ARTCOP21 - The cultural agenda of the COP21

May – December 2015
Paris
ARTCOP21 was the cultural agenda of the COP21, from May to December 2015.
In 2015, tens of thousands of civil actors, foundations, NGOs and citizens mobilised throughout the world and gathered in Paris for the 21st United Nations Climate Change Conference. This exceptional citizen mobilisation, complementing the contribution of scientists and politicians, led to the signing of the historic Paris agreements. Thanks to the ArtCOP21 programme initiated and implemented by COAL, culture has been put on the political agenda of the climate negotiations as never before. The multiplicity of its actions and its global mechanism has been able to bring an inspiring and creative approach to the transformations of society and reaffirmed the central place of culture in the ecological transition and sustainable development.
Conceived as a platform to stimulate and relay the mobilisation of artists and cultural actors on climate issues, ArtCOP21 brought together the best cultural initiatives committed to the COP21, notably through its online Paris Climate 2015 Cultural Agenda. This digital tool provided access to a genuine large-scale artistic itinerary from September to December, in Île-de-France, in France and
France and abroad. As part of ArtCOP21, COAL created five monumental works of art in the public space. All of them have been co-produced or engaged in collaboration with partner structures. COAL also programmed or co-produced nearly 25 actions included in the agenda.
ArtCOP21 also proposed a political agenda for culture through decisive meetings at the Gaité Lyrique, which was transformed for the occasion into a cultural headquarters throughout the COP21: the Conference of Creative Parties, the international summit of committed artists from 1 to 11 December, and an international professional workshop to share best practices and promote the integration of sustainable development and its challenges in the cultural sector on 3 and 4 December. ArtCOP21 also included a special edition of the Coal Art and Environment Prize “Climate and Oceans”.
www.artcop21.com