Recent years have seen a surge in responses to climate change from museums across the world – a movement that found focus in a Symposium on Museums and Climate Change in Manchester in April 2018 – congratulations to Henry McGhie and the other organisers..  Happy Museum was delighted to present a paper Hilary-Jennings-Happy-Museum-text-and-images-Museums-and-Climate-Chang – alongside a fascinating line up of speakers from across the world.  Here is an outline of the programme – we understand that videos of a number of the presentations will be shared online and a publication of papers produced later this year.

We shared a lot of content on our twitter feed – @happymuseum – and here are some of our highlights…

Julies Bicycle spoke about the growing creative climate movement.  Check out their interactive map exploring the global climate revolution coming from the cultural sector and tag yourself under one of the Seven Creative Climate Trends that are shaping the movement:

Happy Museum evaluator Bridget McKenzieintroduced her thinking around the Possible Museum inviting museums – everywhere – to do more ethical, expanded, and ecologically forms of ‘anticipatory work’,

We heard more about the new, improved Museums and Climate Change Network website where you can catch up on news, events, join the network and get inspired!

Climate Outreach gave a fantastic presentation around communicating climate change – here is a video of a great webinar on how the heritage/museum sector can engage the mainstream public with climate change

We heard from the first Climate Museum in New York– who shared this vital observation.

“The single most important ask to make at the present moment is simply to talk about climate change.”    

Apparently 2/3 of Americans never talk about climate change athough 70% are aware that is is happening.

The Everyday Futures project in Australia showed us what can happen when we bring emotional intelligence, generosity, and openness to museum work. Meanwhile nearer to home you cam check out Oldham Gallery’s current exhibition