Hope and Inspiration Found Across the Vale of White Horse: Creative Climate Action Conversations

We often need to talk about the causes of climate change, its impacts and solutions – which sounds a bit depressing. But that isn’t the case –  in a rural area of Oxfordshire, we discovered an abundance of people using creativity as a powerful tool for change. Through our Creative Climate Action Conversations project, we uncovered glimmers of hope and inspiration across the Vale of White Horse, thanks to the District Council’s Climate Action Fund.

Following our funded Arts & Culture Carbon Literacy Training sessions in 2024, we brought local creatives together to discuss sustainability topics and solutions in more depth. The aim was to shine a light on useful projects and resources that could inspire and equip people to take action, whilst building a sense of community, resilience and motivation. Education is so important when it comes to tackling climate change, but we need connection and hope just as much!

The Green Arts Oxfordshire Network community in the Vale of White Horse helped us to design and deliver 4 community gatherings:

• Arts & Culture Carbon Literacy Training & lunch on World Environment Day
• Creative Climate Action Conversation with Johanna Tagada Hoffbeck as part of Oxfordshire Great Big Green Week
• Reimagining Waste with Sustainable Wantage at Makespace Wantage, and a community meal from Down to Earth Cafe Wantage
• Past Meets Possible: Reimagining Cultural Buildings for a Climate-Ready Future at the Vale & Downland Museum

Conversations and feedback from one event would shape the next, and we uncovered many inspiring projects and resources.

Arts & Culture Carbon Literacy Training

• The training usually involves 15 people, but 22 people showed up to learn, even on a rainy day! 
• Attendees were creative, attentive, engaged and came with lots of questions. People voiced the need for more spaces to dive into topics like building retrofit, waste, dietary choices and transport in more detail. 
• We enjoyed a community lunch made with waste and surplus food, as an example of sustainable procurement.
• 100% of participants asked would recommend this Carbon Literacy Training course to others.
• 100% of participants asked said that they were “extremely concerned about climate change” following the training.
• 100% of participants asked said that they were “extremely motivated to take action on climate change” following the training.

Creative Climate Action Conversations: Reimagining Waste

For this gathering we collaborated with Sustainable Wantage and Makespace Wantage to bring together local creatives to explore how we can harness arts and culture as tools to reduce waste through both the ways that we work and how we inspire others. Through a talk, discussion and creative weaving workshop with Andrea Sharp using scrap fabric, artists and community members connected over a meal made with surplus food from Down to Earth Cafe. We shared inspiring case studies, signposted to resources and suppliers and encouraged collaboration for creative waste reduction, providing motivation and building resilience through a sense of community.

Some sustainable suppliers and initiatives shared included:

• Online sites like Trash Nothing, Olio and Freecycle
• Library of Things projects (Sustainable Wantage, Sustainable Didcot, Share Oxford, Bicester Green)
• Oxford Wood Recycling
• Haynes Of Challow
• Swap Shops
• The Makery, Orinoco and other creative scrap stores

“This was a really wonderful gathering, full of facts, tips, inspiration, resources, and new skills to learn! My daughter and I went home buzzing with ideas.”

“The group was engaged & inspired, exchanging ideas & sharing experiences. I’m sure all of us will be thoughtful about our own choices but also prepared to raise the issue with others.”

For this event photographs were kindly taken by Wilson-Cook Photography.

Past Meets Possible: Reimagining Cultural Buildings for a Climate-Ready Future

What do the cultural buildings of the future look like? We got together with creatives, cultural orgs and community members to see what the Vale & Downland Museum have been doing to future-proof their historic building.

We heard about the potential for regenerative community building with Oxford Eco-Urbanism and community energy with Low Carbon Hub, and imagined a future where cultural buildings are sanctuaries, regenerate ecosystems and are designed by the people that use them. 

The tour, talks and discussion ignited enthusiasm about exploring opportunities for energy efficiency, generation and habitat creation through collective future-proofing measures for local cultural buildings, leading to an ongoing research project with Oxford University’s Science Together programme, exploring an Energy Culture Consortium!

Together we imagined…

What if… communities played a part in future-proofing cultural buildings?

“We could have empowerment, community spirit, and agency, combatting loneliness and powerlessness.”

“Cultural buildings would be accessible, beautiful, colourful, green and growing.”

“We’d need hard work, legal permissions, organisation, money, resources and political will.”

What if… cultural buildings regenerated ecosystems & communities?

“We’d bring art to communities in communities. We’d involve people from lots of different communities.”

What if… cultural buildings could be sanctuaries from climate change?

“Community connection, shared meals, skill sharing / learning, making and temperature control would all happen here.”

So what’s next?

These Creative Climate Conversations created much needed spaces for connection, inspiration, and motivation. Together we planted the seeds of many exciting collaborations including our current Energy Culture Consortium feasibility research project! Get in touch or sign up to our newsletter to be kept in the loop about this project and other green arts news, events, resources and opportunities.

We are grateful to the Vale of White Horse District Council Climate Action Fund for funding this Creative Climate Action Conversations project, 2024-25.

What happens when 60 people across the Vale of White Horse do Carbon Literacy Training?

