UPDATE 15th November 2021:
COP26 is over, the delegates are heading home and the NO NEW WORLDS sculpture has been dismantled. However we still have a few days to run on our Crowdfunder to support a programme of outreach and engagement about the implications of COP26 and climate change for the River and Firth of Clyde region. The more we raise the more we can do and create more impact.
This November, the critically important COP26 takes place in Glasgow. With the eyes of the world on the Clyde, Clyde Docks Preservation Initiative (CDPI) and Still Moving propose to place an unmissable statement right in front of the delegates and the world’s media, on the site of the Govan Docks, directly opposite the main COP delegate zone.
Together with your support we, we aim to bring a high-profile art installation to the banks of the River Clyde in Glasgow during the COP26 climate change conference in November.
NO NEW WORLDS is a 70m long sculpture made of 3000 energy efficient LED bulbs. It was installed in Plymouth last year by the artist collective Still/Moving, commissioned to mark the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower.
The artwork illuminates the links between climate change and ongoing colonisation. It scrolls through nine randomly generated iterations of the phrase, stating NO, NO WORLD, NEW WORLDS, NO NEW WORLDS, the words calling for us to cherish this world.
We believe it is critical to constantly question the myth of infinite growth on a finite planet, with the exploitation and extraction that has brought us to this pivotal ecological moment.
During the COP26 climate change conference in November this artwork will shine a light on the Clyde, a bright beacon of hope for the future.
Who Are We?
CDPI, the Clyde Docks Preservation Initiative is a social enterprise promoting maritime heritage, sustainable development and sustainable recreation & tourism on the River and Firth of Clyde.
Still/Moving is a platform for creative activities and projects to develop. Composed of three artists, Laura Hopes, Martin Hampton and Léonie Hampton, their collective practice aims to create social and ecological change through questioning established modes of thinking and behaviour.
Our Aim
For the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, we will install a 70m illuminated LED sculpture of the words “NO NEW WORLDS”, on the quayside at Govan’s historic A-listed dry docks, right next to the COP Green Zone and opposite the Blue Zone. This site was where hundreds of ships that served the British Empire were once built and repaired. Set within the conflicting legacy of this site, the installation's reflection will shimmer in the water, facing the delegates and the city beyond.
The installation was previously installed in Plymouth in 2020, where the huge illuminated sculpture NO NEW WORLDS, sat in a prominent position on the Mount Batten breakwater. The words describe the intertwined damage that climate emergency and colonisation have wrought and continue to exert on our world. This message, when shared with a global audience, demands change.
Still/Moving have worked across the UK to find out what people want to say to world leaders at COP26 and will be bringing these voices to Glasgow in November 2021 through a set of smaller illuminated artworks.
Having an event like COP26 on your doorstep is an incredible opportunity to amplify the experiences of living in Glasgow during this time, and to relate them to the wider global experience as expressed in the themes of NO NEW WORLDS.
For the local community, Govan’s Graving Docks are historical symbols of industry. Their future sustainable regeneration is being debated (with both a major private housing development and a return to ship repair use having been proposed in recent years) but right now, they are both a magnificent stage to ask the world what that future could look like, and a reminder to us to learn from the past.
From Glasgow to the World
Glasgow to a great extent was built on colonialism and the world-leading industrial and shipbuilding powerhouse the city once was, made a significant contribution to emissions during the industrial heyday.
We are now looking to a new sustainable future for the Clyde based on sympathetic regeneration to benefit communities and the potential of net-zero emissions shipping. Will ships return to these empty, forgotten dry docks? Will river traffic return to the now silent Clyde?
Glasgow has the opportunity to set the scene for the climate future of our planet just as we begin to emerge from an unprecedented global pandemic and at the same time face an imminent tipping point in the urgency (highlighted by floods and wildfires) to avert the climate crisis.
A prominent and highly visible display - NO NEW WORLDS will be a beacon from Glasgow to the world.
It is a bold and urgent statement because there ARE no new worlds. This is the only planet we have to live on.
This crowdfunder is a once in a lifetime opportunity for you to become part of this message. To stand with us as Glasgow and the Clyde Community speaks to the world.
Joining Hands With Other COP26 Activity
The giant puppet figures of Little Amal and Storm will pass No New Worlds - commenting on the joint messages of colonial and climate justice as encapsulated in our light sculpture.
Little Amal began her journey in Syria. She represents all refugees and, having travelled across Europe will finally be welcomed by the people of Govan and Glasgow to Scotland on Wednesday 10th November at a crucial point in the conference deliberations of COP26.
Storm, the spirit of the sea, is returning to Glasgow. This time she will represent Clutha, the goddess of the Clyde. She will awaken at Water Row. Protected by the Clansmen, she will walk along Govan Road being greeted by community groups and performances in marquees along the route. She will pause at No New Worlds to acknowledge the complementarity of these messages to the world before continuing across the Squinty Bridge to meet with Little Amal on the other side.
Together, these three elements of the COP26 cultural programme will send messages of environmental responsibility - there are no new worlds and we need to protect this planet - as well as making comments about the role of colonialism. There are no new worlds on this planet either. Together, the three elements (No New Worlds, Storm and Little Amal) will rise up and act out possible futures within this illuminated scene. Together, these artistic interventions embody the crisis, its people and its future.
We have seen from previous world summits (for example, most recently, the G7 meeting in Cornwall) that it is these idiosyncratic, symbolic, quirky and engaging cultural interventions that have the most impact. They deliver the message with a power that is accessible to everyone.
Your contribution
If we are unable to raise sufficient funds via this Crowdfunder and other fundraising activities currently running in parallel, and are unable to instal the project at COP26 this November, we promise to return your contribution in full unless you would like your pledge to go towards the costs of preparing for this project. In this eventuality, we will first contact you to give you the choice.
Rewards
Unless you donate anonymously your name will be included on a page of thanks on the Clyde.Scot and Still/Moving websites by way of appreciation for your generosity.
We also aim to produce a documentary film if we meet our stretch target and can include your name or company logo in the credits.
What the Crowdfunder is covering
- renewable energy powering the sculpture, which draws 3KW (equivalent to two toasters running)
- scaffolding redesign: higher wind speeds in Clyde valley
- higher security costs because of close proximity to COP
- Transportation of all the components to Glasgow
- sensitively clearing and making good the heritage site
how we’re raising money for the project:
- keeping our production costs as low as possible
- individual or organisational pledges on crowdfunder
- Still/Moving and CDPI are also seeking support from arts and environmental foundations
Our stretch target will contribute to a year-long engagement programme to share the climate message with the communities of the Clyde and support them to take action.