Arts + Climate Innovation: The Role of the Arts

Expert climate scientist and recipient of the Prime Minister's Science Communication Prize 2018, Professor James Renwick (Victoria University) and expert Ecologist Dr Mike Joy (Victoria University) will be joined by Track Zero Founder, Sarah Meads and local special guests: artist and creator of WAI, Sam Ludden; writer and Environmental Manager for Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, Rawiri Smith; author and archivist, Gareth Winter; weaver and Director for Te Pātukituki o Wairarapa, Jade Waetford.

Learn the very latest climate and ecological science. Be inspired by creative projects that help us to understand and care about our planet. Contribute to the conversation. Explore how more can be done, working with the power of the arts to inspire climate action - the biggest cultural challenge of our time.

This event is taking place alongside two, exciting exhibitions hosted at Aratoi exploring our relationship with water: Sam Ludden, WAI – Manga Maha, Awa Kotahi (One River, Many Streams) 30 March – 26 May. WAI seeks to reconnect the Wairarapa community with its waterways through art, and to advocate for the rivers of the region through education; Water/Way – Curated by Gregory O’Brien and Bruce Foster, the exhibition presents new work by the 13 artists from The Water Project exploring the rivers and lakes of Aotearoa, 13 April – 4 August. This event is part of the closing ceremony for WAI.

We live in an increasingly hot, hungry and less equal world in which climate impacts disproportionately affect those most vulnerable. Scientists tell us we have a critical window – less than a decade - in which to act to prevent climate events that may be beyond civilisation’s capacity to adapt. The urgent need for far reaching social, economic and technological responses is not being matched by action.

The Arts + Climate Innovation Roadshow is travelling to locations around New Zealand, from Whangarei to Dunedin. This is the 12th event, run in partnership with the Royal Society Te Aparangi and our local Wairarapa partner, Aratoi. Join us for a timely conversation about how the arts can contribute to how we connect and care for our environment, how we adapt to climate impacts and shape our carbon neutral future in Aotearoa New Zealand.

To find out more about Track Zero, visit our website: http://trackzero.nz/ Follow us on @trackzeronz