Projects » Emergence

Who Do You Think You Are?
“Are you an artist? Are you a shape-shifter? Are you in transition? Are you welcoming or resisting change? Are you stepping into the unknown? Are you proceeding ’as if,’ with no sense of certainty or security? If so I’d like to invite you to join me…”

7 Conversations Before The End Of Time: Re-enactments and New Dialogues
Over the course of one week at Small World, Artist in Residence and 2017 Creative Wales Award Recipient, Fern Smith re-enacted a series of ‘Dialogues on Art, Life & Spiritual Renewal’. These dialogues originally published 25 years ago in the ground-breaking book ‘Conversations Before the End of Time’ by American author Suzi Gablik are as relevant today as ever. These profound and intimate dialogues with artists, writers and philosophers address the central questions of the meaning and purpose of art in an age of accelerating social change, environmental crisis and spiritual uncertainty.

Space for Change
Coaching and Craniosacral Therapy for Change Makers: An initiative that supports the wellbeing and welfare of artists, and those involved in community, environmental or social justice work.

COParty (22) Swansea
The world leaders came together in October 2017 at COP 22 in Marakech. To show our support for the process and keep the engagement with climate issues going on at a local level we organised COParty (22) Swansea.

Being an Earth Pilgrim
Being an Earth Pilgrim is a landmark documentary series of six, hour-long conversations that chronicle and celebrate the life and work of teacher, peace activist and leader, Satish Kumar.

COP 1, 2 & 3 Swansea
In November and December 2015 Emergence organised three events that represented a creative local response to the historic Paris climate talks: COP21.

Culture Shifters
‘Culture Shifters: Artists Making Change’ tells three stories of how artists in different parts of Wales are leading on regeneration, sustainability and social activism.

The Gower Harvest Walk & Talk
The Harvest Walk & Talk on 27th September 2015 marked the ‘turning of the year’ on Gower celebrating the traditional seasonal festival of Harvest and a significant local landmark and Neolithic burial chamber – Arthur’s Stone.

Station to the Sea Peace Walk & Talk
The Peace Walk & Talk was designed to mark the 75th anniversary of the first bombs dropped on Swansea during World War 2 on June 27th 1940.

The Walk That Reconnects 2014
Walking the 56km of The Gower Way for four days, inspired by Joanna Macy's change and empowerment process 'The Work That Reconnects'.

Culture Shift / Newid Diwylliant
‘Culture Shift/ Newid Diwylliant’ is a strategic document commissioned by the Arts Council of Wales that gives a glimpse of the many pioneering sustainable arts initiatives currently operating across Wales. It situates these initiatives within the context of a UK wide paradigm shift happening within the arts whose core principle is to support the creation a sustainable future.

Creu Cymru Emergence
Emergence collaborates with Creu Cymru to integrate sustainability into the management and infrastructure of Wales’ venues and arts centres.

Talking About Emergence
Key contributors to Emergence discuss the ideas and inspiration which led to their involvement with the project.

Retracing Our Steps 2013
Emergence revisits the 2012 Land Journey North route with a small group of participants inviting reflection on personal and professional developments since the last journey, and continuing the dialogue with the land begun in 2012.

Emergence at World Stage Design Festival
Emergence curates a day of events, film shows, discussions as part of the biennial WSD Festival held at Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff.

Doin’ Dirt Time
Emergence presents Suzi Gablik’s Doin Dirt Time, a performed transcript of an interview with two artists who decide to stop making art and start living it as a creative response to the ecological crisis. Performed at arts and ecological gatherings during 2013.

Bringing It All Back Home
Emergence hosts a smaller Summit back at home in Swansea. Contributions from Lucy Neal, Gary Anderson and the One-Eyed-Man.

The Summit 2012 – Artist Commissions
Emergence commissioned artists thanks to Arts Council Wales: Sarah Woods & Richard Gott, Ansuman Biswas, Fern Thomas & Owen Griffiths, Ben Stammers, Culture Colony, Simon Whitehead and Touchstone Collaborations.

The Summit 2012 – Creating the Future
‘If we can’t imagine a positive future, how can we create it?’ Emergence presents a three-day change-making conference at the Centre for Alternative Technology.

The Summit 2012 – Land Journey
A five-day Land Journey tracing two elliptical routes across mid-Wales, inviting a deepened dialogue, concentration and reflection on the things we take for granted.

Case for Optimism
Emergence invites the Case for Optimism team to Swansea, creating spaces for cultural leaders and arts practitioners to deepen their creative response to global challenges.

Emergence Document
Launch event at the Wales Millennium Centre for the bilingual Emergence Eginiad report. Arresting ideas, practical advice and useful contacts from the 20 pioneering talks featured at the Emergence conferences in 2010/11.

Caernarfon Conference - Resilience
The third Emergence conference from the Volcano & Sustain Wales partnership held in March 2011 at Galeri, Carnarvon.

Swansea Conference - Connection
The conversation continued in January 2011 at Taliesin Arts Centre in Swansea attracting arts practitioners from Swansea and beyond.

Cardiff Conference - Context
The pioneer Emergence conference at Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff. The arts sector in Wales came together to share ideas, ask questions and get practical tools for more sustainable practice.

The Emergence Arts Survey
Emergence conducts a survey of practising artists in Wales about their attitudes and understanding of sustainability in relation to their practice and the arts industry.