Activities for world environment day in Bhopal
Author: Suyash Dwivedi Source: Wikimedia Commons

A survey by IPSOS Mori and the Global Commons Alliance, called ‘The Global Commons Survey: Attitudes to Planetary Stewardship And Transformation Among G20 Countries’ was conducted between April and May 2021; it collected responses from representatives of adults aged 16-75 from 19 G20 countries around the world. The survey focused on: shared identity and values as planetary stewards, understanding the challenges to protecting and restoring nature, attitudes towards responsibility for the global commons, attitudes towards major, social transformation and the impact of COVID-19 on these, and attitudes actions supporting transformation. 

The report notes that 90 percent of Indians surveyed indicated that they would like to do more to protect nature and natural resources as they are today; the survey also pointed out that 77 percent of Indians recognised the impending climate tipping point for Earth. For us, it is not astonishing that so many of our friends care about this looming crisis. As a culture we are deeply rooted in nature and so many of our traditions are so intrinsically melded with nature. Whether it is the earthen diyas that symbolically fight the darkness, the natural oils that form the fragrant attar, or the vibrant and bountiful flowers and fruits that form part of gift exchanges or offerings to elders, newlyweds and in worship.

What role does culture play in addressing, acknowledging and taking action towards the climate and ecological emergency? Culture convenes: Through its convening powers, culture brings people together to find commonality: all perspectives can be drawn on to create the future we want to live in! Culture Renews & Transforms: Culture, literally, cultivates the soil of a society, creating conditions for renewal & change, ready to plant something new: systemic changes that reimagine the world the way we would like it to be. Culture Builds Capacity for Action: Play and creativity extends the range of possibilities we draw on and negates the cortisol-inducing effects of fear: a necessity for collaboration and survival. Culture lets us learn: How societies change is connected directly to how people learn, across differences, with others, and how knowledge that we’re part of a larger web of life on Earth, becomes embodied into our behaviour.

Museums can be considered guardians of our cultures, of our past, but also of our futures. As public spaces museums foster discussion, collaboration and reflection. Over the month of October, ReReeti Foundation is attempting to showcase initiatives, projects and resources from the international cultural community to show our friends examples of what is already being done, and to instigate movement in this regard. They can be found across our social media platforms.

We reached out to some of our friends and asked them to let us know what they thought that museums in India can take the conversation on the climate crisis further, we hope that through these messages, we can show that there is an urgent need for action to be taken:

Young generations are embracing climate action within arts, culture and heritage organizations like never before.
How can museums in India take the conversation forward?

Penaaz Damania Gandhy
Mumbai. Advertising Professional

Museums can work with their local communities and stakeholders. Engage with them in a meaningful manner that imparts awareness with programmes aimed at finding solutions to questions of sustainable energy sources, food sustainability and safeguarding of local traditions and cultures.

Isha Chaturvedi
New Delhi. Client Relations and Collections Manager, Ashvitas Auction House

1. Talk objectively. Real time, actual steps. Not more conversation. As Greta Thunberg said, can’t stand more ‘blah blah blah’
2. Create a committee that looks into every museum practice. From paper consumption to energy. It doesn’t require money, just a change in attitude. 
3. Create a reward system. Incentivise climate preservation by employees.

Damini Kulkarni
Paris, France. Student, MBA in Contemporary Arts: Sales, Display, Collection, IESA art & culture

Roundtables: In-person discussions (preferably outdoors) with experts to understand the gravity of the climate crisis and how it can be integrated with arts and culture. How and how much does the art and culture industry contribute to the carbon footprint and discuss its solutions. Future of environmental regeneration in the art world.

Workshops: Creating objects using discarded materials. It can take the form of a personalised piece, group installation by involving the surrounding community, art institutions, schools. 

Developing environmental regeneration and sustainable plans: With a team of diverse experts from the field of art and culture, develop environmental friendly plans for the daily functioning and management of a museum, gallery, artists. 

