The success of a creative programme designed to engage the Coventry public with nature, sustainability and social change has been revealed.
Green Futures, a key strand of the Coventry UK City of Culture creative programme was designed to increase awareness and use of outdoor spaces as well as helping the people of Coventry to engage, pause, reflect, and act on green and environmental issues.
An evaluation report by the University of Warwick and Coventry University in partnership with Coventry City Council has revealed the impact of the programme which took place in 2021/22.
The Green Futures programme, primarily funded by National Lottery players through The National Lottery Heritage Fund, was delivered by 170 partners and artists and reached an audience of over 150,000 people.
The programme saw the distribution of seeds to create 10,000 square metres of ‘pollinator pathways’ in the city to support a range of species, helped to generate an increase in civic pride from 78% of audiences and participants and led to a 74 per cent increase in footfall along the Coventry Canal during the UK City of Culture year.
An audience of nearly 28,000 watched the illuminated drone performance Our Wilder family live from War Memorial Park during the final celebration weekend of the City of Culture year.
The programme encouraged citizens to engage with the natural heritage on their doorstep and projects which had a focus on mental wellbeing had positive impacts for those involved despite at the time indicative worsening levels in mental wellbeing in the city due to the pandemic and other global events.
Several events facilitated spaces for previously seldom heard groups to come together, share stories and connect with their communities. For partners, awareness has increased, growing membership bases, and showcasing the benefit of using culture as catalyst for environmental change.
The City of Culture Trust, now in its legacy phase, has committed to commission ambitious, engaging, interactive and playful events and activities with a strong social and environmental consciousness to build on the successes of the year. The Trust is using this time to transfer learning, resources and networks, and embed co-created practices to ensure the cultural and voluntary sector is stronger, coordinated and thriving by March 2024. The commissioning model is built on collaboration and aligns with the five pathways to sustainability detailed within Coventry’s Climate Change Strategy, ensuring the wellbeing of citizens and positioning the city as a leader and pioneer of the green industrial revolution.
Martin Sutherland, Chief Executive of Coventry City of Culture Trust, said:
“One of the key goals of the City of Culture year was to engage the public with nature and set the tone for lasting social and environmental change.
This report evidences that the many artists, organisations and members of the public who came together in the pursuit of a green future did so extremely successfully and the role of arts, culture and collaboration in finding solutions to the climate crisis is clear.
Green Futures has always been a driving force of our plans for the future and we look forward to continuing this work in the city through the legacy of City of Culture.”
Robyn Llewellyn, Director, England, Midlands & East at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said:
“It’s thanks to National Lottery players that we were able to support this ambitious Green Futures programme. Connecting with nature is so important to our health and wellbeing, so I’m thrilled that Coventry City of Culture put this at the heart of their programming. Coventry 2021 was the greenest and most environmentally conscious UK City of Culture to date, and I’m so pleased that we are able to help make this happen.”
