Sustainability in Song at Somerset House

23 Jun 2016

AHRC Connected Communities Festival 2016

Dr. Angela Connelly at the School of Environment and Development is taking part in the AHRC Connected Communities Festival from 24 June to 26 June 2016.

35 representatives from contemporary utopian movements from all over the UK will take up stalls and fill the courtyard of Somerset House in London, celebrating pockets of utopia that are flourishing around the country from Newcastle to Merthyr Tydfil, Sheffield to Scotland, Brighton to Doncaster plus a range of London sites.

Each representing different utopian ways of living in the 21st century, stalls will feature interactive displays, events and activities and explore topics including the environment and city-living, food and fashion, community inclusiveness and arts and craft practices.

Presented in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Connected Communities programme, the Utopia Fair will showcase the creative outcomes from the ‘When Tomorrow Becomes Yesterday: Sustainability in Song’ project. Led by University of West of Scotland researcher Jo Collinson Scott AKA singer-songwriter Jo Mango, the project involved The University of Manchester, The University of Edinburgh, Creative Carbon Scotland, Manchester: A Certain Future, and Julie's Bicycle.

The event includes the installation of a short film showcasing the project and a live performance with singer-songwriters such as Scotland’s Louis Abbott, London’s Adem and Sheffield’s Craig B. This project (along with all the others at the fair) has worked to bring together researchers, activists and artists across the UK to explore how utopian ideals can be used to benefit the environmental and social future of our communities.