A Climate for Art: A New Australian Campaign for Fossil Fuel Divestment in the Arts Industry

A Climate for Art (ACFA) a new initiative aimed at mobilising the arts industry for climate action, has launched, with trailblazing Australian arts organisations already having pledged to divest.

These organisations make up a new Climate Union, whose inaugural meeting will take place following  the launch event. With these current members, ACFA is on the way to moving more than $10,662,758* out of fossil fuel banks.

Members include:

• Footscray Community Arts • Theatre Network Australia • West Space
• APHIDS
• CLIMARTE
• Seventh Gallery
• Centre for Reworlding
• Chamber Made • Next Wave
• Platform Arts
• Schoolhouse Studios • Bus Projects
• Trocadero

This gathering of influential arts institutions as part of the Climate Union will pave the way for  transformative collaborations, knowledge sharing, and collective action to drive real change.

ACFA is dedicated to bringing together small and medium-sized (SME) arts organisations who are  divesting from lending banks, superannuation companies, and power corporations that fund fossil fuel  projects. Through creating a coalition of organisations, ACFA seeks to build collective momentum for  climate action and unite the arts community as leaders in driving the cultural shift required. By December  2023, ACFA aims to have 30 organisational members confirmed and secure additional operating  funding, to propel them towards their goal of 250 organisations who have discontinued support from  fossil fuel companies by December 2027.

The ACFA campaign was created by co-instigators, Lana Nguyen and Eliki Reade. As independent  producers within the arts ecology, Lana and Eliki are leveraging their existing relationships to build a  vast network of support amongst the SME art sectors.

“We’re seeing a mounting range of artistic works responding to the increasingly urgent  climate crisis – so this campaign builds on that voice, asking for organisations who stage these works  to also structurally reflect the concerns of the artists and communities. How we relate to our environment  is culturally rooted and we want the cultural sector to lead this shift towards prioritising the health of our  planet. Alongside tangible collective actions in divestment, we want to make time and space to better  understand and shift the cultural underpinning of the crisis,” said Lana Nguyen.

“We’re very heartened to have the leadership of our organisational members who have  taken on this task on top of the massive undertaking that is running a small to medium organisation. It  speaks to the overwhelming care and responsibility to the community that is throughout our sector. The  next years are vital in shaping what type of future we will walk into and we’re wanting to channel our  power collectively. The climate crisis creates and is inherently connected to cultural loss – so particularly  as workers in the cultural industry, it needs to be a major concern and situation we take into our  practices,” added Eliki Reade.

ACFA will build on existing work within the space of climate action through partnerships with  organisations that are leaders in their own respects such as early adopters Footscray Community  Arts, Next Wave, and the Theatre Network Australia. These partners were the first to agree towards  making changes in their operations to represent the changing tide of leadership amongst the SME arts sectors.

The launch event will herald a significant step towards a sustainable and environmentally conscious arts  community. It will be a showcase of artistry and advocacy, featuring esteemed APAM delegates,  captivating performance artworks, and thought-provoking presentations. The launch will also serve as  an opportunity for the arts community to come together and pledge their commitment to divestment,  signifying their unwavering dedication to a sustainable future. ACFA will present research for  organisations to use to enable the easiest possible path into a renewable energy future.

By championing divestment from fossil fuel-associated entities, ACFA aims to empower artists and  cultural organisations to play an active role in driving the necessary cultural shift towards a sustainable  future. ACFA seeks to build a united Climate Union, where arts communities can collaborate, share  knowledge, and amplify their collective voice in the fight against climate change.

Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM) is an initiative of the Australian Government through the  Australia Council for Arts and the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria, APAM reflects the  increasingly connected, established and vibrant performing arts scenes in Australian and New Zealand.