By Jo Lindsay Walton
Sunday morning in Brighton. Illustrator Daniel Locke, and Senior Lecturer in Biology Chris Sandom, are sitting down to begin a 24-page graphic novel in just 24 hours. The theme? What might the South East look like in the year 2050?
Dan and Chris had help from others. I scribbled out some dialogue, trying to include ideas from members of the public who dropped by. There have been weeks of preparation too. We have engaged with environmental NGOs, local food partners, charities, students, authors, artists and game developers in a series of workshops to gather ideas on what a sustainable future could look like. The project is a personal one, but it’s not just about a singular personal vision. The aim has been to invite in many voices, to understand what common themes emerge, to help truly build a more sustainable South East.
Key themes that have emerged included: how to help nature recover, without threatening food production? How can land managers make decisions that are financially viable today but also environmentally sustainable in future? How do farmers tackle the challenges of more volatile weather? How might attitudes shift so that we can understand ourselves as a part of nature, with a special custodian role, not as simply using and exploiting nature?
The 24-hour comic is a long-standing international event which challenges cartoonists and artists to create a 24-hour comic in a single 24-hour sitting. Chris and Dan had the idea of using the format to imagine a sustainable future for the local region.
As of this morning, they have made it a reality.
It still needs a title. Maybe Dark Clouds, Bright Skies?
Dr Chris Sandom, Senior Lecturer in Biology at the University of Sussex and project lead says:
“The lack of vision for a sustainable future is a major barrier to achieving one, as it’s hard to get behind something that’s difficult to picture. The aim of this event and the creation of the comic is to make something that is well informed, realistic and inspiring, and in a format that can be easily shared to get discussion and action going.
“Through a series of workshops, we found that big changes are needed for a sustainable future to be achievable, this includes us working together to examine how we live and adapt.”
Artist Daniel Locke says:
“I am deeply interested in the issues around the climate crisis and feel passionate about the need for everybody, regardless of their background, or level of expertise, to contribute to the important debates around sustainability.
“I think this project offers an opportunity for people to start considering what a sustainable future might look and feel like. It’s been fascinating working with the experts and researchers I’ve met so far, and I’m excited about what Chris and I are going to create in our mad dash 24-hour creative marathon.”
24 Hours to Envision a Sustainable Future gratefully acknowledges the support of the AHRC IAA, the Sussex Sustainability Research Programme, and the Sussex Digital Humanities Lab.
Sussex Digital Humanities Lab Blog 