Building on our longstanding commitment to arts, community participation and climate action, the Foundation is supporting three new grant partnerships that champion creative climate (and ocean) community engagement work. As part of our evolving approach, we recently outlined our thinking in The arts and participation: a route to scaling climate action, exploring how arts organisations can drive positive social change in collaboration with their communities. These new partnerships reflect that commitment, supporting organisations that bring together artists, communities and policymakers to tackle climate challenges through creativity and participation. 

New Arts X Community Participation X Climate Action grant partners 

LAND, Deveron Projects

As Scotland’s largest planned onshore wind farm reshapes the landscape, Deveron Projects’ LAND initiative, explores the social dimensions of energy transition. An artist-in-residence will collaborate with Huntly’s community to develop the ‘Huntly Grid’—a locally driven energy strategy prioritising community needs. The three-year programme will bring together residents, policymakers, and international partners to share knowledge and explore local grassroots energy solutions. By demonstrating how arts-led community engagement can contribute to a just energy transition, LAND will provide a replicable model for community-driven climate action, directly supporting the UK’s clean energy ambitions. READ MORE

Ocean Creative Cultures Programme, Take A Part 

Despite Plymouth’s status as Britain’s Ocean City, 17% of its children have never visited the sea due. Take A Part (TAP) is co-designing participatory arts-led interventions with local communities, artists and policymakers that foster deeper connections with the marine environment. Using the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park as a base for engagement, the Ocean Creative Culture Programme is collaborating with environmental artist Owen Griffiths to support residents to become active ‘marine citizens’—advocates who understand and care for their local environment. Year one will focus on creative commissions and community engagement, while year two will expand local activism and international collaboration, to support arts-based ocean climate initiatives. READ MORE

Sea Change: Co-creating Coastal Futures, Culture for Climate Scotland 

Culture for Climate Scotland’s initiative embeds artists in two Scottish coastal communities to co-develop just transition strategies that influence local policy. Facing rising sea levels and economic challenges, these communities often feel excluded from climate decision-making. Sea Change will engage local artists and cultural practitioners to help communities explore the social impacts of climate change. It will work with policymakers and environmental bodies, including NatureScot and the Marine Directorate Scotland, to ensure community perspectives shape decision-making and two-way learning. Through this process, each community will co-create a place-based arts-climate project, ensuring that their needs and aspirations are reflected in future climate policies. Insights from the initiative will be shared through workshops and a conference, demonstrating the impact of arts-led approaches in shaping just transition strategies. READ MORE

These projects explore the potential of arts-led approaches to catalyse meaningful climate engagement. By supporting these Arts X Community Participation X Climate Action initiatives, the Foundation reaffirms its commitment to ensuring those most affected by climate change and climate policies have a voice in shaping their future.

Image: Happier Blue Spaces, a Take A Part programme. Credits: Take A Part