Model and Strategy
The Center for Cultural Power’s climate justice program works through culture to popularize the transformative change we urgently need to address climate change.
Today, climate narratives are dire and depressing, emphasizing the risks we face and the sacrifice needed to meet the rapidly closing window for action. They lack imagination, inspiration, joy, and a sense of the better world that we can create by achieving harmony with the earth. By working with culture makers, we imagine a world that has evolved beyond ecological domination and economic exploitation, centering the wisdom of frontline and Indigenous communities who have lived in balance with the land for generations.
We strengthen the leadership of People of Color, Queer, Trans, and Migrant artists and cultural creators, so that they can bring these ideas to life, and we partner with grassroots and advocacy groups to create a powerful and creative movement for change. We are network weavers of an emergent cultural strategy ecosystem, engaging local cohorts of artists alongside a powerful community of Hollywood and entertainment artists and influencers.
Impact
The project will yield new creative work, new leadership capacity, and new creative infrastructure, building towards a widening of our collective imagination as to what climate transformation can look and feel like, and a growing collective appetite to make that vision a reality.
The most direct and immediate impact will be a wave of new creative work across a variety of media (digital videos, music, murals, fashion, comedy, etc.) that tells a new story about the future we can create together. This culture, because it is created by BIPOC artists, will reflect the perspectives of those who are at the front lines of climate change. Cultural Power has relationships with both high profile cultural influencers, as well as grassroots artists with deep credibility in their specific communities, so this content will have both wide reach as well as a lasting impact with key audiences.
The project will also strengthen the leadership capacity of artists who want to share their vision of climate transformation with the world. Our core curriculum builds on a decade of learning and helps them unleash their personal power and ascend to leadership in movements for change.
Finally, the project will strengthen our rapid response communications infrastructure and our campaign partnerships, allowing us to bring a cultural component to climate campaigns that will take the message out of the Beltway and to the public in accessible, unique, and beautiful ways that spark public will for the urgent and transformative policy change we need.
Leadership
-
Favianna Rodriguez
Cultural Strategist, President
-
Layel Camargo
Ecological Arts and Culture Manager