Check out the amazing 2021-22 cohort and more information about the community and program…in the meantime, please focus on this remarkable group! For more information or to join our mailing list, email us at ArtsCC@usc.edu and keep an eye on
ACC Spring ’21 Cohort Video graciously produced by USC undergraduate Natasha Nutka with the help of William Higbie.
Congratulations to the inaugural Arts & Climate Collective (ACC) awardees! Conceived and implemented by USC students, staff and faculty, this pilot program centers culture as a force for social change and reflects our shared commitment to an ambitious and inclusive agenda around sustainability and environmental justice.
In this spring ‘21 pilot, twelve student teams received awards of $1,000 to connect arts, culture and storytelling with sustainability and environmental justice issues. They will continue to meet as a cohort and support each other in smaller clusters over the course of the summer. Awardees will have the opportunity to connect with faculty experts, network with partners inside and outside of the university, and get project guidance and support in amplifying their work.
The idea for the ACC emerged from the President’s Working Group on Sustainability, which recognizes the powerful interplay of art and culture work with research and action around sustainability. The Working Group is made up of faculty, students and staff and charged with developing an ambitious agenda that leverages the university’s resources to take on the pressing challenges of environmental justice and sustainability on and nearby campus, in Southern California and globally.
The call garnered proposals from undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students in nine different USC schools: Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Marshall School of Business, Price School of Public Policy, Roski School of Art and Design, School of Cinematic Arts, School of Dramatic Arts, Thornton School of Music and Viterbi School of Engineering. Awards were made to students from Dornsife, Marshall, Price, Roski, Cinema, Theater and Thornton.
The Arts & Climate Collective is a collaboration among USC Arts In Action (a program of Visions and Voices), the USC Office of Sustainability, and USC Annenberg Innovation Lab.
Brief bios and project descriptions are in the ACC Cohort Overview, followed by social handles and select trailers.
Cameron Audras
Jordy Coutin
Arabella Delgado and Cassandra Flores-Montano
Sue Dexter
William Higbie
Imani Johnson
Jelina Liu
Jaime Lopez
Natasha Nutkiewicz
Irene Franco Rubio
Catelin Shane
Gwenan Walker
Cameron Audras (Thornton School of Music)
The Resilience Project is a collaborative performance piece that unites USC composers, musicians, dancers, and storytellers to demystify and engage Trojans, not only with the scope of sustainability challenges, but also tangible solutions. Coming summer 2021.
with:
Quenton Blache (composer and cellist)
Elise Haukenes (dancer and violinist)
Charli Morachnick (poet and narrator)
Jordy Coutin (Price School of Public Policy)
“Weathering Crises” explores the relationship between air pollution, climate change and homelessness in Los Angeles. Hear stories of struggle and strategies for adaptation from unhoused folks weathering these compounding crises; scholars highlighting, modeling, and designing solutions to homelessness and the disparate impacts of environmental contaminants; and organizations bolstering the resiliency of unhoused folks. Follow @thepriceofpolicy to catch the episodes when they’re released in full and check out the website https://thepriceofpolicy.wixsite.com/thepop for more episodes and where to subscribe!
Imani Johnson (Marshall School of Business)
Have you ever wondered what people are actually doing to address the ongoing environmental issues of today? Tune in to @ecoalarmpodcast (on your preferred platform), a podcast run by USC students highlighting these stories of action in the LA area. Episodes will be released Fall 2021!
with:
Russell Augustin (researcher)
Paige Macnguyen (resource creator)
Aroofa Maknojia (podcast editor)
Karla Sifuentes (marketing manager)
Bo Wang (co-host)
Jaime Lopez (Price School of Public Policy)
“Environmental Voices in the Southeast” focuses on two individuals from two different Los Angeles cities (Paramount and Commerce) facing environmental injustices, and follows their local political campaigns, interactions with community members, friends and family, and their personal journeys leading to involvement with local environmental concerns. Watch for the full short documentary later this summer and follow @jimmythelion88 for updates on his academic and creative projects.
Catelin Shane (School of Cinematic Arts)
Go to https://linktr.ee/Ivyfilm for exclusive updates on this new documentary x Catelin Shane.
In partnership with:
