WHAT \ U.N. Safe Planet Campaign \ Art & Public Outreach

Art & Public Outreach

Toxic chemicals in our bodies, our food, and our landscape are difficult images to illustrate.  It is traditionally the work of the artist to bring to reality, that which is unreal. We work in the realm of the unconscious, the invisible, the other.   SAFE PLANET's Arts and Culture Initiatives are to bring together creative practitioners to exhibit and produce new work in response to the individual and collective programmes of the Basel, Stockholm and Rotterdam Conventions.

Since 2010, Safe Planet exhibitions and outreach programmes are co-ordinated with key UN and civil society events around the world, providing unique opportunities to showcase the work of established and emerging local and international artists.  Through the arts, we challenge our perceptions of hazardous chemicals and wastes and stimulate new thinking about how each of us must take responsibility for the safety of the environment and human health.

Safe Planet Campaign was developed by the Secretariats of the three global chemical and wastes conventions in response to a request by their respective Conferences of the Parties to develop a common approach to awareness-raising and outreach activities among the three Conventions. Key to conceptualizing this campaign was the involvement of a limited number of inspired and committed individuals that have been most gracious in dedicating their time and creative minds to this task.

Art Dialogue is honored to work as Advisor to Safe Planet, collaborating to guide the Campaign in Arts, Education & Outreach.  Besides public events and exhibitions, we have been working closely with the UN on setting up scholarships in schools to encourage young people working with environmental issues.  Starting with the Stockholm Convention's establshment of a Safe Planet Scholarship for the Universidad Technològico de Cancún , we are also running art contests for students in the state of Hawai'i  around marine pollution issues, as well as Vancouver, Canada.