London’s artistic and environmental communities have joined forces in a powerful collaboration that’s hitting all the right notes for climate action enthusiasts and local art lovers alike.
The City of London’s Music Office and Climate, Environment & Waste Management team have released an exciting new video project that transforms the evocative poem “Watershed” into a captivating visual experience. The poem, crafted by former City of London Poette Laureate Tom Cull, offers a distinctly London-centric perspective on climate change impacts affecting our community.
What makes this project particularly special is how deeply rooted it is in local talent. The video features the voices of prominent London musicians including Lola Hayman of Thunder Queens, solo artist Fiker Kirubel, Shawn Durant, and Fraser Teeple, who bring Cull’s powerful words to life. Adding another layer of hometown pride, London-based band Status/Non-Status created an original musical composition that perfectly complements the poem’s themes.
Locals will likely find themselves nodding along as the poem references familiar London places while weaving together messages of resilience and hope in the face of environmental challenges. The video cleverly incorporates elements of the City’s Climate Emergency Action Plan, which outlines over 200 specific strategies and actions supporting climate change mitigation and adaptation.
The Climate Emergency Action Plan represents London’s response to the city’s climate emergency declaration and establishes ambitious goals, including achieving net-zero community greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, improving resilience to climate change impacts, and ensuring inclusive climate action that brings everyone along – from individuals and households to businesses and neighbourhoods.
This collaborative artistic venture supports multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including Climate Action, Gender Equality, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Sustainable Cities and Communities, and Partnership for the Goals.
The project credits list reads like a who’s who of local creative talent:
- Poem by Tom Cull
- Music by Status/Non-Status
- Audio by Dean Nelson
- Director Chris Evans
- Artistic Director Mai Tilson
Cast members include Fiker Kirubel, Fraser Teeple, Lola Hayman, and Shawn Durant, with crew members Nil Pilecki, Jeff Chambers, Matthew Stephenson, Keith Tanner, Rachel Long, and R. Rocha Neto rounding out the production team.
The release comes as the City has just published its Climate Adaptation Discussion Primer, which explores actions needed to adapt to London’s current and future weather conditions. The City will be collecting comments on this document throughout the remainder of summer and fall, which will contribute to the completion of an Adaptation Framework for London.
The Climate Emergency Action Plan continues to evolve, with 2022 Progress and 2023 Update reports available to the public through the City’s website.