Date
15 September 2023
Time
13:00 – 17:00
Location
Hexagon Theatre, Midlands Arts Centre, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH
Organisers

The Event
What Does Sustainable Art Look Like?
Gather fascinating nuggets of information and practical gems of advice from inspiring speakers at this lively afternoon of talks and discussions, for arts industry professionals, by arts industry professionals.
Are our systems fit for purpose with a climate in crisis? How can we balance the way we create and view art with the need to reduce emissions and conserve nature? Do we really need all this stuff we use?
Featuring voices from those working in arts sustainability, we’ll have a frank and open conversation about how we are doing things and whether it’s good enough. We’ll combine imaginative responses with practical solutions to find ways of thinking beyond the traditional.
Speakers
Feimatta Conteh
Feimatta is the Environmental Sustainability Manager for Factory International, advising and working with all teams to integrate environmental sustainability into their practice. She has worked across sustainability, technology development, digital culture and the arts for over 15 years. She is a trustee of Phoenix Dance Theatre and Invisible Dust, and a facilitator of the GMAST network supporting the cultural and creative community across Greater Manchester to address the climate and ecological crisis. Outside of work, Feimatta is deeply involved with an educational children’s camping charity – she enjoys building communities and helping young people interact with nature.

Nyasha Gudo
Nyasha Gudo is a director based in Birmingham, who has just directed A Play For the Living In A Time of Extinction at the Belgrade, Coventry for Headlong Theatre. This innovative one woman show takes us on a life-changing journey to confront the urgent ecological disaster that is unfolding around us. Part ritual, part battle cry, and powered by bicycles, this fiercely feminist off-grid production is a moving exploration of what it means to be human in an era of man-made extinction.
Sharing learning from Europe and Katie Mitchell, the show presents an innovative touring model, the first of its kind in the UK, which sees a play tour, while the people do not.
Simon Curtis, Walking Backwards Into The Future
Combining his passion for culture and climate change Simon specialises in working with organisations, venues and cities to help them explore how to improve their own environmental performance and engage with citizens.
Simon currently chairs the UK’s largest cultural network that has been actively delivering environmental improvement and contributing to city policy for over 10 years. Through this they partnered with Manchester City Council to deliver the C-Change project as part of the EU’s URBACT Programme driving change for better cities.
As part of the Manchester Climate Change Partnership Simon represents culture in developing long term policy and action.
Simon has worked in the cultural sector for 25 years in theatre, live performance, exhibitions, events and festivals and has many years experience at a senior level.
Do We Really Need This? Panel Discussion
With guests Matt Hogan, IKON Gallery; Mark Hughes-Webb, Space2Group; Lizzie Moran, Midlands Arts Centre.
After these inspiring speakers we’d love everyone to join us for networking in MAC Bar. Each ticket includes a drink voucher.
Register
Sound good? Register your place.