The Arts Foundation
Declaration
The Arts Foundation was set up by anonymous bequest in order to support UK-based artists from across the spectrum of the Arts. The annual Arts Foundation Futures Awards (AFFAs) gives out five £10,000 fellowships every year. These are awarded on the basis of past work and enable future development.
We have decided to declare a climate emergency because the arts in general, as well as us at the Arts Foundation, have a responsibility to recognise and declare that we are all facing an unprecedented climate crisis that is destroying our planet. We believe that arts and culture hold significant influence on public narratives and debates. By announcing our engagement with and recognition of the emergency, we can encourage engagement and conversation among artists, while supporting the voices of those award winners who engage with climate, Anthropocene and environment. That Culture Declares Emergency connects care of ourselves to care of the planet resonates deeply in an organization that has existed to provide support to artists for over twenty-five years, and we believe that incorporating regenerative cultures into our ethos will set a precedent for new modes of care-in-art making, supporting our Fellows as they adapt to the challenges that the environmental crisis is already presenting.
As a responsible funder we are committed to developing more-sustainable and environmentally friendly practices across all our work. Our approach has been influenced by the following: Charities and Environmental Responsibility / Charity Commission and Sustaining Great Art and Culture report by ACE and Julie’s Bicycle.
Our charity is committed to the following:
• Reducing, reusing and recycling materials and consumables whenever possible and using suppliers who hold and actively pursue their own environmental policies.
• Ensuring the office is located at a premises where there is a sound sustainable policy
• Making more use of digital platforms where possible for meetings to reduce travel costs and carbon emissions
• Sending applications online reducing paper usage and waste.
• Incorporating sustainability as a key criteria in all our design-based awards.
• Incorporating environmental concerns into our award categories periodically.
• Utilising the ethos of regenerative culture in our relationships and conversations with our Fellows, nominees, and in our online platforms.
