Dundee City Council / DCC (Scotland)  is aiming for Sustainable City (net-zero greenhouse gas emissions) status by 2045. DCC’s ethos is ‘supporting arts for life’ and ‘embracing community.’ Dundee is the UK’s first UNESCO Design City (2014) and it continues to support art+design-community led climate solutions. 

In facilitating 'Trees for Life' DCC is co-developing a series of valuable tools and platforms to co-ordinate cultural partners and to establish  beacons of public art intervention.  To accomplish this DCC are supporting the following: 
1) public engagement tools: physical and online
2) development of expertise, networks 
3) providing venues and land access 
4) proving resources and financial management services to enable the project to succeed

DDC, as an exemplar eco-art city, can effectively illustrate how arts-horticultural partnered initiatives can create smart growth and support the foundation of 'urban village' climate-resilient strategies, as well as highlighting how these initiatives are leading to action in reducing green house gases (GHG) and climate impacts. Expanded ecological corridors as learning-engagement sites are another outcome which the DCC is embracing.  DCC is proud to work with all partners in order to showcase how a positive reduction in GHG emissions by cities and partners is possible by translating the outcomes of the  'Trees for Life' project and how these can inform civic policy and other future city plans.
DUNDEE PUBLIC ARTS || UPCOMING PIONEERING ACTIVITIES

In the partnership with Dundee City Council /DCC, artists, Sylvia Grace Borda and J.Keith Donnelly are working with DCC planner, John Gray, to develop a series of concept tree and flora future growth plans for climate mitigation and support through the arts. These project plans are intended to help inform urban policy and act as a template for  other cities in thinking about how the smallest green verges and brown sites can be rehabilitated positively to assist in climate mitigation.  Over 2021-2022, the artists are working with horticultural and cultural groups in the city to find innovative ways to amplify the city's commitment to climate adaptation and mitigation.

In particular, the artists are working to promote a better understanding of living artworks and  eco-art murals. By encouraging urban planners and developers to incorporate eco-artworks into indoor and outdoor spaces there is an opportunity to further consider the benefits of temperature management, water runoff, biodiversity support and increase in urban space quality, for example. 
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The artists are passionate that the wider adoption of 'green solutions' such as eco-art murals are a robust solution to introduce plants into urban areas and to encourage a wider engagement of citizens with contemporary art and nature as part of their daily living routine.  ​

ECO-ART MURAL for DUNDEE

The first unique artwork is in the form of a portrait of a Golden Finch, commonly found throughout most of Scotland. It has been selected for a nature mural in celebration of the special status that this native bird holds in the country. Golden Finches continue to grow in numbers and it is a treat for those who have a chance to encounter the bird in their own backyards.
 
 
The mural is a composite of over 50 species of sedum and related flora planted in the shape of the bird.  The mural  is  intended to attract Dundee city’s own iconic pollinators and butterflies to this new ecological site.
The nature mural is a fusion of a living ecology and an artwork visually and physically representing the power of greening our cities.  

GREEN ART CORRIDORS

GREEN ART CORRIDORS

Borda and Donnelly are proposing creative ways to revitalize under-utilized green verges around housing areas through art and additional flora plantings. The addition of trees and various native plants,  plus rain catchments, can all assist in the development of rain gardens and more robust nature water systems. As climate change increases rainfall in areas of Scotland and other parts of the world - it is important to ensure local landscapes are capable of managing excess water runoff. Rain gardens are specially designed to capture rain water and prevent the rapid release of excess storm water into municipal water systems. A well-placed rain garden also can reduce runoff and flooding, and filters pollutants carried in storm water. Along with the municipal benefits and the conservation of a valuable natural resource, rain gardens create excellent habitat for birds and butterflies.

By promoting art murals and pavement paintings, Borda and Donnelly recognize streetscapes can become active citizen participatory spaces. The combination of rain gardens and impactful art and murals can improve the character of a neighbourhood. These  can significantly assist in creating added health and well-being benefits to local residents – both human and fauna, too.
Who’s behind the project?
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​Trees for Life project has been supported by the British Council’s Creative Commissions 2021 programme.
This was a series of creative commissions exploring climate change through art, science and digital technology for presentation at COP26.
Trees for Life continues (2021 - to present, now under the name 'Living Artworks') as an active artists-community collaboration and illustrates that land rehabilitation doesn’t need to be expensive. We understand the benefit of trees to the land and that people can assist in creating better soils and future-proofing sites from climate issues by planting trees.

Living Artworks and Tree Circles also highlights that sustainability is dependent on the motivation and generosity of citizens, communities, artists, and scientists working together to redefine the challenges of climate change and to foster the next generation with the idea that we can make an impact through climate art and other creative approaches.

Living Artworks and Tree Circles project are co-led by climate design and media artists, Sylvia Grace Borda (Canada) and J.Keith Donnelly (UK) together with partners Ethiopia (ROBA – Rural Organisation for the Betterment of Agro-Pastoralists ) in the UK (Dundee UNESCO City of Design, Dundee City Council, Scotland),  and Canada (Institute for Sustainable Horticulture, Kwantlen Polytechnic University) to creatively respond to global issues of climate change.  ​
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How to cite this project

Borda, S., Donnelly, JK, Watta, H, Aman, G  Bashir, N.   2020.  Living artworks.   Educational Resource [web and print].  Funded by the British Council Creative Climate Commission for COP26.   These materials are under creative commons licence CC By SA. 

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