CREATIVE AGENTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
Creative Agents of Climate Change is In Place of War’s art and activism project, connecting organisations in our changemaker network with young people aged 18-30 in the UK, to develop their skills, knowledge and capacity in building creative campaigns to mobilise communities in the fight against climate change.
The project involves the delivery of an online residency programme co-curated by young people and focused on understanding and communicating the current and future threats to our climate.
Our participants utilise ideas in creative campaigning from around the world to make their own projects and campaigns and engage other young people from their communities (on and offline) with a clear call to action.
They develop skills in climate knowledge/literacy, cultural leadership, creative activism, cultural production and management, entrepreneurship and creative skills for making change, advocacy, campaigning and influencing policy.
Project structure
JUNE 2026
Recruitment of young people for 2026 programme.
JULY 2026
Two-week online residency programme delivered.
AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2026
Young people work on their own projects and advocacy programmes.
OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2026
Young people present projects to a Board, 10 most promising projects selected.
FEBRUARY 2027
Seed-funding and mentoring begins.
MARCH - APRIL 2027
10 participants develop and implement ideas in their communities.
MAY 2027
Participants attend in-person residency at XCottage, advocacy training delivered.
JUNE 2027
Final projects and results presented at a celebratory London event.
JULY 2027
Young people join EarthSonic's Climate Champions network.
BENEFIT TO YOUNG PEOPLE
Seed funding of up to £1500 for up to 10 original projects.
The opportunity to take part in a 3 day in-person residency at XCottage in Shepton Mallet in May 2027, with travel and expenses paid for by In Place of War.
An opportunity to showcase work at an event in June 2027, attended by key decision-makers from the public and private sectors.
Four 1-2-1 mentoring sessions with a hand-picked mentor from the In Place of War Changemaker Network.
The chance to take over In Place of War / Earthsonic social media platforms for a week.
Free tickets to professional events in the arts and green sector.
PROJECT FUNDERS
Sony Social Justice Fund
The Sony Global Social Justice Fund operates across different territories and divisions of Sony, with a common goal to address injustice and racism, coupled with an understanding that we should be responsive to local challenges.
The fund focuses on three core pillars: education and skills, criminal justice and rehabilitation, and civic and community engagement. In the UK, so far, they have committed over £2.8 million in grants to 29 different organisations, funded over 10,500 hours of training and development sessions, and helped improve the lives of around 13,000 people.
2026 - 2027 PROJECT PARTNERS
FORCE OF NATURE
Clover Hogan started Force of Nature in 2019 at just 19 years old, with the mission to mobilise mindsets for climate action. Force of Nature has since delivered programmes to thousands of young people, and moved decision-makers across business and policy.
They help their community channel climate anxiety into agency; develop the skills to make a difference; and inspire change at the systemic level.
”At 16, I travelled to Paris for COP21. I went in with starry-eyed optimism that world leaders would solve this existential threat. Instead, I met people who were fluent in greenwash, making promises scheduled far enough into the future that they required no immediate action.
I was familiar with the anger and frustration that bubbled up within me, but never before had I felt… powerless. And looking at the people around me – anxious students, calculating policy-makers, cautious corporate leaders – I saw the same feelings reflected in their eyes, too.” - Clover Hogan
fUTURE YARD
Future Yard is a 280-capacity music venue in Birkenhead, a building that re-imagines the role of a live music venue, providing live industry training and a regional hub for artist development.
Run by Future Yard CIC, a non-profit organisation, the venue combines creative ambition with social and environmental responsibility. It is committed to becoming one of the UK’s first carbon-neutral grassroots music venues, aiming to reach operational net zero by 2030 and full net zero by 2035.
They believe that through utilising the power of music, they can change their town for the better, inspiring local people, creating life-changing opportunities and shaping a new music future.
CHOL THEATRE
We Are Chol is a socially conscious creative company based in Yorkshire, established in 1989, with theatre at the heart of its work. The organisation collaborates in community and educational settings, co-creating projects rooted in local lives and heritage.
They are driven by curiosity and a commitment to exploring new ways of working together. Reflecting and learning as they go, they share what they discover locally, regionally and beyond.
Central to their mission is supporting the next generation of creative changemakers. The company works with children and young people to help them feel empowered, valued and connected, encouraging them to recognise their ability to shape change within their own lives and communities.
ANAM CREATIVE
anam creative was set up in 2020 by Michiel Turner as an online space for him and his peers to collaborate on music projects together remotely, funded by Nurturing Talent – Time to Shine Fund.
In 2022, anam creative established themselves as a Community Interest Company with a mission to support emerging creatives with paid opportunities. It is now collectively run with other artists from the previous 'arts collaboration' project.
Since 2022, anam has hosted multiple sold-out live music and arts events showcasing some of the most innovative young artists in Scotland right now. In 2023, the organisation secured £95,940 in funding, and has supported over 140 emerging artists through commissions, collaborations, and events.