Thanks to the Vale of White Horse District Council’s Climate Action Fund, Green Arts Oxfordshire Network were able to provide 4 funded Carbon Literacy Training sessions to the Vale of White Horse’s creative community. We bookended the project with collective calls to action, starting the series on Carbon Literacy Action Day in December 2023, and ending with a session as part of Oxfordshire Great Big Green Week 2024, which is the UK’s largest celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature.

So what is Carbon Literacy Training?

Carbon Literacy Training equips participants with the knowledge, skills, motivation and confidence to embed positive climate action in their work and personal lives. Our course is catered to Oxfordshire’s creative community, helping participants to measurably reduce the carbon cost of creative projects and creating a cultural shift towards climate justice and a regenerative future.

We provide a full day of training through a self-directed e-learning platform and an interactive training session with a trainer and peers, focused on creative actions that we can take locally to reduce emissions. Learners then pledge an individual and group action that reduces emissions as part of their submission to the Carbon Literacy Project, who award certification that is internationally recognised by the United Nations! Carbon Literacy Training is a brilliant opportunity to take collective action as part of a movement that is making a huge combined impact. 

The sustainability consultancy firm Jacobs did a study on the effectiveness of Carbon Literacy training, and discovered that there is between a 5 – 15% carbon saving per person for those that undertake the training. A study at the University of Leeds also found that Carbon Literacy is an effective way of instigating lasting change.

As part of this project, we played a part in training the first 100,000 Carbon Literate Citizens around the world!

What did we learn about how Carbon Literacy Training affects people?

People connected over a shared issue…

“It makes a big difference being part of a group. It’s encouraging to see & hear other people taking the trouble to learn & share their experiences. We are all in this together so we really do need to collaborate. Carbon Literacy Training is an excellent way to step up, get informed & commit to making changes.”

Participants were surprised to learn something new…

“I would consider myself someone with a good degree of awareness about the climate crisis and crisis solutions, but I learnt a lot, including some surprising things, from this training. It was detailed, engaging, and easy to follow, and the willingness of the group to share resources and perspectives was really valuable.”

“I’m amazed how much information was conveyed in a manner that was easy to assimilate.”

“A vital certification to have in your back pocket for all projects and organisations. Well worth completing to confirm what you already know whilst giving you the extra boost of inspiration that the world can be changed for the better.”

It was a source of much-needed hope and motivation…

“This is vital training for all people. It becomes clear the actions we need to take in our lives, work and communities. It left me feeling optimistic and powerful.”

“I came out of the training feeling empowered and motivated. It provided me with all the facts and stats to equip me to challenge both my own and other people’s practice.”

“Excellent training on what is certainly a difficult and overwhelming subject. A healthy amount of focus on positive change left me with a feeling of hope, not dread as I had thought might have been the case. I feel more informed not just about climate change but more importantly about the positive steps I can take to do my part in it.”

It gave learners the confidence to speak up and take action…

“My attitude has certainly changed and I feel more confident to enter into conversations. I have also been able to implement new thinking into my workplace.”

“The training was excellent and wonderfully delivered. I learned new facts and solutions that day and new vocabulary to better speak about this topic in my practice and the community with which I am involved. Thank you!”

“One of the most important things you’ll ever do is to complete a carbon literacy course! powerfully, informing, and unafraid to speak truth to power!”

“I’m glad I decided to take this training. The materials provided by the organizer has been invaluable in deepening my understanding of the complexities surrounding carbon footprint and climate change. It has also empowered me to play a more active role in shaping a sustainable future. I am truly grateful to the organizers for their dedication to raising awareness and catalyzing positive change within our communities.”

What pledges did people take as a result of the training?

A Creative Energy Workshop held by Fusion Arts as part of Oxfordshire Great Big Green Week in 2022. Photography by Feng Ho.

Changing the way we use energy…

“Look for funding for an energy / carbon emission audit for our event.”

“I commit to reducing carbon by researching and using a greener energy supplier for my home which accommodates myself, two teens and occasional theatre artist lodger, and a theatre storage area.”

“I will talk to the landlord of my studio and my home to get renewable energy in the space- installing solar panels or switching to a renewable energy provider. I will also switch to led lights.”

“Investigate and question climate action and energy efficiency (including heating and cooling; natural lighting; waste management) of venues for events in community settings. Include these factors, with other key non-climate related factors, in selecting venues to use for work events.”

“I’ll install solar panels on my home.”

“I already buy “green energy” but I suspect the company I use does use the REGO certification so I will investigate switching to one of the three true green energy suppliers when my current contract expires.”

“Look to change to a green energy supplier for home energy and in the next year look to change my heating system to green source.”

“As trustee of Harwell Village Hall we have already installed solar panels to limit the use of electricity from the grid and make as much of our own as possible, selling true green energy back to the grid. Our next step is to take advantage of the Oxfordshire Local Government Initiative to install EV chargers in the car park at the village hall. We will investigate the use of air source heat pumps to move away from using gas – our goal is to be net carbon zero as soon as is feasible. In the interim we will investigate ways of improving the efficiency of our heating in the hall such as destratification fans in the hall that doesn’t have an AHU system (one does, one doesn’t).”

Bike Swarm in Oxfordshire. Photography by Feng Ho.

