‘A(rt)ction for climate change’ was a multi-dimensional project that enabled behavioural changes for individual preferences, consumption habits, and lifestyle by training and educating young visual artists and youth workers on how to be true agents of change and green entrepreneurial practitioners. The project aimed to achieve this via four educational project results: R1. the Artists as Green Actors of Change’ Curriculum; R2.the Green E-learning Platform & Cross-cultural Network for Collaboration’; R3.the ‘Artists for Climate Change Toolkit’, and the; R4.the E-book for Young Artists/Actors of Change. All project results were meant to foster and strengthen young people’s sense of initiative by promoting green entrepreneurship and creative learning among youth as well as educate young artists and workers to become true agents of change and help in addressing the challenges of climate change. Other immediate outcomes included the increase of quality innovation and recognition of youth work (of art) as well as the productive knowledge exchange, and the stimulation of intercultural dialogue with people across Europe.
Prior to the start of the project, preliminary research highlighted the needs of artists to a) belong to a wide community with like-minded artists who share the same vision, b) use their art as a tool to influence the world, and c) learn business basics and entrepreneurial practice to be able to grow their influence and grow professionally. The combination of the need to fight climate change, together with the artists’ need to belong to a bigger community and be trained on how to trigger environmental change was the basis of the project. In the case of the curriculum for example (R1), the modules included are meant to offer a solution to artists who have highlighted the need to a) enhance their business know-how and entrepreneurial skills so as to use their art to raise awareness and b) to be able to use digital solutions and innovative tools. Along the same lines, the educational platform (R2) will be an applied digital solution that relates both to the need to a) belong to a wider community and b) collectively “create work of art for a higher purpose”.