Activations in Norwich
The vision: a programme of activation
Programmes of public engagement with communities across and beyond the City, delivered by and for the City Council, Norwich Climate Commission, and Norfolk cultural and environmental organisations, to expand understanding of climate risks and ecocentric potentials. This will motivate people to work together for resilience to climate impacts and regenerative supplies of food and energy.
Envisaging and mobilising visions such as: Norwich as the first Food Forest City, creating joined-up green corridors, enabling a local and sustained food supply with symbiotic benefits of a biodiversity habitat, as well as providing natural infrastructure for cooling shade and flood resistance
Developing a consistent space for activation, with an experience that is museum-like, where visitors and partners can come to use the library of 250+ books, toolkits of games and handling objects, art installations and comfortable spaces for conversation. Building up collections of #ExtremeWeatherStories or Possitopian ideas for the future.
Activities to achieve the vision
Creative assemblies and circle conversations: these might use frameworks like People Take Action, inspiring activism across eight pathways. Other events might focus on books, films or art projects, such as this past collaborative event with Culture Declares East, 'Truth, Words and Wisdom in the Earth Crisis'.
Imagining Futures: workshops with young people that help them imagine futures through creative role play, giving them a sense of future direction and agency, and growing their understanding of climate and ecological impacts and solutions.
Walkshops': seeing Norwich as a museum by creative acts of noticing with an ‘eco-lens’ tapping its heritage of textiles, rebellion, literature and verdant landscape. (A pilot series of three walks is offered this Winter.)
Acts of Planet Kindness: Outdoor activities that link ecology & climate, to encourage empathy and care. Tree-planting ceremonies, eco-art workshops, or Wild Museum activities led by animal curators.
Climavore nights: informal gatherings with food. Creative prompts, books, games and objects for discussion.