Welcome to another episode of Outrage + Optimism. As always, we examine issues at the forefront of the climate crisis, interview change-makers, and transform our anger into productive dialogue on building a sustainable future.

In this special episode, the Outrage + Optimism crew has teamed up with the Dartington Arts School to bring you the first episode of the school’s intriguing new podcast, Arts and Ecology. The podcast explores the nexus between art, ecology, and culture and the role creatives can play in tackling the climate crisis.

In this inaugural episode, Arts and Ecology co-host Natasha Rivett-Carnac and O + O Executive Producer Sarah Thomas discuss “Our Time on Earth,” a major multimedia exhibition currently running at the Barbican in London with co-curator Caroline Till. Till is the co-founder of FRANKLINTILL, a research agency exploring design, colour, and material innovation for a sustainable future.

You’ll also hear from two teams who collaborated on exhibition pieces. Chippindale, CEO of the award-winning digital retail agency, Holition, and George Monbiot, writer, Guardian columnist and environmental activist bring us The World Beneath Our Feet. The piece was inspired by “The Wonders of Soil,” the first chapter in Monbiot’s latest book, Regenesis: Feeding the World Without Devouring the Planet.

Next, we hear from Anab Jain and Jon Ardern, the co-founders of Superflux, an award-winning experimental design agency creating visceral experiences that bring future possibilities into the present. Their exhibition piece, a lavish multi-species banquet, is entitled, Refuge for Resurgence.

-

Notes and Resources

To explore more about the interconnection between art, ecology, and culture, subscribe to the Dartington Arts School’s podcast Arts and Ecology.

Natasha Rivett-Carnac, curator, Arts and Ecology, Dartington School of Arts

The exhibit Our Time on Earth, created by Caroline Till and Kate Franklin, will be at the Barbican in London from Thursday, 5 May to Monday, 29 Aug 2022.

Caroline Till is Co-Founder of FRANKLINTILL. Her book, co-written with business partner and co-curator, Kate Franklin, is Radical Matter: Rethinking Materials for a Sustainable Future and can be purchased here or in the US, here.