Garima Sharma 
New Delhi, Learning Experience Designer, ReReeti Foundation

The climate crisis’s biggest drawback is its abstractness, which continues to be a massive obstacle to people taking actionable steps. Museums often work to make the abstract tangible – through their objects, stories, and other evidence of lives lived. Museums have the most potential to hold democratic dialogues by and for the people and communities who are most underrepresented and are at most risk because of the climate crisis. Museums allow for creating the most diverse formats of engagement for telling the same story and connecting with audiences where their interests lie. Museums reach the most diverse range of audiences, from youngest to the oldest and across political, ideological, personal beliefs. No other sector has that kind of a reach and a potential to consider or even change a mindset!

Zara Sajid
Paris, France. Curator.

Reducing the carbon footprint drastically can really take this conversation forward. From programming to logistics to general accessibility, steps should be taken to reduce waste.

For example, the use of e tickets, using solar panels for electricity etc.

Indraneel Banerjee
Paris, Founder – Cultur·Able, Communications Consultant – ReReeti Foundation

Museums are spaces for communities to come together and engage in meaningful discourse and discussion. That perhaps is the most important way museums anywhere can engage with  the public to spread awareness and build momentum for climate action. In India we need to see institutional efforts in the form of reduced carbon footprints, conscious decision making and communications and mediation activities that engage with stakeholders at all levels. 

Museums have the potential to, and must lead the way for all Indians!

Mallika Gupta
Berlin, Germany. Gallery Assistant

I would take the conversation forward by involving the audience in more interactive exhibitions

Jacob Cherian
Bangalore, Director-Founder – TerreGeneration Solutions Private Ltd

Museums can play two roles in the climate crisis. The first is to serve as a space to induct more eco-apathetic people into participating in the wider movement by telling climate stories in exhibits.

The second is to chronicle the numerous clashes (that have a direct impact on climate) right now between a number of opposing forces. Clashes like: the young vs the old; the pre-internet vs the post-internet audiences; incumbent old-world metrics of success vs the search for a new models; techno-gaianism vs de-growth; corporate responsibility vs individual responsibility; male vs female models of leadership; supporters of bans on fishing vs supporters of indigenous fishing communities; vegans vs vegetarians.

These clashes are fascinating because both sides of all these clashes believe they are helping fight the climate crisis, and demonstrating this could have a hugely positive impact on preventing climate change by helping audiences nuance their own reasoning better.

Marielle Velander
Berlin, Senior Product Operations Manager, Babbel

Museums in India can take the conversation forward through interactive programming, and by directly involving youth in helping to organize, curate, and/or support exhibitions. Another way museums can participate in the climate action discussions is to meet younger generations where they are at on social media, and expand their social media strategy to engage youth on platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

Tiggy Allen
Bangalore, ReReeti Foundation

Museums can have an impact on preventing climate change by doing what they do best: telling historical stories and their impact on the present. What impact did the industrial revolution have on British landscapes and pollution levels? What was the impact of sudden climate changes on the Indus Valley civilisations?

Museums can tell these stories by holding and creating space for sharing the historical context of environmental impacts and shifts. These contexts are a huge part of the cause of our current situation, and a lesson for how we must change human and society behaviours now, and in the future, for our survival.

Mittul Agarwal 
Mumbai, Founder – The Art Hub Magazine

Museums have always been a centre of learning but majorly it shows historical events and archives of great importance. Opening up museums as spaces to learn, have a dialogue about present issues and raising awareness campaigns through art would serve the purpose. 

We would be happy to hear your take on this question, let us know on our social media platforms!

About the author: Indraneel Banerjee is an MBA in Art and Culture Management from IESA Arts & Culture, Paris. Having a foundation in Psychology, Communications and Culture, he is Trustee of Udayan and Founder of Cultur·Able, a platform on Accessibility and Inclusion in Culture