Climate Cafe

Finding green, sustainable solutions to the Climate Crisis.

Cimate Cafe is a monthly event run at the BRIG in Digbeth and hosted by Extinction Rebellion and Friends of the Earth. Climate Cafes focus on a different environmental topic every month. Attendees can hear from experts in a number of areas, ask questions, and meet new people.

This is a welcoming space for hopeful ideas. It is open to everyone, regardless of how much you know already to share thoughts and solutions to the climate and ecological crises.

Upcoming Topics:

Sep 25 - 'Drawing on Data' with Megan Wakefield. The science of climate crisis as factual diagrams, tables, maps and charts can be overwhelming. How can we process and understand its relevance to ourselves and others? Drawing, collage, writing and conversation help to make our personal mark on data. Starting points are provided and the inspiration and responses will come through creating with one another.

Materials and data are provided. If you have a chart, map, diagram of interest to you, please bring it along!

Oct 25 - The Warehouse Retrofit Tour with Karen Leach, CEO of Birmingham Friends of the Earth.

Birmingham FoE raised a phenomenal £49,000 in community shares and matched funding to retrofit their well loved building. We hear about the programme of installing energy saving measures to reduce the carbon footprint of The Warehouse and to set standards for best practice in sustainable living and working.

Nov 25 - 'Imagine a Better Future' with Art2Imagine

No experience necessary and no writing or art ability needed. Just bring your imagination!

What does a better future look like if we are on our way to solving the world's most critical issues such as the climate and nature crisis, and inequality? Find out more about Art2Imagine's project and use their imaginative starting points to envision that better future. You can write down what you have imagined, do some art making, or just think about it and discuss some more.

All abilities and ages welcome. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Previous Topics:

Dec 23 - 'Intro to Energy: Generating, Storing, and Using' with Issy Stephens from the University of Birmingham

Jan 24 - 'What Eco-Justice Looks Like as an Ethnic Minority' with Toqueer Quyyam, writer of the Toqueer Green Experience blog

Feb 24 - 'Beat the Traffic and Save the Planet With Active Travel' with Better Streets for Birmingham committee

Mar 24 - 'Elevating Your Style Sustainably: Tips and Tricks from a Sustainable Stylist' with Sahra Derkits, founder and owner of TakingYourSpace

Apr 24 - 'Taking Responsibilty for Sustainability in our Institutions' with Krutika Ganeru, Sustainability Project Officer at Aston University

May 24 - 'Why Air Quality Matters' with Kirsten, activist with Mums for Lungs

Jun 24 - 'James Cond, A Retrofit Story in the Heart of the City' with Deb Bunce, Head of Sustainable Construction at University College Birmingham

Jul 24 - 'Repair Cafe' with ReCognition Circular, T-Level Engineering Students from University College Birmingham, and others

Sep 24 - 'Individuals Can Only Do So Much: Why We Need The Climate & Nature Bill' with Jamie Russel from Zero Hour

Oct 24 - 'Corporate Profit or People's Green Energy Revolution' with David Toke, author of Energy Revolutions

Nov 24 - 'Criminalisation of Peaceful Protest' with a panel of activists from Extinction Rebellion, Just Stop Oil, and the Palestine movements

Dec 24 - 'The Climate Crisis in South Africa and Zimbabwe' with Catherine Mahandu, Field Researcher

Jan 25 - 'International Conflict and Climate Change' with Extinction Rebellion activists facing trial for action around Telford Arms Fair

Feb 25 - 'Non-Violent Direct Action Training' with Extinction Rebellion Trainers

Mar 25 - 'Aviation, Sustainability, and Flight-Free Travel' with Anna Hughes from Flight Free UK

Apr 2025 - No Cafe in April due to Easter

May 2025 - 'Climate Poetry Workshop' with local poet and eclological activist, Laura Hackett

Jun 2025 - 'Plant Alchemy: Botanical Inks and Composting' with Carolyn Morton, Compost Coordinator at Birmingham Friends of the Earth and freelance artist

Jul 25 - 'Resilience and wellbeing practices for climate activists: connecting to purpose in a changing world' with Jane Charlesworth of We Got to Move.

Aug 25 - No Climate Cafe - it's a time for rest and recuperation!