Culture for Climate is a grassroots initiative aimed at greening the cultural sector. The group consists of employees of cultural institutions, NGOs, local authorities, and independent artists and curators.
Our aim is to promote pro-environmental attitudes without shaming and making accusations that what is done is insufficient or inadequate. We believe that in the face of the urgency of the challenges associated with the climate catastrophe it is better to begin taking an action, however modest it may be, rather than do nothing. We deeply believe in individual and collective agency and that it is possible to implement changes in areas which we can influence, while at the same time trying to expand those boundaries, combining common efforts.
We are convinced that when it comes to pro-environmental practices, one should start with oneself. That is why, while working on the Culture for Climate website, we consciously chose eco-friendly technological and design-related solutions, making it possible to save energy. Our website is hosted by a data centre which uses electricity from renewable sources and it has been based on universal design principles, so as to be accessible to all in the widest possible range.
Culture for Climate is a collective (currently) consisting only of women. This was not a programmed founding principle but the eco-feminist character is revealed in the philosophy of the collective based on cooperation, mutual help and building trust. At the same time, as a grassroots self-organisation pertaining to a systemic change, Culture for Climate poses a question on how to create new ecosystems of institutional agency, engage around making changes and develop organic cooperation.
We believe that our activities will contribute to indispensable changes in regulations at municipal, local government and state level. Our work is supported by the Culture Department of the City of Warsaw and a European association specialising in climate change and developing innovative projects (Climate-KIC). It is through combining these forces that we see an enormous opportunity in delivering real systemic changes to the model of the culture sector’s operations.
Cultural anthropologist, Polish philologist, museum professional and curator of contemporary art. She heads the Museum Practices Lab at the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews – a unit dealing with the development of cooperation between the museum and contemporary artists as well as interdisciplinary initiatives combining contemporary art, research, and activism. Through the activities carried out, she tests the possibilities of building relationships between cultural institutions and project participants, develops long-term participatory initiatives and expands the field of social arts. A member of the Climate Collective which produced a climate manifesto in cooperation with We Are Museums in 2019, member of groups: Museums for Climate, Climate Choir and Culture for Climate collective, initiator of a green team at the POLIN Museum.
Cultural studies specialist, curator of contemporary art, facilitator, author of texts and artistic and social events. Between 2009 and 2015, she created the programme of Municipal Gallery Arsenał in Poznań, since 2015 she has been a curator of exhibitions and social projects at the Centre for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle. She carried out long-term interdisciplinary projects, mainly at the intersection of contemporary art, activism, urban studies, architecture, botany, zoology and climate science. She cooperates with the Other Space Foundation. Member of Culture for Climate collective.
Art historian, curator, facilitator, coach, educator. For 10 years she has specialised in environmental issues in the field of culture. She carried out projects concerning good neighbourliness, interspecies relationships, ecosystem protection, participation of women in pro-environmental movements. She specialises in creating visual and textual narratives concerning the climate crisis. Recently, she has been involved in an energy transformation project (http://zakopaneslonce.com). One of the heroines of ‘Women for climate’ inspirator (https://www.kobietydlaklimatu.pl). Passionately engaged in facilitating, coaching and training, not only those dealing with climate issues. Member of Museums for Climate group and Culture for Climate collective.
PhD in anthropology, co-author and curator of Museum Laboratory (Laboratorium muzeum), director of Centrum Cyfrowe and manager of its Open Culture Studio, curator of ‘Exercising modernity’ programme. She is interested in the social role of cultural institutions and their relationships with their audiences, she specialises in the analysis and implementation of participatory strategies, audience research, as well as digital transformation and opening access to heritage resources. Collaborator of the Jagiellonian University Research Center for Memory Cultures, lecturer at School of Ideas SWPS, board member of publishing series Wystawianie Teorii and FestivALTers — a group associated with FestivALT. In her academic work, she researches memory cultures and the role of institutions in the process of institutionalisation of discourses on the future. Member of Museums for Climate group and Culture for Climate collective.
Cultural studies specialist, curator, animator, social activist. She works at the intersection of contemporary art, social and feminist activism and pro-environmental activity. She specialises in researching and developing ideas for eco-friendly and sensitive institutions, creating future scenarios concerning the functioning of cultural and art institutions in the face of the climate crisis. Between 2018 and 2020, curator, co-curator, author of educational programmes and educator at the Bródno Sculpture Park (Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw). Between 2012-2016, member of grassroots social and urban initiatives (‘Exchanger. A community-based exchange system’, ‘Open Jazdów’), propagator of urban gardening. Organiser of community gardening initiatives. Member of Museums for Climate group and Culture for Climate collective.
Education specialist, educator, a long-time local authority employee, currently head of the Department of Warsaw’s Cultural Institutions at the Culture Department of the City of Warsaw. In her role at the Culture for Climate collective, she is responsible for contacts with the Municipal Office.
Art historian, curator, exhibition producer. Since 2006, associated with Zachęta – National Gallery of Art, since 2012 part of the curatorial team. Curator of exhibitions such as ‘Joanna Piotrowska. Frowst’, ‘Project X’ (with Gosia Wdowik), ‘Plac Małachowskiego 3’, ‘Better Self’ and many more. One of the initiators of Zachęta’s eco-team. Member of Culture for Climate collective.
Mother of two girls, anxious about the impending climate catastrophe. Inspired by the Extinction Rebellion movement, she decided to actively promote pro-environmental and zero/less waste ideas in the field of art. In her professional life, she is a producer and curator of artistic events. Associated with the Nowy Theatre in Warsaw where she acts as a deputy director and head of production and international relations department. Two-time fellow of the American programme ISPA Fellowship, during which, together with the representatives of cultural institutions from all over the world, she initiated the conversation about the responsibility for climate changes and drawing up pro-environmental recommendations for the cultural sector. Guest lecturer at Warsaw’s Theatre Academy and SWPS. Member of Culture for Climate collective.
Educator, curator and producer of artistic, social and educational events. For the past ten years, associated with the Nowy Theatre in Warsaw, where she founded the education department. Originator of many social and artistic projects, such as Nowy Theatre’s Young Orchestra, Academy of Tolerance, After School Club of Nowy Theatre. She also leads Fundacja Nowych Działań foundation, through which she supports and carries out multimedia artistic projects in Poland and abroad. She is continuing her education in the field of coaching and psychology. Member of Culture for Climate collective.
Graphic design: Zofka Kofta
UX design: Patrycja Żołędowska
Website programming: Katarzyna Werner
Content publishing: Maria Dutkiewicz
Content consultation: Agata Szczotka-Sarna, Joanna Murzyn, Environmental Protection Bureau of the City of Warsaw
Translation: Magda Konopka
Editing and proofreading of Polish texts: Anna Lewandowska
Editing and proofreading of English texts: Magda Konopka, Stephen Russell
Communication and press contact: Tosia Ulatowska
Marbling: Zuzanna Kofta, Ziemia, marbling on paper, 2021
Climate Community Lab is an action-oriented network and co-creation ‘Lab’ that brings people together to address climate change challenges in central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The Lab aims to build the trust, capacity and cross-sectoral collaborations that are needed to trigger transformative, systemic change in the region. Created by EIT Climate-KIC and run in a collaborative way with partners, Climate Community Lab offers an entry into a pan-European knowledge and innovation community of ‘systems innovators’, while focusing on local challenges. By offering tools, support, approaches and a wide network for tackling place-based challenges in a systemic way, the Lab aims to test different options for accelerating climate adaptation and resilience, while bringing benefits tailored to local people.