REFORM RADIO
Reform Radio broadcasts the best in music, arts and culture from Manchester to the World.
They are a multi-award winning online radio station and arts organisation working with local creatives, DJs and young people to develop and showcase new work via their online platforms.
Their large active community works together to create content on Reform Radio, supported by regular outside broadcasts within the city, as well as specially recorded shows from artists across the globe.
They use their platform to engage young people looking for new opportunities, working creatively with them over a sustained period to develop new skills for employment. In 20/21 they delivered 906 creative sessions and hundreds of pastoral sessions supporting 312 young adults, 80% of whom progressed into employment, education or volunteering.
They have worked with 194 individual freelancers, creating 445 freelance opportunities and injecting £217,113.39 into the creative economy.
PREVIOUS PARTICIPANTS (2024 - 2025)
Finlay Carroll
@spreadtoofinlaywork @scatter_co
Finlay ran a four-day writing retreat at XCottage, Somerset, to develop Pete Will Save this House, a musical about eco-grief, activism, and the role of institutions in reaching net zero. Finlay worked with songwriter, Phoebe Jasper (aka NAVVY) and a scriptwriter, Holly Fitzpatrick, creating song demos, conducting focus groups with young activists, and receiving mentorship on rewilding and ecological activism from the XCottage team to inform the show's setting and artistic aims.
Finlay said of his support on 100 Creative Agents of Climate Change: “Seed funding allows me to work with more experienced and ambitious artists in my climate advocacy work. In Place Of War also introduced me to new collaborators at XCottage who ended up providing the most inspirational environment to test a collaboration in my residency.”
Olivia Maurer
@olivia.maurer @2050climategroup
Olivia’s project, Turning Climate Anxiety into Climate Action with Theatre of the Oppressed, invited Glasgow climate activists to explore how theatre can help to collectively work through the paralysis and apathy that climate anxiety can provoke. It also provided an opportunity for individuals to get out of their comfort zones and see how art can be used to imagine community climate action.
She summed up the 100 Creative Agents of Climate Change as Invigorating, Gratifying Challenging.
‘The support from 100 Creative Agents of Climate Change has been invaluable, as I would not have felt confident or capable enough to embark on a project like this alone.’
holly craig
Holly delivered workshops in her local community of Burnley, inviting residents to use visual art and writing to envision their local green spaces for improvements and show off the beautiful places on their doorsteps.
On the impact of In Place of War’s support, Holly said: “The workshop and exhibition were both a huge success and I am super grateful for getting the funding and the help to make it possible!”
She summed up the 100 Creative Agents of Climate Change project in these three words: wonderful, life-changing, helpful.
Lauren Pencil
Lauren created No Wasteman Magazine (@nowastemag), a print publication exploring the intersection between sustainability, community and cultural heritage.
Support from 100 Creative Agents of Climate Change gave Lauren ‘the encouragement and funding to actually realise and develop a project that I am passionate about. It has allowed me to commission and support the work of fellow creatives, meet new people and create a sense of community. The guidance from In Place of War has allowed me to be optimistic about the longevity of this project, and how I might build it and secure funding for the future.’
Talia Nizarane
Talia's project explores the disproportionate impact of the climate crisis on women in the Global South through storytelling and role-playing.
‘In Place of War supported my creative project from inception to completion, helped me build a network of like-minded creatives, and provided valuable mentoring and accessible resources for my art practice.’
AMINA BEG
As part of her collective, @ajeeb_studios, Amina hosted a crash course into upcycling and fashion show teaching participants how to grow self-sufficient and confident in boycotting unethical practices.
On taking part in the programme, Amina said: “The support from the 100 Creative Agents of Climate Change has been instrumental in helping me develop and realise my project. It has given me the confidence to take on challenges outside my skill set, such as upcycling textiles. This experience has not only taught me how to upcycle clothes but has also inspired me to
Emma de Saram and Natasha Pavey
Emma and Natasha worked together to create Bus-ted, a short film addressing climate justice by exploring the frustrations of navigating rural bus services in South West England, highlighting the disconnect between climate policies and the realities of public transport access.
Their project actively voiced the experiences of local residents who shared their opinions through a community workshop, and members of the public who were happy to speak to the camera at the bus station!
Camille Libby
Working with local artists and residents of @dovestreetcommunity, Camille created a collaborative mural, bringing people together to talk about local problems and solutions and the importance of community in tackling climate change.
Camille said of working with In Place of War ‘All the support through being able to ask questions and discuss ideas enabled the project to be realised. Without this, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to carry out this project. The funding enabled design sessions, food, drink and painting to be free for participants, which was so important in getting everyone involved.’
For more information, please get in touch with Agents of Climate Change Project Manager, Tom Leah: tomleah@inplaceofwar.net
