TippingPoint
Tipping Point, artists and researchers
TippingPoint offers a range of activities centred on exposing creative artists to the enormous challenges of climate change; at the heart of this lies a series of meetings involving very high quality, intense dialogue between artists, scientists and others close to the heart of the issue.
Creative Contribution
What was the significant innovation in approach or thinking behind the project/artwork? How can this be recognisably attributed to the involvement of creative practice?
TippingPoint aims to "harness the power of the imagination to help stabilise the climate". Peter Gingold (written response to this survey)
TippingPoint also has an ongoing commitment to mitigating carbon emissions and to harnessing a greater public commitment to changing habits and behaviours in order to reduce the impact on the earth.
Tipping Point is currently running a programme of commissions for artists who wish to create new projects in response to the issue of global climate change.
TippingPoint hosts a number of forward thinking activities including "Nuts and Bolts" which intends to bring about change in the way that cultural activity is presented. As opposed to running energy intensive exhibitions or events, adaptation is the key message, with artists and arts organisations being encouraged to facilitate new, environmentally conscious practices. Their Science Days also offer the unusual service of briefings on climate science for artists or arts specialists.
Collaboration
What were the disciplinary contributors to the project? What model of research / development was followed? What were factors leading to success / problems?
The main disciplines are two-fold: artists with a very wide range of practice, and climate scientists with a similarly wide range. It was founded by Peter Gingold.
Creative practitioners (and opinion formers) are invited to participate in their work. Caryl Churchill, Antony Gormley, Jude Kelly, Cornelia Parker, Phillip Pullman, Vikram Seth, and many others, have attended TippingPoint events.
Tipping Point primarily use discussion forums which are 'participative and creative' and have recently introduced a commissioning programme.
Values
What were the outcomes of the project? How were these disseminated to outside stakeholders? What models of value are implied by this project? What was the Impact of the work?
Their outputs include an annual conference and seminars and debates at a variety of national and international organisations.
TippingPoint also works to support the dissemination of artworks for the ecological age. A body of artistic programming has emerged from their activity, including, for example, Cornelia Parker's Chomskian Abstract, alongside Simon Beaufoy's 2-part TV thriller Burn-Up. Both of these projects were influenced by the artists experiences at Tipping Point events.
Dissemination takes place via channels that are regarded as suitable to each individual work or event. This has included Television and exhibitions at high profile events such as Whitstable Biennale 2008.
Links and Resources
http://www.tippingpoint.org.uk/
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article3351184.ece
