As a collective we support this call to DCMS from Culture Declares Emergency, and encourage others to share it with their colleagues and communities, as well as sending your own version to the DCMS Minister, Lucy Frazer on enquiries@dcms.gov.uk
It follows the release of the IPCC 6th Assessment Report and looks forward to Earth Day on 22nd April.
Call to DCMS on Earth Day
Our joint message is that we must unite for humanity and biodiversity to survive, but that we are running out of time to act, so this is the moment we must choose our future. In particular, this is when politicians must make the right choice, and so we in Culture Declares call on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to act for the continued thriving of our sector, our communities and the planet.
We want to see the Cultural sector creating a regenerative future that protects the planet and sustains everyone, everywhere. Our Vision, Mission and Values outline how we go beyond declaring emergency to Tell the Truth, Take Action and Seek Justice. This is ongoing creative work in our local hubs across the UK and internationally, and through our alliances with other declarer initiatives. But we draw attention to three major obstacles to this work.
A LACK OF FUNDING
We in the Culture sector are struggling to keep afloat, due to the impacts of the Earth Crisis such as Covid-19, energy & food prices, and extreme weather. We are also struggling due to funding cuts:
- Artists in the UK earn a median wage of £2.60 an hour;
- Government funding for the arts is down 46% since 2005; and
- A 50% funding cut to arts subjects in HE.
The latest tough round of Culture funding placed further pressures on many organisations in the sector. ACE has pioneered environmental reporting before other countries, supported by Julie’s Bicycle. However, there isn’t enough ethical funding for cultural work that can:
- help people learn about the causes, impacts and solutions of the Earth crisis,
- inspire imagination of resilient and innovative ways of living,
- support local and migrant communities as impacts hit them,
- help to protect and restore the built and natural environment.
A LACK OF TRUTH
In our efforts to engage the public with truths, Cultural workers are pushing against corrupted media that denies climate change and ecocide. Social and mainstream media are ‘weaponised’ by vested industries to minimise environmental problems, deny scientific facts, promote false solutions, support ‘predatory delay’ and shame citizens about their lifestyle choices. A majority of people are deeply concerned about the Earth crisis, but many will mask and minimise their concerns, or reflect the falsehoods they’ve heard in this media.
A LACK OF DEMOCRACY
There is a lack of democracy and voice in the UK’s political system, affecting the poorest, young people and migrants, and in England in particular. This means that there is a lack of civic engagement around environmental policies, enabling polarisation of left and right. Politics has become more about winning power than representing the needs of people, places and the planet.
We therefore call on DCMS to consider:
- Restoring funding for cultural work that responds to the Earth crisis
- Actively encouraging cultural work that involves communities in exploring the truths of the Earth crisis
- Tackling the influence of the fossil fuel and extractive industries over the media and our political systems, including sponsorship in the DCMS sectors.
Climate Museum UK 