Grounding Technologies shares creative climate solutions

An innovative project at the Watershed’s Pervasive Media Studio is exploring how technology can be used creatively to inspire and amplify action on climate change.

Grounding Technologies, a six-month pilot project from Bristol+Bath Creative R+D, aims to nourish new regional collaborations by unlocking imaginations and sparking conversation.

It’s hoped the collaboration between art, design, technology and creative practitioners will create new and distinctive ideas to bolster climate action in the region.

A sharing event on Friday December 1 will showcase the six projects involved, exploring mud batteries, commoning the greenbelt, community healing apps, night flights and other groundbreaking ideas.

The Apothecary Network of decolonial community apothecaries aims to reclaim green spaces for local communities – photo Marcus Bernard

The Grounding Technologies projects build on Bristol’s tradition of activism and innovation to address the climate crisis. They bring together expertise from across sectors, locations and communities to create dynamic tools for the future.

Zoe Rasbash, the project’s producer, is the Watershed’s Environmental Emergencies Action Researcher.

“Working with our teams, co-designing technological and artistic interventions to bolster climate and biodiversity action in the region, has been a dream,” she says. “We’re collectively figuring out how we can approach tech in a useful, creative and responsible way.

“Throughout the process of Grounding Technologies, we’ve learnt so much from each other, with each team bringing different experience, networks and knowledges. We’re really excited for our final sharing event on Friday where we can celebrate the hard work of everyone involved.”

A project in Knowle will investigate how new sensor technology can be combined with local embodied and non-human knowledge – photo: Knowle-West-Media-Centre

The projects presenting at Friday’s event are:

Eyes on Bristol Airport, an experimental project capturing flight and air traffic data to hold Bristol Airport accountable to its climate pledges, led by Bristol Airport Action Network.

The Apothecary Network, a collection of decolonial community apothecaries which centre growing, herbology, community, collective care, joy, and connection with nature in radical, anti-racist ways and work to reclaim green spaces for themselves and their communities.

Focus – but where? – a playful online interactive crowdsourced zine or game that explores the intersection between climate change activism and our complex media and information environment, using eye-tracking to explore direct climate action and communications.

Garden Lab Whispers Grow, a project based on an allotment in Knowle West that is investigating how new sensor technology can be combined with local, embodied and non-human knowledge to further climate action, led by the Knowle West Media Centre.

Greenbelt 2.0, Rings of Resilience Resistance + Renewal, reimagining the use of greenbelt land around Bristol through co-created mapping and animation using data from communities, with Maddy Longhurst of the Urban Agriculture Consortium in collaboration with Yew Tree Farm and others.

Where Do We Go When We ____, – an investigation into how creative technology might support marginalised and neurodiverse communities to navigate nature experiences and climate action.

The event is free and takes place 2-4.30pm at the Watershed and online. Sign up at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/grounding-technologies-a-sharing-tickets-750755107737?aff=oddtdtcreator

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