(Re)Grounding by D6 EU

From the depletion of land through colonising empires to the fossil fuel extraction driven by lobbyists and government policy, throughout history the manipulation and extraction of natural resources has been inextricably linked to power. (Re)Grounding explores power, extraction and climate action in post-industrial landscapes and communities in Cyprus, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

Building on a pilot project implemented for the British Council’s UK/Ukraine Season of Culture 2022-23, (Re)Grounding brings together partners D6:EU (Cyprus), IZOLYATSIA (Ukraine) and D6: Culture in Transit (UK). Each of their local environments have been shaped by mining histories (coal, in North East UK; salt, in Eastern Ukraine; copper in Cyprus), the cultural identities that they shaped, and the pressing social and political issues that surround them: from the harsh inequities of the rapid deindustrialisation of North East England to the present occupation of mining sites in Ukraine by Russian forces.

Through a programme of research, joint artistic residencies, public and online presentations and discussions, (Re)Grounding asks how can culture build solidarity and commitment towards environmental justice within post-industrial communities? The partners work collaboratively towards a just transition, developing cultural strategies that address the complex and interconnected social, political and environmental legacies of industrial activity within these contexts.

Granted 26,000 euros