#7.2 Longer-term and Bigger Picture: Care-taking

This step focuses on helping people, including staff and audiences, attain wellbeing in the face of the pressures of the Earth crisis.

A person sits creating a sound bath using bowls, surrounded by people lying down in rest — CDE South East Cultural Assembly / Photo: Gurnoor Singh

Resilience in the longer-term and bigger-picture

This is not necessarily about escape and distraction from the crisis. As staff and stakeholders you will need to practise regular anticipation of disruptive and risky scenarios. Care-taking is about ensuring you have all resources in place for rescue and recovery in situations such as food shortages, closure of key services or infrastructure damage.

This differs from care-taking and resilience with audiences and communities, as that focuses on more immediate provision for groups of people most in need. This is about preparation for longer-term challenges, including what you as staff and governance need.

A group of people stand in the sun, mid movement, each with headphones on — Dens & Signals / Photo: Ben Pacey

TASK:

Do we dare to be collapse aware?

Discuss with colleagues:

How might we integrate collapse-awareness into future plans and projections?
What does it mean to be collapse-aware?
What does it mean for our story of change, which assumes that we can continue to progress and grow?

RESOURCES FOR THIS TASK

Practice towards a Regenerative Culture in relation with others

Consider how your programmes and communications can help to change attitudes to our fellow beings, to be more generous and less materialist.
Teach and implement the changes we want to see in society; challenge power and privilege; support each other in tending to grief as we face the truth about this emergency; build a culture of care into our daily lives – care for ourselves, each other and the Earth; change the paradigms by which we design, grow, make and trade so that the living planet can be regenerated.

FURTHER LINKS

Climate Psychology Alliance: a group of psychologists that engage with climate trauma and eco-anxiety
University of Derby, using art therapy for eco-anxiety
The Happy Museum Project, case studies on wellbeing and sustainability
Climate Coping Strategies, summary of different coping strategies, highlighting the most constructive approaches
Good Grief Network 10 steps to personal resilience and empowerment in a chaotic climate
Remembrance Day for Lost Species, annual day of creative remembrance on 30th November.

Consider your own and team well-being

Ensure that you find ways to support each other with the psychological impacts of declaring an emergency and facing the truths of the situation.
Hold an active listening session for staff, including volunteers or freelancers.
Create supportive frameworks where staff and your wider community can come together to listen and speak openly. Share their feelings about the Earth crisis and how it affects them.