Small steps, big change
C-Change has provided Šibenik with a new opportunity to engage on climate change with its citizens through the arts and culture. Through its local C-Change group - a mix of city-run and independent cultural and creative organisations, now led by the city library and working closely with the city’s Department of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Development - Šibenik has achieved more than it thought possible.
Sector carbon literacy training proved very effective. It will be accredited via Manchester’s Carbon Literacy Project and the city also plans to run further training for both the cultural sector and other sectors. With a modest sum, three pilot actions engaged over 600 people and led to the creation of two follow-up initiatives on single use plastics.
The city’s C-Change Festival proved a great way to connect city and sector, and was a huge success despite COVID, ten events over thirty days - from environmental art and photography exhibitions to pop-up environmental book stands and a new installation on sea-level rise. The city plans to make the festival an annual event.
Watch the Šibenik film
“C-Change has changed my opinion about how much people are interested in climate change. I used to think people weren’t really interested, and now I know many are and I realized that human creativity can make a big difference.”
Katarina Urem, Šibenik City Museum
“C-Change enabled us to turn the story of Zlarin [a small island off the coast of Šibenik] into educational materials for school children. We intertwined creative upcycling and theatre performances with conversations about plastic pollution and climate change.”
Ivana Kordic, Carbon Literacy Trainer and Co-founder Plastic Free Zlarin initiative
“The Department of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Development was used to dealing with infrastructure projects with much bigger budgets than C-Change. We were more funding and project-driven and not well-versed on culture and climate. Being involved in C-Change increased our own awareness of climate change and why it was so important to act. We started to make small changes in our personal lives. We saw what could be achieved by combining our project management skills with the creativity and reach of the arts and culture. Indeed C-Change brought out our own creativity. In the end, we have achieved more than we thought possible.”
Nikolina Gracin, Department of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Development, City of Šibenik
Find out more about C-Change activities in Šibenik
