LIVE + BREATHE

The Campaign

LIVE + BREATHE is a collaborative campaign that uses art, culture, and outdoor activities to connect Black and Brown voices to the issue of air pollution in ways that feel positive, bold, and joyful.

Their growing list of community partners – including Cece Rollerskates, Neon Elevate, Peaceballers, and Poetic Unity – have led the way using their own art and creativity. Through LIVE + BREATHE they show that creative climate action is a missing link in creating systemic change for climate action, rooted in social and racial justice too.

They enable residents to celebrate their area and the things they love to do outdoors as a way of building a new, representative Clean Air movement. This is particularly important when traditional campaigns have simply highlighted the lack of diversity in current UK climate spaces.

The Change

LIVE + BREATHE are normalising the visibility of Black voices speaking up on Clean Air.

They demonstrate these voices have the ability, capacity, and motivation to make a change. Art allows them to make it inclusive and uplifting:

• Community co-creation workshops brought audiences directly into campaign conceptualisation and design processes – significantly shifting knowledge, beliefs and engagement on the issue of air pollution.
• Public events measurably increased audiences’ depth of knowledge of air pollution, increasing the likelihood of an advocacy action. They introduced our communities to scientific experts as well as campaigning and policy specialists.
• Capacity building for local community groups strongly up-skilled groups with knowledge on the issue and how to advocate.

They also strategically focused on high-profile cultural institutions to show our main hero video, made by a Black creative team. This was shown at the Royal Festival Hall, Royal Opera House, Central Saint Martins, Factory International, and The O2 for Billie Eilish’s Overheated tour.

They have had Councillors and Mayors attend LIVE + BREATHE events, which has created positive safe spaces to advocate for clean air.

The Future

They continue to commission underrepresented Black and Brown communities in Lambeth and Southwark to create new art which is then put in front of policymakers and legislators.

They hope to show their creative outputs to MPs and Parliamentary committees and want to build on creative collaborations with existing art colleges and cultural centres.

When arts funding is being decimated, LIVE + BREATHE aims to prove that the creative arts have a vital role in spearheading the climate movement. Furthermore, art cuts across language barriers, which is critical when reaching diverse communities where there are multiple first languages. It is fundamental to inclusivity, but so often shamefully overlooked. Now, through LIVE + BREATHE, communities become their own educators, artists, and communicators.