The Tandem Cultural Dialogues (TCD) project was initiated by the Finnish Swedish Cultural Foundation and their program office Tandem. TCD is made up of three parts where the conference is the backbone of the project. Climate Culture Conference 2019 was the first ever TCD conference; a forum where artists, scholars, students and politicians came together to discuss matters and issues concerning culture and art in our society in the time of climate change.
Climate change is a threat not only to nature, but also to our societies. It threatens all species and transforms our civilisations, but still, carbon emissions are higher than ever. Is it possible that we still lack a deeper understanding of the risks that threatens humanity? The time to transform our societies and lifestyles is limited. Can we picture a fossil free and globally just future?
The purpose of the conference was to deepen the analysis of how arts and science interact with our perception of climate change when we shape the future. It also aimed to deepen the analysis of leading trends and societal development, from the perspective of the challenges and possibilities faced by art and culture. The event acted as a catalyst for bilateral sharing of knowledge and ideas between scholars, artists, students and politicians.
The conference was documented and also complemented by relevant articles in the annual written summary which has now been released on the TCD website with the overall purpose of increasing national and international interest in how proactive bilateral collaborations can contribute to development in terms of breadth and depth, in anticipation of future challenges and possibilities. The report will also enable Finnish-Swedish Cultural Foundation to develop the bilateral culture and research collaboration on a long-term basis.
Read and download the Climate Culture Conference summary here