Creative Climate Change

In 2022, Artswork ran a series of workshops for SEND families in Oxford and Milton Keynes that used art, animation, sound, modelling and photography to explore themes around Climate Change.

As part of these workshops, families worked with Artswork and World Pencil to co-create a series of resources that families can use at home to creatively explore and tackle climate change, plastic pollution and other sustainable development challenges.

These video and PDF resources have been designed to describe activities, and use materials, that are accessible to everyone. They’re based on workshops run for children and families who had no experience in creative arts activities, and who discovered that they only needed their own imaginations to create some remarkable things.

Thank you to all the artists involved in this project for contributing their creativity and ideas to these workshops and resources. Workshops at Oxford Science Centre were led by Animation Station, Clinton Osborne, Daniel Dhariwal and Alex Hehir. Sessions at Milton Keynes Arts Centre were run by Orinoco, the Oxfordshire Scrapstore, Amelia Demicoli and Sue Smith.

All resources can be accessed using the links below. A full playlist of the six videos in this series can be found on our YouTube channel here.

Creative ways to tackle climate change and pollution

This first pair of resources explores some of the thinking behind this series and the value of the approaches taken. It also gives some advice on how to talk about climate change with your children so that they feel empowered to make a difference.

View or download PDF: Creative ways to tackle climate change and pollution

Making art from nature

You don’t need loads of paints and materials to make great art – you can just use the natural materials around you. And you can use nature to inspire you! These resources contain some creative activities to kickstart your imagination.

View or download PDF:Making art from nature

Making rhythms and music out of nature

The natural world is full of sounds – from wind and rain, to bird song, to the crunch of footsteps on gravel. You can use all these sounds to create ‘soundscapes’. Take a look at these resources to find out more.

View or download PDF: Making rhythms and music out of nature

Creative nature trails

One of the best ways of engaging with nature is to be immersed in it. Turning a walk or nature trail into a way of gathering creative materials can be a really good way of firing up children’s imagination and enthusiasm for exploring the great outdoors.

View or download PDF: Creative nature trails

Making art from plastic waste

Plastic and other waste materials you have around the home can make great materials for creating things, and for reflecting on the plastic waste we produce. Take some inspiration from this video, and our ‘plastic art gallery’.

View or download PDF: Making art from plastic waste

Making animations with nature and waste

Making animations can bring the stories in your imagination to life, and provide a great way to stimulate thinking about nature, with natural or waste materials. And all you need is a phone!

View or download PDF: Making animations with nature and waste