The Arts, Education and the Environment
The Standing Conference on the Arts, Education and the Environment is a key part of Big Brum’s commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability.
It is organised in partnership with the National Association for Environmental Education (UK) and (from 2024) The Birmingham and the Black Country Wildlife Trust.
It has also received support from Arts Connect West Midlands and The STEAMhouse.
Aims and outcomes
The standing conference brings arts educators and environmental educators together on an annual basis:
to share key debates and examples of practice;
to develop creative and innovative practice;
to explore synergies and new syntheses and enable new partnership opportunities.
While England-based, the standing conference also draws on practice from the devolved administrations and beyond and seeks to be profiled both nationally and internationally.
It aims to open up a ‘cultural front’ in the struggle for quality education, sustainability and the environment.
It seeks to realise the following outcomes:
To enable understanding and fresh thinking between the arts education and environmental education sectors, thereby enabling more effective working.
To engage the arts as a development area for environmental education. ‘Environmental Responsibility’ is one of the four investment principles in the 2020-2030 strategy for Arts Council England, representing a significant shift in strategic emphasis and creating an important opportunity for community and citizen sustainability.
Therefore, to also engage the environment as a key development area for arts education.
Because the arts provide distinctive opportunities for young people’s perspectives to be seen and heard, the standing conference will ultimately result in opportunities for NAEE and other conference partners to actively listen to young people more.
Sessions
2023
“We are literally in the mouth of the Giant”
The first session of the Standing Conference took place at The STEAMhouse in July 2023 and used Big Brum’s fairy story of ‘The Giant’s Embrace’ as a stimulus for exploration and discussion. An account of the session can be found on the NAEE website.
2024
“A clearing is a place where things can thrive again”
“Trees don’t heal, they seal – and leave a scar as evidence”
“A battleground about how to move forward”
The Standing Conference returned to the STEAMhouse in July 2024, this time using Big Brum’s production of Chris Cooper’s environmentally-themed play ‘The Clearing’ as a stimulus.
2025
Following advice from 2024 participants that the next session should have access to natural space, the 2025 session takes place at Birmingham EcoPark on 17th September from 10am to 2pm.
The 2025 event provides an opportunity to explore the EcoPark and its work and then collaborate with others to use the site as a creative playground for arts and environmental education ideas and approaches.
To book a place or find out more, please email TIE@bigbrum.org.uk
