- Posted on July 18th, 2023
Reflections on The Colour Green Lab 2023
The Colour Green is Julie Bicycle’s introductory environmental knowledge and skills programme which supports and empowers cultural practitioners and artists of colour to participate in, and lead on, environmental action in the UK.
We hear from Rebecca Buckley – one of the participants from our recent The Colour Green Lab – about her experience taking part in the programme.
Taking part in the Colour Green Lab (CGL) 2023 has been a huge help in my ongoing effort to actively minimise my impact on the environment.
What I hoped to get out of the lab
I had been looking for ways to minimise my impact on the environment and I am also keen to enable others to make a positive impact on the environment through my art practice. I knew I lacked knowledge and had been looking for support to enable me to make a difference for some time.
I hoped this programme would help me develop my understanding of climate justice and climate change and was also very keen to become part of a cultural network with other artists of colour where we could support each other to make a difference.
The Programme
We started with some informal introductions to get to know each other. After a brief introduction to the concepts of climate justice, later sessions covered: systems change, an introduction to climate science and policy, land nature and biodiversity, material systems, resilience and collective care, culture and climate action, and finally making change happen.
At times the wealth of information shared was overwhelming and there were occasions where I felt as if I wanted to run away and hide from the huge number of statistics and the emotional demands of what I was hearing. There was a sense of shared grief when faced with the stark realities of what we are doing to the planet and to many indigenous peoples. But throughout we were supported by Farah, our facilitator, particularly in the session on climate grief, where we were able to explore our own anxieties in a safe and supportive environment.
Colour Green Lab and ‘Gone To Earth’ – a Modular Sustainable Sculpture.
I had already been making changes to reduce my environmental impact as an artist by designing modular sculptures that could be easily taken apart, to enable less carbon heavy transport and easier recycling of materials. I also introduced mechanical fixing, reducing energy use and producing less material waste through less reliance on heat (welding and brazing).
To move forward, I needed to make further changes to two elements of my practice, materials and process. To do this I started a new sculptural project called ‘Gone to Earth’ and my proposal was accepted for exhibition at Winter Sculpture Park 2023. My sculpture would be exhibited alongside the work of 39 other artists in an orchard in Kent the following February.
To research and develop the materials, I joined the Create programme at Steamhouse, Birmingham City university’s STEM research facility in October last year. With the support and mentoring of lead technician Sarah King (a materials expert with a specialism in textiles), I developed bioplastics using seaweed derivatives, vegetable dyes and vegetation. With Sarah’s help, I found a way to incorporate the bioplastics into my work by developing a ‘holding’ system using hessian, woven jute and recycled sari silk.
By the time I joined the CGL in January, I was nearing the end of the development stage for GTE, but was still able to benefit from my learning during this process, and perhaps more importantly, develop a road map for future work. Using the knowledge I gained I am now developing a pre-design process including climate justice research, supported by the resources provided by Julie’s Bicycle. Going forward I will be much better prepared to produce work that responds to environmental and social factors that would contribute to climate change.
What did I learn from Colour Green Lab?
Reflecting on the experience, I know I started from a position of little knowledge and didn’t really understand the concept of climate justice before the course. Possibly the most fruitful revelation from the programme was how little I knew about climate change, climate justice and environmental justice. By gaining an understanding of these concepts, I was able to move forward and develop my knowledge with a framework of resources and information to support me.
I feel as if I now have a basic foundation of knowledge about climate change, climate justice and environmental justice and with that can develop my research to support my goals. I have also been provided with tailored resources to start my research into responsible use of materials in my art practice. These I definitely couldn’t have found with a Google search!
Participating with neuro-divergence and disability
Julie’s Bicycle were very responsive to my needs as a disabled and neurodivergent participant. Very helpful tailored captions during online sessions were replicated in the recording provided after. Clear information regarding session content was provided both in advance and at regular intervals during the sessions and this really helped alleviate my anxiety. I am very happy to say that Farah, our facilitator never made me feel as if I was too demanding or a nuisance and treated my requests with respect and understanding.
Now the lab has finished I’m inspired to continue my learning – and make good use of the resources at my disposal. I’m particularly interested in maintaining and developing our network of cultural practitioners and hopefully connecting with the creative climate leadership participants to further explore how we can make active change through creativity.
Taking part in the lab has made me feel energised in my journey and hopeful that our cohort can make a difference, especially if we support each other to make change. I’m very happy that we have all been encouraged to stay connected with Julie’s Bicycle and that their support will continue. The journey isn’t over!
This blog was written by Rebecca Buckley.
