Happy New Year! As we usher in 2023, we take the opportunity to reflect on everything accomplished over the last year. Since founding SCALE in the spring of 2021, we have established our ethical foundation with our Values and Principles, hosted ten Roundtables, advocated for climate at the National Culture Summit, participated in the first ever Canadian Music Climate Summit and hired two new staff members. Most importantly, we have begun to build an intentional community at the intersection of arts and climate in Canada, brought together by a shared sense of urgency around the climate and ecological crisis, and the belief that the arts have a critical role to play in building the world we want. If this is only the first year, we can’t wait to see what 2023 holds in store for us.  We look ahead with excitement to a new year in which we will continue to activate the change-making capacity of the arts towards a sustainable future. To this end, we would like to hear from you while we are deep into planning our activities for 2023/2024 and beyond. Please take five minutes to respond to this short survey: your input will be most valuable.  Take the survey Finally, we’d like to sign off with this short talk by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson to help us kick-off the year on high note: a kind reminder to find joy in climate action. “…All too rarely are we asked to contribute our special talents, our superpowers, to climate solutions…that would actually enable the radical changes we need.” What are the special talents you can contribute to climate solutions? In the coming months, we’ll be sharing more content, and would love to hear about your inspirations. If you have a favourite reinvigorating or provocative piece of art, writing, music or video that you would like us to feature in this newsletter, please let us know!!  Below, the most recent developments from the intersection of culture and climate in Canada, including talks from renowned scholar Leanne Betasamosake and Canadian guitarist Donna Grantis, grants, webinars and a new season of the Conscient podcast.  Here’s to the new year! May 2023 bring us closer to a greener, more just planet for all forms of life. Julia MatamorosCommunications LeadSCALE-LeSAUT Take the survey  P.S. Please help us grow our network by forwarding this email and encouraging your colleagues to join our mailing list here. If you would like to become more involved in SCALE—by attending Roundtable meetings, joining a committee, partnering with us on a project, or by any other means—please contact us at info@scale-lesaut.ca. 

This month’s news

Art, Activism, and Climate Change: Conversation with Leanne Betasamosake Simpson – January 17
We are particularly excited about this conversation with renowned Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer and artist Leanne Betasamosake Simpson. Betasamosake’s work offers a leading voice and perspective on contemporary Indigenous issues and focuses on building collective futures while protecting and living in concert with our natural world. The talk is part of a series of virtual programs focusing on the intersection of art, activism, and climate change, presented by the Harvard Radcliffe Institute and the Mahindra Humanities Center at Harvard University. This is a free event, registration required. 
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Brian Eno and Donna Grantis: Arts’ Role in the Climate Crisis – January 27
Join this conversation between Brian Eno and EarthPercent member and Canadian guitarist Donna Grantis (Prince, 3rdeyegirl) as they grapple with this moment and the arts’ role in tackling climate change. 
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Conscient Podcast
Our colleague Claude Schryer (SCALE Co-founder,, member of the Mission Circle and current Board Chair) has launched the fourth season of his conscient podcast, continuing his exploration of art and the ecological crisis. His new season is called ‘Sounding Modernity: weekly 5-minute sound meditations’ and explores what modernity sounds like and what we can do about it. Claude will be publishing a new 5-minute episode in English and French every Sunday morning until December 31, 2023.
LEARN MORE
 
Green and Inclusive Community Building (GICB) – apply by February 28
The GICB Program is accepting applications from eligible applicants for small and medium-sized projects to retrofit existing community buildings. Find out if you are eligible and apply!
LEARN MORE & APPLY
 
Revolutionary Storyteller Grant – apply by February 21st
 Photographers Without Borders will grant five recipients $5000 USD to support the creation of an impactful photography project, a video piece, and a community exhibition of the work with a strong, tangible call to action pertaining to land and/or water protection. Applicants must be from the community or have strong relationships with the community they are working with.
LEARN MORE & APPLY
 
Clean Creatives – the ad and PR industry cut ties with fossil fuels
Clean Creatives is a movement bringing together leading agencies, their employees, and clients to address the ad and PR industry’s work with fossil fuels. The Clean Creatives pledge is the best way to show you are committed to a future for the creative industry that doesn’t include promoting pollution.
TAKE THE PLEDGE

Create Dangerously: Museums in the Age of Action – February 14 
Our ideas about what a museum is and does were developed in slower, simpler times. But the realities of 2023 – including the climate emergency and global technological and social change – reveal gaps and flaws in the traditional boundaries of museum work. In his webinar, Michael Peter Edson argues that we need to dramatically update our concept of museum practice if we are to create a meaningful response to today’s most important questions about culture, society and change.
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