Art for Climate

Selected for the Season of Culture UK/Brazil by the British Council and Instituto Guimarães Rosa, the Art for Climate project commissioned “artivists” from three distinct Brazilian biomes—Sepetiba (Rio de Janeiro state), Maragogi (Alagoas state), and Marajó (Pará state). As part of We Make Tomorrow, a global cultural mobilisation campaign placing culture at the heart of climate action in the lead-up to COP30, these artivists were tasked with fostering dialogue and raising awareness about the climate emergency through creative performances in their own territories.

The project led by People’s Palace Projects (PPP) and Julie’s Bicycle delivered a training programme for Lucas Hurarahy, Ziel Karapotó, Olinda Tupinambá, and the collective Rainha das Matas, enabling them to develop public engagement activations leading up to COP30.

Not all communities have a seat at the high-level climate negotiations, but their voices, histories, and urgent concerns must still be heard. Through these creative activations, the project brings climate justice conversations directly into communities across Brazil.

A video case has been produced and will be featured by the We Male Tomorrow global campaign.

Lucas Ururahy is a visual artist from Rio de Janeiro, known for his urban interventions that engage with environmental and social issues. His work explores the relationship between nature and urbanity, seeking to raise ecological awareness through public art. Instagram (@lucas.ururahy)

Ziel Karapotó and Olinda Tupinambá are Indigenous artists who combine ancestral knowledge with contemporary expressions. Their work values the original worldview and the deep connection with the forest, bringing reflections on environmental preservation and cultural resistance. Instagram (@zielkarapoto) Instagram (@olinda_yawar_wanderley)

Rainhas das Matas (Queens of the Woods) is an artistic collective from Soure/Ilha do Marajó in Pará, which unites sustainability, Marajoara culture and LGBTQIA+ protagonism in art and resistance actions. It is from the forest that the Queens flourish: leaves, seeds and colour transformed into struggle, affection and visibility. Instagram (@rainha.dasmatas)