Creativity for climate
This Earth Day, at Artswork, we’re celebrating the young people who are already doing the work.
Climate anxiety is concerning. In a study by the University of Bath, 59% of young people said they felt ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ worried about climate change. And a YouGov poll found that only 9% of people aged 16 to 24 felt young people have a great deal of influence in making decisions about the climate.
At Artswork, we are working towards changing this as we believe that the young people have the power and the creativity to make big changes for the better in our world.
What have our Young Cultural Changemakers have been doing?
Our Young Cultural Changemakers programme is led by young people. Through creative workshops and community projects, they have been responding to the environmental challenges they see in their own neighbourhoods, and making something meaningful out of them.
Here’s a snapshot of what they’ve created:
Vertipools in Gosport and the Isle of Wight
Working with primary school pupils, young people designed and installed vertipools, which are artificial rock pool habitats that support intertidal wildlife on sea walls. A hands-on way of giving something back to the coastline on their doorstep.
Youth Community Garden in Bognor
A community green space, designed and built by young people, for the whole community. Growing food, growing confidence, and growing connections between people and their local environment.
‘Help the Kelp’ project in Arun
Kelp forests are one of the ocean’s most vital ecosystems, and one of the least talked about. This commission brought young people together to shine a light on kelp restoration efforts in Arun, using creativity to raise awareness of what lives beneath the surface.
Boomtown Commission in Rushmoor
An environment-themed creative project in Rushmoor, connecting young people to their local landscape through artmaking.
Ecological Futures in Dover
Working with artist Eirinn Hayhow, EKC Dover students used mycelium, natural dyes, and bio-materials made from food waste to create sculptural and textile artworks, exploring how artmaking itself can be low-impact and environmentally responsible. The project invited young people to think critically about consumption, materials, and what more sustainable creative practice could look like.
What we’re doing as an organisation:
Alongside supporting young people’s environmental projects, Artswork has been working to reduce our own footprint too.
- In 2025, we introduced a second-hand procurement policy that has already saved 1.7 tonnes of CO2e on electrical equipment alone
- Our website is hosted by renewable data centres
- We’ve used 12 environmental volunteering days across the team
- We redeveloped our Environmental Action Plan for the next year which all of our staff fed into
We also continued our No Fly pledge, prioritise active and public transport, and limit AI usage and cloud storage where we can.
Why creativity matters for climate?
We now have substantial knowledge backed by science that time spent in nature is good for us. Natural light regulates our body clock and boosts our mood. Being outside encourages us to slow down and be present.
But beyond our own wellbeing, creativity is one of the most powerful tools we have for making change. It helps young people process what they’re feeling about the climate crisis, find their voice, and channel anxiety into action.
The UK has just 13% woodland cover, well below the European average of 37%, and only 7% of that is in good condition. Wildlife is in decline. We believe in young people’s capacity to respond to these challenges.
This Earth Day, we’re proud to be an organisation that empowers young people to make these changes through creativity.
Want to find out more about our Young Cultural Changemakers programme?
Young Cultural Changemakers
Connecting young changemakers with artists to explore ideas, before giving them funding to shape and deliver creative projects where they live.