Learn the most impactful ways to tackle climate change through your creative practice or cultural organisation... Get certified as Carbon Literate with South Oxfordshire's creative community this Earth Day!

What is Carbon Literacy Training?

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

Is this course right for me?

Our course has been designed for independent creatives, freelancers, artists, writers, performers, members of community groups and staff and volunteers from cultural organisations and venues.

This session has been funded by the South Oxfordshire District Council Councillor Community Grant Scheme, awarded by Cllr Axel Macdonald, Cllr Denise Macdonald and Cllr Mocky Khan of Didcot South.

The training is open to anyone working or based in South Oxfordshire.

To access this training, please join the network (for free) by signing the Green Arts Charter.

Spaces are limited. Please let us know if you can no longer attend, so that we can offer the space to someone else.

Who are we?

Green Arts Oxfordshire Network (GAON) exists to unite Oxfordshire’s artists and cultural organisations in their work to tackle the climate & ecological emergency. We believe that a better future is possible, and that we as cultural leaders need to create the change we want to see in the world.

What's the format of Carbon Literacy Training?

Our training is a full day of learning made up of 3 parts:

Part 1: Online e-learning Platform

This section increases your understanding of the science behind climate change, and the global and local impacts. It is self-directed, including videos and quizzes, and is completed online in your own time ahead of part 2. We expect this to take around 2 - 3 hours.

Part 2: Training Session with a Carbon Literacy Trainer

This section outlines what we need to do as a society to reduce carbon emissions, introducing national plans, local initiatives and high impact actions that you can take, in the context of the creative sector. This is an interactive session including group discussions and opportunities to ask questions. The session will last 5 hours inclusive of a 30-minute break, with free lunch provided.

Part 3: Participant Details Forms

The final part of the training involves you developing an action pledge both as an individual and with a wider group, in order to reduce carbon emissions. This section should take around 1 hour to complete.

Accessibility

The venue is fully wheelchair accessible, with accessible toilets on each floor. If you have any access requirements, please let us know when you book your training session.

What's the 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.

Testimonials from GAON Carbon Literacy Training Participants

“The trainer was very passionate and inspirational. The training has really opened my eyes to what changes I can make as an individual and artistic director of a small charity. Thank you and please keep up the great work!”

“Thank you Green Arts Oxfordshire for providing such a thorough, well-informed, accessible training! I feel the training helped us gather more accurate info about our carbon footprint, and gave a lot of useful insights on how to reduce it. Everyone should take this course!”

“This is a very informative and helpful introduction for anyone in our times.”

“I thoroughly enjoyed the training. I learnt a lot and it helped me clarify what direction I should take next in my commitment to doing something about climate change. It left me feeling positive, which is something I rarely feel when our future can appear overwhelmingly disastrous.”

* This session may be postponed if we do not secure 15 bookings.

Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge that this cohort of training has been funded by South Oxfordshire District Council Councillor Community Grant Scheme, awarded by Cllr Axel Macdonald, Cllr Denise Macdonald and Cllr Mocky Khan of Didcot South.

The development of this course was supported by Oxford City Council's Community Impact Fund, as well as Fusion Arts, Tandem Collective, Oxford Friends of the Earth, CAG Oxfordshire and anonymous donors.