Red Line Art Works Declares The Cultural Emergency

1. Red Line Art Works[/b] is a global arts project, formed in 2012 to reflect the fact that humanity and our civilisations are in serious trouble and we in the Arts should (and can) increase the sense of urgency and emergency among Artists and audiences.

2. The Climate and Ecological Emergency is already upon us and humanity is now moving into the most critical decade in its history. According to the science and according to the United Nations, if we do not turn this emergency around by 2030 humanity will have lost our only chance of doing so. In 2019 we decided to give our support to a positive new initiative (based in the UK) which is complementary to our Mission : Culture Declares Emergency (see more below). You can also see more about our Mission here.

3. The developing Climate and Ecological Emergency are a grave concern. They are leading our civilisation toward chaos and collapse and leading humans and other species towards extinction. These two big global concerns have always (through all stages of their growth) been interlocked with and interwoven with other big global concerns, power structures, inequalities and injustices.

4. From its outset Red Line Art Works has therefore encouraged artists and creative people to create more work about ALL of these big global concerns, reflecting them in Art works of all types. You can see several hundred art works from around 45 different countries in our Main gallery here. More examples of artists and art works from all eras are shown in our 'Art & Politics' section here.

5. Across the whole spectrum, Art and artists can distinguish between good values and bad. Art can highlight the unacceptable in humans and in institutions and structures. It can therefore influence people to act with good values and principles. It can validate and affirm those who are seeking positive changes in the wider culture.

6. Through the global critique embedded in these art works we want to shift the 'cultural centre of gravity' to support more positive and proactive change in the world. Art can change the way people see the world and see reality - and that is necessary if they are to change it. It is clear that we should not cling to the dysfunctional status quo (both in life and art) which is leading humanity towards disaster.


Chinese Proverb : "Unless we change direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed."


7. So, we ask all Artists and creative people across the world to reflect on the big global concerns - the ones that today threaten humanity and our only planet. In doing this, we show how the Arts can (and does) critique the global status quo. Nothing is now more urgent or imperative in the Arts. When Artists (or Curators or Arts Institutions, etc) ignore these Global Concerns they are complicit with the wrongdoers, the wrongdoings and the injustices which are endangering humanity and our only planet. So, we believe in speaking up, specifically through art.

8. We are in our sixth year of making two annual Awards for the best art works we receive about this. We have developed an enthusiastic global audience for these critical Art works. In our Main Gallery here you can see a wide variety of Art works from around 45 countries, and this number is growing.

9. We offer artists and audiences a clear and integrated view of these global concerns, inequalities and injustices. You can read about them here and follow our global Links to almost every strand of the big global concerns. They are all connected, and always have been.

10. Citizens around the world look to Artists and creative people for inspiration, for validation of big social causes and for confirmation of their own ideas about social and political change. The Arts can be incredibly valuable in inspiring and supporting people, especially in difficult times. Artists with intelligence, wisdom and courage can also 'Tell Truth to Power' (see examples here and here). You can also read more about What Can The Arts & Culture Do here.
CULTURE DECLARES EMERGENCY

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11. Culture Declares Emergency (CDE) is a UK-based organisation whose mission is to focus artists and arts organisations on the global Climate and Ecological Emergency. When Culture Declares Emergency (CDE) announced its arrival in 2019 we quickly registered our support.

12. The aim of CDE is : 'To encourage artists and cultural organisations to declare climate and ecological emergency and to collectively interrogate the role of arts and culture in this time of global crisis'. Our Declaration is below.

13. We commend CDE to all artists and arts organisations and we hope you will Register with CDE and 'Declare the Emergency' as we have done. And please don't forget to send us your art works on the big global concerns - they will be considered for our next Annual Awards. You can find a Link to the CDE website here.

14. Below is Red Line Art Works' Declaration of the Emergency. We welcome all feedback on this, so please let us know what you think.


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