Changing the way we move…

“I commit to reducing carbon by setting up a Car sharing platform for the Artists and Production staff to use during travel to and from festival site during the festival season. We are a company reliant on car transport as the site cannot be accessed by any other means of travel (at the moment!), therefore it is essential that car usage is maximised. This action will involve support from the company manager and production manager of each production (x5) running during the season. We will need to research and develop a platform that will suit our needs.

Currently the company includes 100’s of personnel travelling independently from various locations throughout London and the South East to the Cotswolds at various stages during the season. Previously this has been up to individuals to work out with no central place of contact for personnel to communicate and navigate sharing journeys. I want to encourage this communication and provide a space where sharing journeys can be made possible and normalised. If this is successful, it may be something we could then extend to our Audiences.”

“I will hold a bike maintenance and security day with volunteers and staff.”

“Investigate and develop transport options that reduce fossil fuel emissions for elderly and disabled audience members to get to event venues, including public transport, community transport, car sharing, and active travel options. Lobby for improved public and community transport where possible. Encourage car sharing arrangements while taking account of risks. Provide information and encouragement for audience members to try different options.”

“We will develop a Green Production Agreement, incl. a sustainable travel plan for our latest touring production.”

“I will be reducing my overall weekly car travel by 50% by cycling to work and back each Saturday for my next term of employment.”

“I will be getting in touch with my colleagues and propose that I will be emailing our overseas employer and requesting that my return flight (paid for by them) is changed to train journeys and I will clearly outline my commitment to reducing carbon emissions so they know the reasons. I will hope that the rest of my group feel they can also request this through me leading the way.”

“Joining a campaign movement demanding for rail transport across Europe to be more affordable, especially compared to aviation, which is often much more affordable to travel across Europe, which is a necessity for my work. Financial barriers are currently in place in that sector for those, like myself, wishing to reduce the impact of their travel and making rail transport unaffordable. Such a campaign will advance the need for and implementation of new regulations and, therefore, reduce travel by plane and increase travel by rail, leading to a much lower carbon footprint and less greenhouse gas emissions.”

“Work locally or digitally rather than sending work internationally which may use air miles.”

“I am going to fly less.”

“Commitment to Stop Flying!”

‘Art of Protest’ at One Planet Abingdon, documenting the activism of an Indonesian environmental group Fossil Free Jogja. Part of the ‘Creative Climate’ programme conceived by Feng Ho, with assistance from Munir Al Sachroni, Malcolm Atkins and One Planet Abingdon. Photograph by Feng Ho.

Increasing awareness and inspiring others…

“I have passed on my acquired knowledge to my colleagues and will setup surveys that seek to find out more about transport habits and how we can offer more Active travel.”

“To create artworks for an exhibition which brings to the attention of the public the devastating effects of climate change and global warming. Use the creative arts to highlight global warming and climate change and its effect on the environment, people and planet. Give a talk about my artwork/exhibition in relation to climate change and its devastating effects.”

“Conducting art workshops specifically on climate change through making sustainable sculptures.”

“As editor for the Harwell News I will write an article on Carbon Literacy Training and provide links to the information to help our readers to make better decisions about their carbon footprint.”

“I am part of the community project The Gardening Drawing Club, which provides free arts and horticulture workshops to adults and children in Britain. We promote veganic (organic + vegan) gardening methods with a lower carbon footprint. My new action in a group setting is to create a new page on The Gardening Drawing Club’s website that lists our plan of action to reduce our carbon footprint so that it is shared with our audience and inspires others. Our plans (already in action) are using second-hand or recycled materials, public transport and hybrid vehicles for transportation to the locations where the events take place, and a local organic plant-based diet (including in our free events).”

“Incorporating what I’ve learned in my public facing art practice and also in community workshops. In particular I’m planning on making a stop motion video to raise awareness of Carbon Literacy and Climate Change. I’m facilitating a stop motion workshop in January as a community event and planning to use this opportunity for discussion on climate change and what people can do. And of course making a community stop motion project about reducing our carbon contributions.”

“As a volunteer of a climate hub, I will set up a mindfulness group/walk in nature to support people’s mental health and support people in managing climate anxiety.”

Waste textile printmaking and mending stall with artist Mia Moores as part of Oxfordshire Great Big Green Week 2022.

Choosing more sustainable materials and suppliers…

“I will concentrate more on reusing and recycling materials in my practice but most importantly on all workshops I conduct.”

“As a practising artist, I pledge to commit to reducing my paper waste to zero by producing new paper from all the paper waste I generate. This includes paper waste as a direct result of the production of my artistic work, as well as all other aspects of my life (documents, letters, receipts, paper packaging of food and other goods, cardboard boxes, newspapers, etc).”

“As a creative practitioner working in community learning projects across heritage, charity and arts settings, I pledge to:

1. Only use material in the delivery of my work that is recycled, second hand or would otherwise be thrown away.
2. Where point (a) is not possible, to only purchase alternative materials that can be fully recycled.”

“Investigate climate action/impact of suppliers and select low impact where ever possible, eg printing (only as necessary), food and drink (seasonal and local as far as possible).”

Abundance Oxford apple pressing surplus fruit.

Thinking differently about what we eat…

“Look to book more or solely vegan and vegetarian food options at our event.”

“Growing a backyard family garden of plants and food each summer.”

