“I find myself in a constant state of conflict because of the disparity between what I do, and what needs to be done.” – Emma Rubinowitz
Artists Climate Collective is born
Just as companies all over the country started returning to studios to prepare for their first live seasons since 2019, Artists Climate Collective (ACC) released its first digital release on August 31st; a film entitled Art to Action which is available for viewing online through September 28th.
Art to Action is a truly international endeavor by artists across the U.S. and Canada and includes five dance productions and one spoken word piece that were filmed in Atlanta, Columbus, New York, San Francisco, and Winnipeg.
Artists Climate Collective and Art to Action caught my eye because of what they represent, a project that seeks to bring a group of artists together to connect on the topic of the climate. Unlike other pandemic-era digital releases, this one was commissioned by ACC to raise awareness of and financial support for climate change.
Three professional ballet dancers – Keaton Leier, Madeline Bez, and Charlotte Nash founded ACC in 2020. Art to Action, which was released less than a year later, features the choreography of Philippe Jacques, Leiland Charles, Emma Rubinowitz, and Darian Kane and the poetry of Shahamat Uddin. Dancers include members of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Aspirant Program, BalletMet, ABT, San Francisco Ballet, and Atlanta Ballet.
The speed with which these three founders have been able to cultivate their ideas, secure the support of these artists, and produce Art to Action is impressive and is a testament to the power and relatability of ACC’s message. The release is also impressive because it is successful as much because of what it does not say as because of what it says.
The artists that collaborated on Art to Action have challenged the viewer to consider how choices today may create a world where future generations lose their access to nature and their ancestral lands and how our personal desires and ambitions are also proving to be self-destructive.
While it could have been tempting to make the message bigger than the medium, the artists used restraint in their storytelling. The resulting production is elegant and accessible and features some of the most beautiful videography and composition that I have seen in any digital release this year.
After screening Art to Action, I had an opportunity to sit down virtually with ACC’s three founders for a conversation about their creation.
⦿ What did it take for Artists Climate Collective to make this first production a reality?
We first came up with the idea and mission behind ACC in informal conversations throughout the fall of 2020.
At the beginning of this year, we were approved as a fiscally sponsored non-profit through Fractured Atlas, a company that provides artists around the world with support for their creative endeavors. From February up until July, we collaborated with choreographers and artists to workshop their pieces. The majority of filming took place this summer and the editing process went up until the launch date at the end of August!
⦿ How was ACC able to form this collective of artists from across North America?
As dancers, art brought us together as friends and has since fostered the collaboration that brought ACC to life. The pandemic, although challenging our dancing careers, gave each of us time to think about the world around us, what we truly care about, and what it could mean to make a difference through the experiences of our professional careers. We were able to bring our collective together through the beauty of technology and creating a collaboration process that is not limited by physical distance.
Ballet is an extremely interconnected community that provides an extraordinarily large network. We have used our connections to get in touch with fellow artists and build stronger relationships with them. This has allowed us the comfort to collaborate on the issue of climate change and create work with the goal of addressing it. Many of the artists we have worked with were thrilled about the opportunity to work with such a relevant issue which seemed to motivate them to create despite the distance.
⦿ Are you aware of any other projects like ACC that are using dance art as a medium for drawing attention and financial support to a cause like climate change?
We are not aware of specific full digital programs that address and support social issues, but we truly hope that they exist and that ACC not only sparks curiosity about the climate crisis, but also new, creative ways of using the arts to fuel social movements. The arts have such a valuable role to play in amplifying ideas and issues that our audiences care about.
⦿ How did Artists Climate Collective choose the organizations that it supports with the proceeds from this release?
We considered several different organizations doing a variety of work before we settled on Grid, CFRN, and Sunrise.
We wanted to support organizations that are doing quantifiable work, but are also morally aligned with our own views. We looked for organizations that were led by BIPOC people, where their work directly affected vulnerable populations. BIPOC people are disproportionately affected by the negative impacts of climate change and we felt it was important that the funds we raise go to efforts that help diminish that barrier.
Environmental, economic, and social justice can make lasting positive change and we chose our groups because of their dedication to that vision.
⦿ Do you think the negative impact that COVID has had on live arts over the past 18 months has created an environment for projects like Art to Action that would not have been available otherwise?
COVID has forced all artists to reimagine how people see their art, dance especially. The influx of dance films throughout COVID reaffirmed that our project, Art to Action, could happen.
I don’t think dance for stage directly translates well to film, but by being able to create dance specifically for film you are able to bring something new that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to see. The camera allows the viewer’s eyes to focus directly on the point that the artist desires.
Although the pandemic is devastating and is continuing to affect the lives of performance artists, it is comforting to see dance being viewed from new platforms, which has expanded the audiences and brought to light some troubling issues in the dance world.
⦿ What long-term impact will pop-up and special interest dance projects like ACC have on large established dance companies now that audiences are returning to theaters?
COVID has certainly accelerated the rate of social change that the majority of people in this country and throughout the world are hoping to see in the near future and the dance world does not stand apart from that movement.
Projects like ACC are attempting to push the dance world towards a more sustainable and productive art form. I truly hope that traditional companies will be excited about bringing in fresh diverse faces and ideas into their repertoire because the dance world needs this if it hopes to survive in the long term.
Our audiences are demanding more from us and they want a diverse range of creations, dancers, choreographers, and leaders. They want stories and emotions that mean something in the 21st century. It is time to move to progress to newer more relevant works and I hope that traditional dance companies see that too.
⦿ What’s next for Artists Climate Collective? Are you planning more digital programming like Art to Action? Is ACC considering expanding into live events?
The mission of ACC is to commission different artistic projects and outlets to amplify the climate crisis.
As the dance season commences, we will continue to produce smaller projects, which will include things that are more tangible, for example, sustainable dancewear lines. We are planning to do more digital programming, commencing next summer again. Details to be decided, but we are already in discussion with new artists who are itching to get involved!
Featured Photo for Artists Climate Collective’s Art in Action provided by ACC.
