The MA Art & Ecology is a fifteen-month post-graduate programme in South East London, which offers emerging artists the opportunity to deeply engage with pressing ecological issues. The programme encourages artists to explore various art practices connected to ecological contexts, from traditional mediums to innovative approaches like food production, sustainable data, and inter-species care, while addressing ecological challenges within the social justice framework. Students develop a year-long artistic project, acquire real-world skills, and build networks essential for art’s engagement with ecology, enabling them to continue their artistic practice, pursue leadership roles in various fields, or engage in doctoral research.
This unique two-year residential programme seeks prospective applicants who wish to develop their artwork in relation to social and environmental justice issues, contexts and communities. Headed by internationally recognised artists and including affiliate faculty from across campus, the programme integrates the resources of a major public university with the Art Department’s mission of educating and training students in cross-disciplinary, multimedia art practices. Students translate concerns for environmental and social justice into contemporary art practices through professional training, combining project-based research, seminars, faculty mentorship, electives, visiting artists, and peer critiques. Working individually and collaboratively, in the studio and in the field, students experiment with different approaches to build their practices conceptually and practically, while critically and creatively exploring art’s role as a catalyst for radical change.
Participants in this programme take part in an initiative that recognises the humanities’ potential to raise awareness of social-ecological issues and sustainability. The programme offers an English-language curriculum in an international and interdisciplinary environment, blending humanities, cultural studies, natural sciences, and social sciences. Its overarching aim is to train individuals to become specialists in culture, academics and leaders who can drive systemic changes for a sustainable environmental future. Venice’s unique position as a global hotspot for environmental humanities enriches the programme, as the city stands as a crossroads of civilisations, a hub for contemporary art and culture, and a frontline player in combating sea level rise. Students can expect a multifaceted learning experience that combines classroom teaching with experiential fieldwork and internships.
According to Daniel C. Wahl, in the context of a fast-accelerating climate and biodiversity emergency, sustainable design is not enough. Over the past few decades, the integration of environmental considerations in the design process has focused on strategies such as more efficient use of natural resources (such as zero waste design) or the reduction of our environmental impact (using less toxic materials or carbon-neutral design). Regenerative Design goes beyond sustainability and actively contributes to restore and replenish what human activities have radically deteriorated. This course proposes to engage with an online community of designers studying from their local contexts to develop an action research project in regenerative design and actively contribute to holistically restore their local biosphere, taking endemic cultures and indigenous voices into account and socio-cultural tenets as is appropriate.
The EcoArts Nexus is an online repository that compiles extensive knowledge at the intersection of the arts and the environment from various fields and practices. It includes resources such as examples of funding schemes for cultural adaptation and artistic practices addressing environmental issues, tools and guidelines, literature, awards, as well as initiatives, projects and organisations dedicated to connecting art and culture with the environment. Divided into 15 categories, the repository currently features over 250 entries. It serves as a living map, detailing the landscape of philanthropic institutions, public funding sources, the art world, and the cultural sector – all united in their commitment to addressing the urgent environmental challenges of our time. By being a continuous work in progress, we invite you to share and present your practices if they are still not included in this online archive.
The Kultura Nova Foundation initiated this repository of knowledge in arts and culture, environment and funding, within the framework of the Philea Arts and Culture Funders Forum (ACFF) and in collaboration with the Fondation Daniel et Nina Carasso.
At its core, the EcoArts Nexus is instrumental in gathering and disseminating information crucial for understanding and navigating the complex relationships between environmental policies, funding strategies, capacity-building programmes, and the development of green tools and guidebooks tailored specifically for the arts and culture sectors. It is a vast pool of reports, resources and data essential for different actors looking to foster a deeper engagement with environmental sustainability within their arts and cultural practices.
Beyond its function as a comprehensive data repository, the EcoArts Nexus aspires to play a transformative role in the cultural and environmental sectors. Its primary goal is to significantly enhance the visibility of current practices that merge ecological concern with cultural expression, thereby inspiring and motivating a broader spectrum of actors to embrace and drive positive change towards carbon-neutral cultural sector. Through showcasing innovative practices and facilitating access to a wealth of resources, this repository aims to foster efforts that not only address environmental urgencies, but also highlight the unique role of the arts and culture in advancing sustainable futures.
Offering open access to all its resources, the EcoArts Nexus is designed to be an adaptable and continuously growing document. It invites ongoing contributions and updates, welcoming new data, insights, and resources. By doing so, it serves the immediate needs of its users and contributes to a broader understanding of how the arts and culture can intersect with environmental sustainability to foster a more ecologically conscious and culturally vibrant world.
Being developed and curated under the supportive umbrella of the Philea Arts and Culture Funders Forum, the EcoArts Nexus represents an important example of the power of collective effort. The initiative benefits from the collective expertise of its main contributors, the Kultura Nova Foundation and the Fondation Daniel et Nina Carasso, with valuable additional contributions from Porticus and other philanthropy organisations in sharing data. The production of the Repository was supported by the Fondation Daniel et Nina Carasso and Philea Arts and Culture Funders Forum, while the roles of editing, coordination, future web maintenance, and updates were taken on by Kultura Nova. This collaborative model ensures that EcoArts Nexus remains a dynamic and evolving platform, responsive to the needs and insights of its diverse user base.
Philea Arts and Culture Funders Forum
The voice of European philanthropy, Philea nurtures a diverse and inclusive ecosystem of foundations, philanthropic organisations and networks working for the common good. Philea’s Arts and Culture Funders Forum aims to help shape the future of cultural philanthropy. It provides a forward-thinking environment for arts and culture funders in Europe to come together and work to reinforce the sector. It also offers engaging opportunities for site visits, in-person events and webinars.
The Fondation Daniel et Nina Carasso works to bring about a society that is respectful of the environment, one that is inclusive and in which people can flourish. It focuses on two major areas, Sustainable Food Systems – ensuring universal access to healthy food produced in a manner that respects people and ecosystems; and Art in the Community that aims to foster critical thinking and reinforce social cohesion. It is a private family foundation that was created in 2010 under the aegis of the Fondation de France. It is independent of any corporation.
Kultura Nova Foundation provides professional and financial support to civil society organizations in contemporary arts and culture in Croatia. In order to create sustainable landscape for the sector, Kultura Nova creates various support programs as well as its own educational programs in the field of cultural management. It also participates in the formation of innovative cultural policies and develops research programs to better understand and create long-term strategies for the sector.
