"Artists are some of our greatest creative thinkers. Why wouldn't you want us in a room talking about
solutions to our world's greatest problems?"
- Lisa Russell, Founder, Create2030
- Lisa Russell, Founder, Create2030
Yes, we are in an unusual time. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world as we know it has changed. Despite the incredible challenges, it may also prove to be a great opportunity.
One of the most resilient groups that will come out of these challenging times are the creatives. We will create. We will problem solve. We will find purpose in all of this. We will forge a new path for a greater world.
It's with that understanding that we have decided to move forward with our ongoing ARTS x SDGS Festival - however we will be hosting it online regularly until further notice. We believe that we need a festival of this focus on social good, to boost morale, find solutions to both our personal and global setbacks from COVID-19, create community and document the historical narrative of this time through art.
The ARTS x SDGS Online Festival aims to be the most dynamic, artist-led event bringing together members of the growing creative economy along with UN/NGO actors in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs.)
It is curated by professional artists who are leaders in their respective industries as well as experienced working with the UN/NGO sector.
A showcase of SDG-related art, a practical skills-building opportunity with creative workshops and presentations by SDG actors, the ARTS x SDGs Festival invests in the development of artists and storytellers who want to forge a career path or produce creative content around the SDGs.
We pride ourselves in creating a festival that breaks down silos between the creative community and UN/NGO agencies, promoting responsible partnerships between content producers, brands, international agencies and others.
Welcome to the January 2022 ARTS x SDGS Festival!
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CREATE2030 and ARTS x SDGS FESTIVAL MANTRA
The Create2030 ARTS x SDGS Festival believes in the following. We, as a festival for artists and storytellers...
* are ARTIST-LED which means we understand and tailor our festival to meet the needs of working class artists and storytellers;
* are in the DRIVER'S seat to influence the arts agenda and policies in how and when our talents can be utilized for the SDG movement;
* are UNIQUE in that we are INDEPENDENT which allows us to have very important and necessary conversations around industry standards, our intellectual property and our right to be compensated for our work;
* ARE NOT purely entertainers for the SDGs but rather are critical thinkers and problem solvers who understand the power of art to engage audiences (after all, this is how we survive!) and wish to align our power with the SDGs;
* WELCOME our allies including UN/NGO entities, communications experts, funders, policymakers and others who are interested in engaging us in a responsible manner; and
* are DEDICATED to making our festival accessible to artists of all backgrounds so we charge for festival passes but subsidize tickets for artists from the global south in order to "leave no one behind."
WHY THE CREATIVE ECONOMY?
The creative economy is one of the most rapidly growing sectors of the world economy. (SDG Fund)
The creative economy is booming with more than 300 million workers in the creative class. (International Labor Organization)
Cultural and creative industries are major drivers of economies by capitalizing US $2,250 billion and creating 29.5 million jobs globally (SDG Fund)
Creative economy is an “asset for diplomacy and foreign policy” that could play a role in achieving the United Nations SDGs (World Conference on Creative Economies)