Some 450 delegates, and 20 speakers came to London from around the world including Chile, Brazil, Italy, Malaysia, Germany and the USA. There were representatives from the Renmin University in China, London Climate Change Agency, The Soil Association and from the Cultural Ministry of Brazil. Among the artists – all representing innovative approaches to contemporary visual arts – were Maria Theresa Alves, Jeremy Deller, Tue Greenfort, Heather & Ivan Morison, Thomas Saraceno, Lara Almarcegui, Klaus Weber and Marjetica Potrc.
The programme included artist-led workshops, film screenings and poetry readings. A drinks reception was held for the book launch LAND, ART: A Cultural Ecology Handbook, commissioned by the RSA by writer and curator Max Andrews.
“The discussions on the role of art in addressing climate change and socio-economic disparities were profound. ”
Aims of the Enquiry:
To present a multi disciplinary initiative to address ecology, focusing on the arts alongside perspectives and information from different disciplines.
To elicit a range of perspectives, the structure of the Enquiry is intended to be a means of exploring the value of developing new systems of engagement.
To give open space to artists to address the issues and present work.
To explore and discuss the shared concerns of the different disciplines, focusing on the notion of ecosystems both on a pragmatic and metaphoric level.
To foster a longer term interdisciplinary national, and we hope, international exchange.
To bring real issues, both local and international, to the Enquiry - for example, the three partner organisations, together with Vitamin Creative Space, recently undertook a cross disciplinary workshop in China and some of the perspectives from the visit will be brought to the event.
For more information see:
RSA Art & Ecology