You know the fantastic group Platform - they helped bring us the tate a tate app/ mp3 and the While London Burns city mp3 opera... Please could you take a few minutes to read this letter and consider supporting our work by becoming a Platform Sustainer: part of a growing network of people who are helping Platform to unravel the Carbon Web. See our new video of our work here. “Your work has been essential in enabling us to work on environmental justice issues. And you’ve added so much depth to our social and economic justice stream! Thank you for mentoring us.” Hossam Bahgat, Director, Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights The Carbon Web London doesn’t hold a drop of oil beneath its streets, yet it is one of the world’s main oil capitals. Every day in this city, a Carbon Web supports the operations of international oil companies.The strands of the Carbon Web connect investment in the City of London to human rights abuses of the Ogoni people in the Niger Delta; the diplomatic envoys smoothing deals for dangerous drilling in the Arctic; the oil company logo on the wall of an art gallery to the plans for a new pipeline connecting Azerbaijan to Europe. The strands of the web tighten. What we do Platform challenges London’s role in providing political and financial power for oil projects around the world. As artists we work to imagine the shift from fossil fuels; as researchers we look for ways to make it possible; as activists and educators we lay the groundwork for a just and sustainable future. Our big, long term aim is to make the Carbon Web visible and help restore justice to communities affected by the fossil fuel industry by amplifying their silenced voices, using the transformative power of art and activism. We know there are no quick wins here. We know that we are trying to dismantle decades – centuries – of power imbalances, unfair trade agreements and political and corporate alliances. But we’ve had many successes, including: helping stall dangerous Arctic drilling last year forcing RBS to reduce its fossil fuel finance and divert £millions to renewables stopping the wholesale privatisation of Iraqi oil launching a huge movement challenging oil sponsorship of the arts running Shake! workshops with dozens of young people exploring race, power and democracy helping to change the Arts Council England’s environment policy and many many more artistic and imaginative interventions over the last 30 years Over the next year at Platform: Sarah Shoraka will bring the stories of people from Niger Delta to life. Working alongside Nigerian activists and other organisations she’ll apply public and political pressure on Shell to clean up the Delta. To mark the 20th year since Ken Saro Wiwa was executed in Nigeria for his opposition to oil companies, Jane Trowell will organise a high profile artistic intervention. Farzana Khan will bring together dozens of young people, artists and campaigners to create a learning, artistic, democratic and creative space called Shake! based here in London and linking with young activists in Nigeria. Mika Minio-Paluello is based in Cairo, supporting communities in the Middle East and North Africa as they resist exploitation from corporate interests as part of wider uprisings demanding social justice and liberation. Emma Hughes is exposing the new mega pipeline plans in Azerbaijan, helping to prevent devastation to communities along the proposed route, and infrastructure that would lock Europe into fossil fuel extraction for the next half a century. Anna Galkina and James Marriott are helping investors shift from fossil fuels to renewables by carefully researching and exposing the financial and environmental risks of the harder to reach oil, like tar sands, fracking and Arctic drilling. Mel Evans and Kevin Smith are creatively opposing the corporate oil sponsorship of our art galleries, theatres and museums. By building a coalition of artists, actors and activists, they are undermining the “social licence to operate” that enables BP & Shell to continue their destruction. How you can help - become one of our Sustainers “Platform awakens the creativity in others by creating an emotional link to the issues" An existing Platform Sustainer, June 2013 We’re seeking 500 people to commit to making a monthly donation of between £5 - £20. These monthly donations are so important - they keep us independent and help us to plan our work with more confidence. We’d love it if you could be one of our Sustainers. You do this by clicking here, and choosing the regular donation option. Thank you, in anticipation of your support from all the Platform team. Tanya, Emma, Sarah, Hamza, Jane, Mel, Kevin, Farzana, James and Anna PS We like to hold regular, informal meetings with our Sustainers to discuss our work. The next one, to mark Platform’s 30th birthday, is in January. Please do get in touch if you’d be interested in attending. Contact [email protected]
Posted on: Tue, 24 Sep 2013 11:32:23 +0000
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