Carbon Creativity

The Low Carbon Devon (LCD) project came to an end this summer. The project ran from 2018 – 23 with the aim of helping businesses across Devon with a desire to work more sustainably and reduce their carbon outputs. Of the 73 businesses worked with during the project, 15 developed new products or services with our help. Across the five years the project achieved impressive results:

LCD took a diverse, innovative approach to looking at business sustainability, encouraging businesses to not only work with our academics but also our students through internships – a project which has now seen us shortlisted for the ‘Tomorrow’s Employees’ category of the Green Gown Awards 2023.

With many researchers on LCD coming from a scientific background, Dr Emma Whittaker led the Creative Industries element of LCD, bringing an arts background. Working with MAKE Southwest and researchers at the University of Plymouth, including Ms Polly Macpherson , she supported the development of their new service, the Green Maker Initiative. She also worked with Professor David Sergeant on the Net Zero Visions project. Both projects helped creatives across the region looking to reduce their environmental impact.

Find out more about the Low Carbon Devon project and it's successes

“Incorporating the AHRC Net Zero Visions (NZV project) into the Low Carbon Devon project expanded the funding available and made it possible to address one of the key findings from my initial research, that creatives, who were predominantly micro businesses (defined as sole traders to enterprises with under nine employees) often required additional money and time to be able to address the low carbon agenda. The Net Zero Visions funding came from an AHRC funding bid I wrote with Professor David Sergeant . Prior to submitting the funding application, discussions took place with Devon creatives and we worked closely with Devon Climate Emergency who made introductions to communities and groups across Devon. We discussed communities’ interests in hosting murals, contributing to a net zero game or developing their net zero ideas to be featured in an animation or illustrations. What was unexpected was the snowball of interest from communities, town councils, individuals and the media and in addition to the project works there are many spin-off activities led by communities themselves, including additional murals across Devon.

HEIF funding enabled an expansion to the NZV project with Dr Kate Crawfurd training students in net zero/science communication. A BA Illustration student competition to design a mural depicting a net zero Plymouth was won by illustration graduate, Eleanor Croker BA, who designed and painted the brilliant mural on the Sustainability Hub, mentored by Kate Crawfurd. A second illustration student, Jessica Mallory, designed the spectacular mural in the centre of Plymouth in Drakes Circus on the wall of the Plymouth Methodist Central Hall, again mentored by Kate.

In addition to the four lead artists/ businesses we were working with, Mutant Labs (Net Zero Visions Game), Philip Harris (illustrations), Kate Crawfurd (Murals) and Mr Ashley Potter (animation), many other artists and designers contributed as part of the teams and also independent creatives took part in the project. Their work was showcased locally, regionally and nationally and featured in the Net Zero Visions Book.”

“The seeds of the Green Maker Initiative (GMI) were sown in February 2021 when I met with Laura Wasley, CEO of MAKE Southwest (at the time known as Devon Guild of Craftsmen) and Paul Reed of Drift Advice, to discuss how we could support members and designer makers to reduce their environmental impact. Together with LCD’s support, we developed and launched the Green Maker Initiative (GMI) on 24 June at the Sustainable Earth Institute 2021 Global Forum. Members are asked to sign a simple pledge to monitor, manage and reduce the environmental impact of their practice, and produce an annual report that documents the actions taken and their next goals.

What I didn’t know back in 2021 was how popular the GMI would become, with over 200 members from Cornwall to Gloucester! Two short films have been made about the GMI and a beautiful book showcasing the work of many members and exploring environmental, social and ethical dimensions of designer maker and craft practice from a range of perspectives, including the circular economy. The GMI is hosted by MAKE Southwest and a section of their website is devoted to the GMI. The GMI now receives some funding from Arts Council England and Hannah Mills-Brown, the MAKE Southwest project manager, leads and is developing the GMI and it’s going from strength to strength!”

“The Green Maker Initiative supports makers to reduce the environmental impact of their practices by providing workshops with experts, such as carbon foot printing, running a low carbon studio, freely available information via the GMI web pages, events to promote and sell members' work, networking and free publicity for their business on the members pages. The Green Maker Initiative logo, created by University of Plymouth MA Design graduates, Ian Saw and Oscar McNaughton, can be used on members' marketing materials, and much more!”

“In terms of the opportunities the Low Carbon Devon project gave me as an academic researcher, the really broad remit of the brief – addressing how the creative industries in Devon could reduce their environmental impact – gave me freedom to explore ideas, develop new initiatives, support important work, such as Vicky Putler's The Flax Project CIC, hold exhibitions and commission many artworks and projects from artists, illustrators, filmmakers, photographers, game designers, animators, students and edit two books. What an amazing privilege! The project also led me to apply the lessons of the GMI by starting my own ethical and sustainable business Expanded Skies.”