Is there a Future?

Ugly Duck revitalises underused space. We find empty and underused spaces and open them up for a range of creative uses. We run projects which animate and connect people to public spaces.We believe that space – especially in overcrowded cities like London – should never be left empty. We take vacant and disused buildings and bring them back into creative use; reflecting communities and histories, investigating social issues through arts and enterprise.

Ugly Duck Spaces

Should we have children or stay childfree in the midst of an ecological crisis?
For some, having children is quite central when trying to envision a future.
‘Is there a Future’ is an evening of performance art and installation featuring works by international artists and activists, aiming to open a safe space for discussion looking at our future, the ecological landscape and our evolving relationships with the idea of family within it. The programme sees diverse and thought-provoking responses to the question and includes members of the Birthstrike movement, Jessica Gaitán Johannesson & Adam Ley-Lange presenting a personal and ongoing process of decision-making; French - Taiwanese performance artist Sylvie Shiwei Barbier exploring her pregnant body and the celebration of a new life, and a piece by filmmaker and documentarian Cécile Embleton exploring the impact of climate change and environmental pollution on public and reproductive health. See full programme below for more details.
This is an artist-led event organised and curated by Cécile Embleton from Art Earth Tech and Dyana Gravina, founder of Procreate Project.
International artists have been invited to examine the two fold theme of parenthood and the ecological crisis and what arises from discovering just how intimately intertwined these themes are. The works will explore; the joy, love and hope that is born in our necessity to create new life - on both a personal and collective level - grieving for a sense of mothering that we have lost in our relationship to nature and in our societies, and the urgent ecological challenges we face in order to create a viable future for our children.
Participant artists: - Sylvie Shiwei Barbier [‘Gratitude’ Live Performance] - Jessica Gaitán Johannesson & Adam Ley-Lange [Brain Child Writing, installation] - Isik Sayarer & Eva Knutsdotter, Alex Moloney and Maryam Hashemi - Fourthland ['The Mother' - Mixed media works, object, photograph, video, live performance] - Cécile Embleton [Installation] - Niya B ['Umbilical' - one to one durational performance] - Tereza Stelikhova - [Video - Installation] - Verity Birt [spoken word performance] - Paula McCloskey & Sam Vardy - A place of their own [Video - Installation]
Open conversation 6-7 pm with: - Blythe Pepino - Founder of BirthStrike - Alice Brown - Member of BirthStrike - Isobel Braithwaite - Doctor and Public Health Registrar - Juliana Muniz Westcott - Extinction Rebellion Families coordinator
Please check out the Facebook event for updates on the programme: <A HREF="https://www.facebook.com/events/2072492606378491/?active_tab=about" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Facebook Event Page</A>
Please note this event is organised with no funding and is happening thanks to the contribution of wonderful volunteers passionate about this important topic and our future. If any profit is made from ticket sales, this will be shared between the performers and contributors.
About the organisers: - Cécile Embleton is an artist, filmmaker and documentarian. Her films have shown in film festivals across the world and she has been supported by the British Council Film to present her work in the United States and Europe. Cécile is a member of Art / Earth / Tech. Art / Earth / Tech is a multi-disciplinary initiative of artists, researchers and technologists who are committed to being wise and creating a weller world for everyone. Our goal is to generate flourishing and fulfilled communities and individuals which deals powerfully with collective challenges such as climate change and the decline of democracies. Art / Earth / Tech has worked with the Rockefeller Foundation, Plum Village, IPPR, CRI and LSE amongst others. Our activities are wide-ranging and include coliving communities in London, Berlin and near Paris; a network of experts and changemakers, and a research Institute exploring the principles of wise societies and our cultural blind spots.
- Dyana Gravina is a performance artist, community projects facilitator, activist and art producer based in London. She is a women-artists-mothers’ rights advocate, and is the founder and creative director of Procreate Project. She has worked for over ten years in the entertainment industry, events and the contemporary arts. Independently as well as working for other organisations and agencies, she has led international productions and established collaborations with brands and institutions including the Venice Biennale, IPM International Music Conference, The Devine Comedy musical theatre, Goldsmiths University of London, Royal College of Art, LADA, and Create London.
Procreate Project was founded in 2013 and has grown to become a pioneering arts organisation for its ethos in innovation and sociocultural impact. The main aim is to support the development of contemporary artists who are also mothers, working across multiple disciplines.

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Is there a Future?

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Is there a Future?

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