“I will reduce my meat intake (particularly beef and lamb) and change towards a more plant-based diet. I will sign up to Too Good to Go to reduce food waste from restaurants and my own diet.”

“Changing diet from animal products to plant based foods. Eliminating Beef and Lamb and reducing dairy consumption.”

Thinking differently about finance…

“I will ask about the use of my pension and where these funds are investing, advocating for these to be directed away from fossil fuel industries.”

“Switch to an ethical bank.”

Putting action into policy…

“We will work with the board of trustees and management team, to create an environmental policy, including a framework for sustainable procurement and a sustainable travel policy.”

“We will create a climate action plan for the climate emergency centre – we have not done this yet due to demands on the day to day running of it. We are getting busier and busier and so will be good to create and implement now that we have many volunteers who can contribute and learn whilst doing it.”

How did people get on with the pledges?

Almost one year later, we got back in touch with the alumni to check in on any progress or updates to the action pledges they had made. We heard stories of success, and in some cases learnt about the challenges that come up…

Action pledge: “Encouraging a significant reduction of meat options served in catering for events at my work.”

Update: “This is done. Not just a reduction, but everything my project is involved with is now no meat. Thank goodness. And there’s been a ripple effect, with others following suit.”

Action pledge: “Research switching to a more responsible energy provider, such as Ecotricity.”

Update: “We use Ecotricity at home.”

Action pledge: “Create an actionable manifesto at the start of my research to be followed throughout. This will need to be cumulative of my own actions and those who I work with during research projects. To become an ongoing manifesto for all future projects.”

Update: “This is going to be an ongoing thing within my research. But so far on the manifesto (in no order):

1. All travel to and from [location] must be by bus or train, or at very least carpooling. I will not go alone in my car. All conference travel will all be my public transport too.
2. All materials and printouts used during workshops that involve participants must be with recycled materials. E.g. Using recycled paper that I can make myself rather than buying new. The university requires some handouts so I’m encouraging use of these recycled materials.
3. My research has changed from involved workshops that create waste to finding a way of doing the same thing be simply with walking so little to no waste will be created. All comms is via email.

Will be continuing to add to this throughout and when my practical research begins, this will be formalised to send to participants to suggest they do the same. Alongside this, I will be calculating carbon whenever I can to transparently report on this at the end.”

Action pledge: “Reviewing my current accounts and making changes were needed. I want to lead by example for anyone I work with.”

Update: “I have switched bank accounts so moved away from Santander which was the big one for me. I also set time each month to go through email accounts to try to reduce that digital footprint.”

Action pledge: “Striving to find sustainable alternatives to buying new when sourcing items for our Drama productions (borrowing items from our local networks, upcycling existing items, sustainable procurement – not just relying on the ease of Amazon. Local charity shops and salvage stores. Hiring.) Considering the life of items and materials beyond the show at the beginning of our design phase – how will they get reused or repurposed? Sharing this initiative with our show Directors.”

Update:  “This still needs much work. We reuse and hire/borrow when we can. Sustainable planning / approach still not really built into the process.”

Action pledge: “Reduce my own consumption of dairy products. I already eat very little meat. Seek out plant-based alternatives which will maintain good health.”

Update: “Ongoing.”

Action pledge: “Finding quotes for, and then buying reusable polycarbonate pint glasses to replace the “compostable” cups used on our bar at our venue. Our current stock of cups will be used first; we will continue to send them to composting facilities via First Mile.”

Update: “We have purchased and now (re)use polycarbonate pint glasses.”

Action pledge: “Install a heat pump in our family’s small terraced house.”

Update: “We tried as best we could to obtain planning permission for a heat pump. We submitted two applications, but both failed on the grounds of ‘noise’ and being too close to neighbours. (Which makes me cross, because heat pumps are far quieter than a) traffic in the road, and b) roaring gas boilers when they fire up!!!). But we’re going to keep trying, and we’re also taking advice about solar panels, in the hope we might have a suitable roof (despite nothing south facing and it not being very big!). Fingers crossed.”

So what’s next?

Carbon Literacy Training is just the start of an ongoing journey, equipping learners with the knowledge and tools they need to understand how we can best reduce our personal contributions to climate change. Through pledging to take action as a Carbon Literate citizen, we have a huge collective impact alongside the 100,000 plus people trained worldwide. The Carbon Literacy Project has estimated that 137,000 tonnes of CO2e have been saved as a result of the actions pledged by Carbon Literacy learners in 2024! We can do more, if we all band together, so let’s keep learning, sharing and collaborating.

Green Arts Oxfordshire Network are excited to have received funding from the Vale of White Horse Climate Action Fund again, to hold a series of Creative Climate Action Conversations, creating a short series of events that creatively explore sustainability topics, issues and solutions with Oxfordshire’s arts and culture community. The project begins with an in-person Carbon Literacy Training!
Join the growing alumni network of Carbon Literate creatives by booking a free place in our open call Carbon Literacy Training cohort, for World Environment Day on the 5th of June 2025.

