What do scouts, art and climate change have in common? They’re all part of a quirky participatory arts project, Be Prepared, happening this month in Kensington.

Why the name, you ask? ‘Be prepared’ is the motto of the scouting movement, and the civic commitment that comes with scouting culture also applies to climate change – we can all do our bit. The project is the brainchild of Torque Show artists Ingrid Weisfelt, Ross Ganf and Vincent Crowley, who have been working with the City of Melbourne’s only scouting group to produce the performances, which will be held at a secret location in Kensington.

By Sophie Travers: Sustainable Australian Performing Arts Practices.

If all things sustainable have not yet infiltrated the rehearsal room, they have started to change the producing structures. Sydney Theatre Company, for example, is positioning itself as a world leader, with its Greening the Wharf program, “believed to be a first of its kind for any theatre company in the world in its scale and comprehensive approach to sustainability" (sydneytheatre.com.au/visit/greening-the-wharf). The rainwater harvesting, solar power, waste reduction and programming of science and art talks (The Wentworth Talks series) makes STC a model for engagement with green issues.

By Zanny Begg.

Tipping Point has taken its own message for change seriously—its conferences were regionalised (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane) to avoid large numbers of people expanding their carbon footprint by traveling to one central event. Some sessions were held with natural lighting to avoid burning up electricity and some invited speakers spoke via Skype rather than make the resource-costly trip in person. Concurrent with the idea that the facts are largely self-evident and the key change that needs to happen is our willingness to act, the conference was structured like an extended coffee break; the majority of time given over to open space, informal meetings and small group discussions.

On the 29th and 30th of October, the arts and science communities came together for the first time in Australia under the banner of TippingPoint. Using a framework established in the UK, TippingPoint aims to bridge the gap between climate change knowledge and action by encouraging collaboration between these two distinct worlds.

Being neither a “scientist” nor an “artist”, I was placed in the “funding” group (much to my confusion). Unfortunately the label was in no way reflective of my ability to financially support the endeavours of other participants. As someone external to the inner processes of both worlds, I learnt that both “artists and scientists work on hunches and never know when to stop; they essentially have the same process that stems from passion”. This was evidenced throughout the conversations I had with highly enthused people.

TIPPING POINT AUSTRALIA: In Australia for the first time TippingPoint 2010: Art and climate change is a series of events in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane this October and November consisting of free public discussions and two day forums for around 100 invited participants.