ABOUT
Positive Agents of Change projects with SYSTA
SYSTA is organising artivist projects inviting you to become Positive Agents of Change (PAC) and help work towards a sustainable, just and biodiverse rich planet. The projects are based around the Planetary Boundaries as themes. We will use the biodiversity stripes, currently being developed by the climate scientist in our team, to help illustrate biodiversity data for plants and animals and explore how the community can help bring the planet back within the safe zones behind the tipping points for many of these planetary boundaries.
We will dissolve the boundaries between arts and science to create a space for people to collaborate and explore the challenge of the climate and ecological crises, encourage empathy with the land, and generate ideas from participants to inspire and motivate others to take part in helping keep the planet within the safe zones for biodiversity.
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We would love to hear your feedback and contributions to help develop and improve the PAC projects with the aim of it being available as a resource more widely.
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SYSTA Positive Agents of Change aim to:
- give a voice to the community to share their feelings around their hopes and fears around the climate and ecological crises
- provoke thought rather than just present facts and instil feelings of hope not guilt
- help form a network of dynamic interaction and solutions to complex problems, working together with communities to share memories, stories and indigenous knowledge to improve the present, and future, biodiversity of the planet
- use local issues to start conversations and encourage enquiry around global issues of climate and ecological justice and collaboration
- support well-being against feeling powerless to improve our communities and the world
- provide a resource to inspire others to take action through seeing they are not alone, and that every small action helps.
We hope individuals, families, schools, homeschooled children, community groups and workplaces can all work on the projects and become a PAC;
1. Planetary Partners playing cards celebrating inspiring role models who are making a difference to secure a safe environmentally sustainable future for people and planet, from individuals (can be you!) or group, forward thinkers, farmers, family, campaigners or colleagues you know or volunteer/work with, or one you have found via research, who are making everyday changes to the way they live creating opportunities and environments for positive, sustainable change.
2. Flags for our Future to display in your gardens, or to donate for display around your community, thanking people for what they are doing to protect the planet. Using up-cycled fabric with drawn and embroidered messages of hope and thanks to encourage further action.
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We will create an online gallery here of your creations and inspirations, a collection of images and stories from the communities taking part with information on their hopes and concerns for a sustainable future.
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To enable a truly sustainable future with climate justice for all, we need to address equality, happiness, peace, health, safety, human rights and well being for all planetary partners - human, animal and planet. We hope this project, through conversations prompted by the PAC, will explore what this means and how we can all contribute to making it happen. Sharing stories and creative skills, knowledge of the land and environment, the project will provide a fun environment for people to feel part of a community making a difference and raising awareness, exploring issues and ideas around a sustainable future.
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The SYSTA lead committee member’s skills include community arts, artivism, climate science, science communication and wellbeing.
Emma (SYSTA Foudner) has over 35 years experience in the arts, health, charity and educational settings successfully initiating and managing projects. She set up SYSTA:SCI CommA (Share Your Story Through Arts:Science Creativity Interdisciplinary Communication Artisvism) in 2011 to use the arts to bring about positive social change by raising awareness, support and funding for causes close to her heart. Working with schools, libraries and community groups, SYSTA uses the arts and science to empower participants to find their voice to bring about change. Emma is the driving force behind SYSTA and loves collaborating with others to make exciting things happen, working with established organisations to maximise audience participation and outcomes. These have included OXFAM, The Red Cross, The Children’s Society, Refugee Council, Norfolk Wildlife Trust, University of East Anglia, The Arts Council Creativity Exchange, The Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education, Norwich City and Schools of Sanctuary, Norfolk Libraries and many more charities, cafes, galleries and community venues.
The project will create an online gallery, a collection of images and stories from the communities taking part with information on their hopes and concerns for a sustainable future.
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Many people feel overwhelmed by climate and biodiversity catastrophe and do not feel they can help improve the situation. This project aims to inspire others to follow in the steps of local and global role models and make changes within their own lives and communities which will have a local, and ultimately, global positive impact.
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There are a variety of entry levels for all abilities and ages within the PAC toolkit. The Planetary Partners playing cards and Flags for the Future are easy to create with any level of arts skills. We hope taking part in this project may change participant’s behaviour in small ways or encourage you to join a local group working for sustainable change. This has the added benefit of supporting well being and feeling part of the solution, part of the community, collaborating, communicating, caring and being kind to ourselves and the planet.
SYSTA aims to:
- use the arts to INSPIRE collaboration, promote positive social change, bring joy, hope, justice, love, creativity and confidence to all
- share cultural and environmental experiences, promoting well-being, hope and a sustainable future for all
- invite participants to join the SYSTA PAC and become a Positive Agent of Change, where collaboration makes us, and our messages, stronger
- bring together and foster collaboration amongst diverse communities
- promote activities using the arts to address issues around climate and ecological crises and well-being
- empower participants with confidence to explore arts and science, experiment, have fun and raise awareness of, and support for, issues important to them
- work with people of all ages, races and abilities, especially those who would not normally take part in creative arts, science and sustainable biodiversity future focused events working with nature and the land.
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SYSTA and this project will focusing on developing personal skills of participants such as; respecting each other and the planet through empathy, kindness, resilience, self-belief, teamwork, support of others, wellness, positivity, innovative future thinking, political agency, activism, environmental awareness, valuing traditional and indigenous knowledge of the local community/region/planet, community building, collaboration, confidence, coping with eco-anxiety/uncertainty, using the arts to communicate thoughts and feelings difficult to put into words, making sense of the world and understand self better alongside creative and artivist skills in a variety of visual art forms.
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Encouraging acceptance of all people and embracing diversity in, and by, the community is an essential part of the work of SYSTA. We have a positive commitment to treating everyone fairly and with respect as a unique individual. We aim to create a safe and welcoming atmosphere for everyone. We want to challenge all forms of oppression including those based on race, ethnicity, nationality, creed, gender, sex, class, sexuality, gender reassignment, learning ability, physical impairment, mental illness, HIV status, age, occupation, income, wealth and unrelated criminal conviction. We aim to design our activities and decision making processes to encourage and support participation from people who face disadvantage in society. We aim to organise a range of events and activities to suit the interests and meet the needs of a wide variety of people. We are open to new ideas for participants and collaborators, and particularly prioritise opportunities for participants to share their cultural heritage with one another and the wider community. All participants and volunteers will be made to feel equally welcome and included at all meetings and events. Sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic or otherwise offensive and inflammatory remarks and behaviour are not acceptable. These constitute harassment, and have no place in SYSTA. We are committed to reviewing our Safeguarding and Equality & Diversity policies, and good practice, annually.