#CitizenClimate: Dr JC Niala & ‘The Waiting List’

The post below is an article by Greenpeace UK. It’s part of Citizen Climate, an on-going series about global citizens taking action, big and small, for the sake of a healthier planet for us all. At the end of the article, Dr JC Niala mentions Green Arts Oxfordshire Network. You can read the article on the Greenpeace website here. You can learn more about ‘The Waiting List’ on the Fig Studio website here.

The citizen: Dr JC Niala is a writer, historian and artist, based in Oxfordshire. She combines her creative and public engagement work with research, and is regularly produced in Kenya, the UK and the US.

The action: Created and worked on ‘The Waiting List’, a creative project with Julia Uteras and Sam Skinner from fig.studio, in collaboration with Greenpeace UK (as part of their Bad Taste project). The initiative was a call to action, bringing to light the urgent need for easier access to allotments, a small piece of land that can be rented to grow fruits and vegetables in the UK, and the importance of these spaces in communities.

Allotments and the ability to grow our own food is the people’s subversive fight against the industrialised food system, and the damage it is wreaking on biodiversity, people and the planet. 

The collective created an immense artwork the size of an allotment plot (about the size of a doubles tennis court) that incorporated sheets of tissue paper sprinkled with brown mustard, white clover, sunflower, red fescue, and rye grass seeds. It also incorporated burnt Amazon rainforest ash Greenpeace had provided, as a symbol of the violence and destruction globally caused by the industrial food system. The seeds and ash spelt out the message “We, 174,183 on the waiting list demand allotments”.

The completed artwork was unfurled in front of the Department of Levelling Up in London before being dug into a Tesco-owned lot in Liverpool to reclaim it from the industrial food system – the seeds now germinate and flourish. 

How did you get your start in art and activism?

It began in 2008 with a transformative collaboration in Nairobi with a group called Youth Reform. We initiated an organic farm project on what had been a dumpsite in Kibera, often mislabelled as Africa’s largest slum. In order to get the site ready for growing on we used sunflowers for phytoremediation to address the soil’s high zinc levels. Witnessing the sunflowers bloom was a pivotal moment for me. It highlighted how beauty and art can be formidable allies in sparking change and engaging communities in environmental activism.

I read that your doctoral research is on allotments, can you tell us briefly what they are in the UK and why they are important?

Allotments in the UK are these wonderfully quaint yet vital plots of land, often rented for a small fee from local authorities, allotment associations or less commonly privately from individuals. They’re about the size of a doubles tennis court, intended to cultivate fruits and vegetables, designed to feed up to four people. Beyond providing sustainable, fresh produce, allotments are important for urban biodiversity, community, and as sanctuaries for the promotion of mental and physical health. They’re educational hubs too, places where people of the city can learn about sustainable gardening and the environment.

What was the significance of the living artwork, in collaboration with Greenpeace UK, that was performed in October this year? What does the artwork hope to highlight?

‘The Waiting List,’ our living artwork with Greenpeace UK, was a stark representation of the challenges in accessing allotments in Britain. It underscored the distressing reality of the lengthy wait times – sometimes up to 15 years – which contradicts the statutory right to an allotment in Britain. This artwork was a call to action, bringing to light the urgent need for easier access to allotments and the importance of these spaces in our communities.

What are some possible solutions to the lack of allotment spaces? What can people do to demand for these spaces?

Addressing the allotment scarcity requires proactive measures from both local councils and the central government. Councils can repurpose unused land or acquire new land to develop more allotments. They need funding from the government to do this. And to enact this change, residents can leverage Section 23 of the 1908 Allotment Act by gathering six individuals from different households to formally request allotment spaces from their local council. We’ve seen successful examples of this during my research. Our artwork at Westminster was a symbolic act of making these demands on behalf of those on the waiting list.

What are some other resources for people living in urban spaces who don’t have allotments but want to grow their own food?

For those in urban settings without access to allotments, websites like Verticalveg.org.uk are excellent resources. Founded by Mark Ridsdill Smith, who himself was once on a long allotment waiting list, it offers creative solutions for container gardening, enabling city dwellers to grow their own food in limited spaces.

What role can art play in bolstering climate advocacy and action? What can artists do to help fight climate change?

Art has a unique power to make the daunting topic of climate change approachable and engaging. It’s about packaging solutions in a way that captivates and inspires, transforming fear and helplessness into positive action. As artists, leading by example in our own practices is vital. Being part of networks like Green Arts Oxfordshire not only fosters a supportive community but also amplifies our collective impact in driving meaningful change.

What change would you most like to see in the world?

My vision is for a world where everyone has access to nutritious, locally-sourced, sustainable, and organic food. Food that nourishes not just our bodies, but also the planet, without exacting a heavy environmental cost. This is about transforming our food systems into ones that are equitable, sustainable, and respectful of our Earth.

About the author

Tan Lee Kuen

Tan Lee Kuen is a Content Editor for Greenpeace International, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Human Story Theatre: Community Driven Touring

Oxfordshire based theatre company Human Story Theatre is improving accessibility to the arts and reducing emissions associated with audience travel at the same time, with their community focused touring strategy.

Instead of asking audiences to travel to their productions, Human Story Theatres goes to them, reaching new audiences by performing in local community centres, libraries and theatres. 

Human Story Theatre harnesses the power of original theatrical performance and writing to raise awareness of health and social care issues affecting communities everywhere. Each performance acts as a catalyst to unite communities, signpost to local resources and partners, strengthen relationships with support networks and engage audiences in partner-led post-show Q&As, discussions and debates.

