Over 300 artists and 1,000 children taking part for first local festival to raise climate awareness

A huge and diverse group of local people all over the Teignbridge area of South Devon are coming together for a week-long arts festival this June, to raise awareness of issues concerning the climate crisis. Over 300 artists, musicians, choirs, schools, libraries and more will take part in a vibrant programme of events across Newton Abbot, Teignmouth, Bovey Tracey and Ashburton, Chudleigh, Kingsteignton, and Buckfastleigh with exhibitions, performances, concerts, workshops, street entertainment and more.

Organised by local environmental group, Action on Climate in Teignbridge, the “ACT with the Arts Climate Festival” hopes the event will help to 'involve, engage, excite, illuminate, and explain what our changing climate means for us, and what we can all do to reduce our impact on the planet and improve our lives locally.'

Almost all events are free, although some evening performances are ticketed at low cost, and there are free workshops that need to be booked in advance.

Please see the website for the full programme of events: https://festival.actionclimateteignbridge.org/

Community artist, Sam Lock: “The ACT With the Arts Climate Festival is a fantastic collaboration opportunity to engage with Teignbridge's young people and the community. We will create meaningful art that embodies our environmental aspirations, empowering us to advocate for crucial discussions for a more sustainable future. Through art, we can inspire change.”

Visual artist and educator, Tuong Nguyen said: "The ACT With the Arts Climate Festival is a valuable opportunity for me to join other artists in sharing ideas and providing the inspiration to tackle climate issues, and reaching more people. Personally, I believe that the more we are aware of Nature's value and its connection with us, the more responsibly and actively we will live and act for the environment. All materials used for this work are reused, recycled, and repurposed, highlighting my commitment to sustainable and responsible art practice”.

Poet and percussionist, Steve Day said: “I'm taking part in this festival because creativity is participative - a shared feast of ideas and heartbeats. The ACT With the Arts Climate Festival is essentially about what kind of world we want to live in. I believe audiences, performers and artists can do this together - and make a difference. I'll see you there!”