Behind the scenes, they’ve been embedding sustainable practices into productions, working with a small cast of local talent to minimise the travel emissions of artists etc., and sourcing sets and costumes second hand, borrowed and out of skips! They often use stripped back performance spaces with natural light, as well as recycled sets and furniture. These practices are not only lower carbon, but also lower cost, guided by the principles set out in the award-winning Theatre Green Book.

Carbon Literacy Training

Artistic Director & Co-Founder Amy Enticknap recently completed Carbon Literacy Training with Green Arts Oxfordshire Network. Human Story Theatre already had an Environmental Policy that they share with the artists they work with and the venues they perform at, so Amy pledged to revisit it with the HST team to include some high impact actions as a result of the training:

‘Ask cast and crew to travel by walking, cycling, public transport or car-sharing to rehearsals and performances.’

‘For every performance, do a campaign asking our audience to travel to a show by walking, cycling, public transport or car-sharing.’

[GAON members are invited to use an infographic and link to guidance created by GAON, helping audiences to make more sustainable travel choices. You can find out more here: Travel Tips for a Great Day Out in Oxford.]

‘Ask venues we work with to ask audiences to consider travelling to our productions using lower carbon transport options like walking, cycling, car-sharing, buses or trains, on our listings and through booking confirmation emails.’

‘Ask venues to consider switching to renewable energy suppliers Ecotricity, Good Energy or Green Energy UK if they haven’t done so already.’

‘Composting any food waste to prevent emissions produced by waste going to landfill. On top of our own branded compost bin for rehearsals, we will ask venues to consider supplying compost bins as part of their waste management.’

These policies by Human Story Theatre are an inspiring example of going beyond addressing an organisation’s direct scope 1 emissions, to think about how we might be able to reduce scope 3 emissions from suppliers, staff and audience travel through utilising our sphere of influence. We can all ask ourselves: ‘Is there anything I can do to influence the groups I interact with to take actions?’

Amy has been thinking about how the Human Story Theatre Environmental Policy might influence others, including the venues they perform at and the audiences they reach:

“After every show we have a Q&A with guest experts pertaining to the issue in our play. We could use this platform to also add comment about the environmental actions we’re taking, involving the audience directly. We hope these policies will influence behaviour change, that could result in larger actions like venues implementing renewable energy plans or composting their waste. If those in this wider group are influenced to switch their energy providers at home or begin their own compost, the collective action will have a large impact.”

These Q&As have massive potential to engage with audiences:

• To exchange information.
• To raise awareness.
• To encourage responsibility for own health/social care and for that of the community.
• To signpost people to services.
• To create a safe environment to share feelings and experiences, where appropriate.
• To create an opportunity for reflection and possible change.

Engaging Communities

We asked Amy about the value of working with local talent and communities…

“There is a wealth of talent locally and so I think it is a good idea to use the talent on our doorstep when we can! The talent will have links locally to their own personal communities and networks which can increase our audience reach. Also actors who have families are sometimes not able to accept jobs that are touring far away, purely due to logistics and their children, so it means we can provide work for those actors – in essence supporting family life. Environmentally of course, using local talent means our cast and artistic team can walk / cycle or get public transport to rehearsals and performances. The same goes for our audience members. 

I think working within local communities and partnering with organisations and charities specific to our home city means we can build stronger relationships quicker, which I think is more sustainable for our future. And hopefully we can eventually become the ‘go to’ health and social care theatre company where organisations begin to approach us to write plays on a particular subject. This has already begun to happen, which is great.”

How do you engage audiences?

“The whole process has always worked organically really; depending on the topic explored in each play, we connect with organisations and charities pertaining to that issue. Everyone has always seemed keen to support us, because our post-show Q&As give opportunity for raising awareness of those organisations. After every show we have a Q&A discussion with a panel of guest experts from organisations pertaining to the issue in the play, who bring with them a wealth of information and can signpost to local services. It is also an opportunity for audience members to share direct lived experience in a safe and supported environment. The Q&As are as important to us, if not more so, than the play itself. Partnerships and working with specific communities is an integral way in which Human Story Theatre works. 

Feedback we regularly receive is that a theatrical live performance can be a lot more powerful and engaging that a leaflet handed to someone at a talk. We work in a stripped back, shared space shared light format and there is no ‘fourth wall’ so the audience can feel part of the theatrical action.”

How do you find audiences?

“HST predominantly tours to existing communities, so goes to where the audiences are already, rather than expecting them to come to us. But we also find audiences through our social media channels and mailing list and those of our partner organisations and charities. Often our Q&A speakers bring colleagues or participants of their groups with them to a show, who have never been to the theatre, or rarely. This is a really helpful way of us reaching new audiences.”

Human Story Theatre is a great example of using creative work to encourage behavioural change, through storytelling, sustainable procurement, engaging audiences with Q&As, and communicating clear environmental policies.

Human Story Theatre is interested in exploring the impact of climate change on human health and social issues. What would you like to see explored in a play about climate change?

You can learn more about the work of Human Story Theatre here. 

Get in touch with GAON to enquire about Carbon Literacy Training for your team.

Travel Tips for a Great Day Out in Oxford

Green Arts Oxfordshire Network has pulled together some information that we hope will help you to reduce emissions and frustrations when visiting museums, theatres and arts venues in Oxford City Centre, perhaps even make your journey part of the fun! Take a look at our at-a-glance guide at the bottom of this page, with more detailed information below.

Since we created this guide in 2023, a dedicated Oxford Travel Options site has been launched by Low Carbon Oxford North and the Zero Carbon Oxfordshire Partnership (ZCOP), which we recommend visiting!

This information has been updated as of August 2025, but will likely change as time passes, so we advise you to double check the details before embarking on your journey.  Please let us know if you spot anything that should be updated.

Oxford can get very busy, so please allow plenty of time for your journey if you have a fixed start time.

Walk

The best way to enjoy Oxford’s beautiful architecture is to explore the city centre on foot. Most cultural attractions are within 15 minutes’ walk of each other and of the rail and bus stations.

Oxford City Council’s Go Active site provides useful links to walking routes, maps and apps, and you can also download the Oxford Active Travel Map here.You can earn rewards and win prizes for walking, cycling and using public transport, as well as other healthy and green activities through the free BetterPoints Oxfordshire app.

Cycle and Scoot

Oxford has many cyclists and there is cycle parking at most venues and across the city. 

CycleStreets has an interactive journey planner for confident and less confident cyclists in Oxford. The cycling pages of Oxford City Council’s website list cycle routes, cycle hire companies and the locations of free bicycle pumps and cycle racks. Cyclox, a local cycling advocacy group, provides  information about safe and secure cycling. The city has many bicycle repair workshops, some of which offer cycle repair training. 

Anyone over 18 with a valid driving licence can hire and return zero-emission e-scooters from several sites across the city with Voi. These cost £1 to unlock and 22p per minute for the ride.Try out a recommended cycling route via Cyclox, Cycling UK, BikeMap, CycleStreets or Citymapper, which has an option to choose quieter cycling-friendly journeys.

Bus

OxforThere are a series of comprehensive bus maps designed to help you navigate Oxfordshire and its towns with ease. Oxford’s award-winning bus companies offer a range of services and tickets, but the MyBus Oxfordshire ticket provides one day or one week’s unlimited travel on nearly all local bus services in the County. An adult MyBus day ticket is £6.50, a MyBus Young Person day ticket is £3.50, and under 5s travel free.

Under 18s can travel within the city for £1 with a Get Around card.

Stagecoach is the UK’s biggest bus operator and offers SmartZone, DayRider and EveningRider tickets. 

Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach provide online journey planners. Oxford Bus Company has transitioned to 100% electric buses, and Stagecoach are also replacing their fleet!

• Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel
• Stagecoach Oxford

City Sightseeing Buses offer open-top bus tours around the city with commentaries in 14 languages. Passengers can hop on and off at 20 stops along the one-hour route to explore at their leisure.You can get all the latest traffic news from across Oxfordshire, straight to your phone on the Oxfordshire County Council Travel WhatsApp channel. Road closures, delays and maintenance – it’s the place to find out first.

Accessibility

Oxford City Council provides accessibility information, including the AccessAble accessibility guide to Oxford.

Shopmobility at Westgate Oxford hires self-propelled and battery-operated wheelchairs and scooters for free, for use in the Westgate. These can be booked by phone. 

Blue Badge holders can park free of charge:

• in disabled bays for an unlimited time. Bays are marked on this map. 
• on single/double yellow lines (providing a loading/unloading ban is not in force) for up to three hours. Please ensure your clock is displayed.
• in time-restricted bays/permit bays for an unlimited time.
• in on-street Pay & Display bays for an unlimited time without payment.
• in residents’ parking bays for as long as you like.

Coach

The city’s main Bus Station at Gloucester Green, a 6-minute walk from the centre, hosts long-distance coach services. Direct coach services run to and from London Victoria 24 hours a day (taking from 1 hour 36 mins) as well as to Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton and Stansted airports, Cambridge (via Milton Keynes and Bedford) and other cities. 

• Oxford Tube Adult tickets to London start from £15, or £6.50 for a child ticket. It is cheaper to buy tickets online than onboard.

National Express Adult tickets to London start from £16.50 with savings for buying tickets three or more days in advance, choosing flexible journey times or using Coachcards.

Private Coach or Minibus

Redbridge Park & Ride has designated coach and minibus parking. School groups and other passengers can be dropped and collected at one of Oxfordshire County Council’s on-street drop-off and pick-up points:

• St Aldate’s South (southbound) – just south of the Combined Court OX11TL
• Beaumont Street (westbound) – outside Oxford Playhouse OX1 2LW
• St Giles’ (northbound) – in the lay-by beside the Taylorian Library OX1 3NA

Train

Oxford Station (12-minute walk, 0.6 mile to the centre) operates regular direct services to London Paddington (1 hour), Birmingham NeOxford Station (12-minute walk, 0.6 mile to the centre) operates regular direct services to London Marylebone (45 mins), London Paddington (1 hour), Birmingham New Street (1 hour 20 mins), Reading and others, with less frequent direct services also available to Manchester, Newcastle and Southampton.

Oxford Parkway Station (21-minute bus ride, 3.7 miles to the centre) operates twice-hourly services to London Marylebone (55 minutes), High Wycombe, Bicester Village (10 mins) and other stations. The station is next to the Water Eaton Park & Ride where the 500 bus operates the same hours as the trains and takes 12 minutes to the city centre. 

• National Rail
• Trainline
• Virgin Trains
• Great Western Railway

National Rail will alert passengers to changes or disruptions in service via its Train Tracker app and text service 84950 (charges apply).

Taxi

There are taxi ranks at Oxford Railway Station, Gloucester Green Bus Station and St Giles in the city centre. Taxi firms are listed on Oxford City Council’s website. Uber in now also available in Oxford.

Car

Oxford is a small city with many traffic restrictions, particularly between 7.30am and 6.30pm, so visitors are encouraged not to drive into the centre. 

Try using these route planners: 

• AA Route Planner
• Citymapper
• Google Maps
• Multimap

The City Council provides maps of Electric Vehicle charging points and public car parks. Just Park is a car parking app that allows drivers to book private parking spaces and EV charging points.

Oxford hosts car sharing clubs which offer hybrid and electric vehicles at locations across the city.

• Co Wheels 
• Enterprise Car Club
• ShareOurCars

Park & Ride

We recommend using one of the Park & Rides on the outskirts of Oxford. These are clearly signposted as you enter the city. See the Park & Ride website for more information. You can find a pdf map of the Park & Rides here, or an online map here.

Regular buses run between the Park & Rides and city centre taking 25 minutes and operating until around 11pm. (For Water Eaton the City2 replaces the Park & Ride bus after 7pm.) 

You will need to pay for parking and a bus ticket or buy a combined ticket.

The standard Park & Ride parking charge (as of August 2025) is £2.60 per vehicle (up to 16 hours) and £4.59 per vehicle (up to 24 hours). You can pay by cash or card at designated parking ticket machines. Or you can avoid lengthy queues by buying a ticket in advance using RingGo for Redbridge, Pear Tree, Thornhill and Oxford Parkway Park & Rides. We strongly advise this for Thornhill and Parkway.

Parking Charge Links:

• Oxford Parkway Park and Ride (North)
• Pear Tree Park and Ride (North)
• Redbridge Park and Ride (South)
• Seacourt Park and Ride (West)
• Thornhill Park and Ride (East)

You also need to buy a combined parking and return bus ticket to and from Oxford city centre. You can pay by cash or contactless: ‘tap on’ at the start of your journey and ‘tap off’ at the end. A peak adult day return with parking costs £4 for one adult or £5 for two adults travelling together. Under 16s travel free.

Putting the joy back in the journey

Lower carbon forms of transport like walking, cycling, buses or trains can be less stressful and more fun than driving.  

Joyful walking, cycling or scooting…

Choosing an active form of transport is a great way to sneak some healthy activities into your day. Walking, cycling or scooting is enjoyable as well as practical:

• Take a self-guided walking tour, using apps like Go-Jauntly, which has plenty of routes accompanied by imagery and info, often created by locals.
• Hunt down some treasure along the way! Hide or seek containers hidden right under your nose with the Geocaching app.
• Grow your confidence by getting cycling training with Broken Spoke Bike Coop, or attend one of Cyclox’s free informative events.
• Organise a group walk or bike ride to your destination.
• Take a detour through some green space if there is any available along your route, to benefit from the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku: ‘forest bathing’.

Joyful bus and train journeys…

With your eyes free from the road, use your journey to reclaim some spare time:

• Read a book or a bit about what you’re going to visit.
• Listen to music or a podcast while enjoying the scenery out the window.
• Message a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while.
• Take the opportunity to connect with a stranger. You could try asking “I’m off to see [event] at [venue], have you been there before?” as an ice-breaker, or “What’s your favourite place to visit in Oxford?” Be inspired by ‘Where Are You Going?’, a podcast full of surprising stories from perfect strangers.
• Play some games with the people you’re travelling with, like word association or bingo with passing bus numbers.
• Look up from the road to take in the local scenery and architecture.

At-a-glance Guide

Disclaimer

The information on this page and infographic guide serves as indicative guidance and should be double checked before beginning your journey to ensure that the information remains correct.

Terms of Use

Green Arts Charter Signatories are invited to add this infographic to their websites and bookings emails to make choosing lower carbon transport options easier and more attractive to visitors. You can sign the Charter here.

Infographic copyright is held by Green Arts Oxfordshire Network. This pdf is free to use, but do not add logos, images or alter in any way.

Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge that the development of this infographic was supported by the Royal Society of Arts (RSA). It was compiled by Kim Pickin with artwork by Jeremy Morgan of Fizog Design, with contributions from Becca Vallins and Ellie Monk and the help of Oxford Brookes University Placement Student Oelda Cekaj. Crankstart Intern Destiny Boka-Batesa helped to update information in 2025.​​ The infographic was brainstormed by several cultural organisations, artists and transport experts at the ‘Culture Shift! A Vision for Greener Audience Travel’ Marmalade event in April 2023, produced by Green Arts Oxfordshire Network and the Old Fire Station at The Story Museum. GAON would like to thank everyone that contributed to the development of this infographic.