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Step 3: Partnerships and eco-coalitions

Partnerships with environmental movements
Invite activist groups or environmental movements to become involved in the common conceptual work. This is an important and inclusive tool because on the one hand, it enriches our programme with relevant content and ensures high quality presentation and on the other, it gives the floor to other, less audible groups or movements. This makes conscious use of the symbolic capital which every cultural institution has at its disposal. It also gives very real support to the topic or problem which a given group or movement is concerned about. As far as art is concerned, an example of multi-entity cooperation may be the exhibition ‘Magical Engagement’ carried out at the Municipal Gallery Arsenał in Poznań. The exhibition gave the floor to the eco-movements Obóz dla Puszczy (Camp for Białowieża Forest) and the Wild Carpathians Initiative, on equal footing with the curators, artists and activists.

Coalitions for climate
You can also build alliances with other institutions and organisations associated with culture. You do not have to start off by setting up an intercity network with the most important cultural institutions. It is much better to start with a narrower but deeper local collaboration. It is easier then to find time and space to work out common goals and values, and define directions of action. One of the most inspiring coalitions of culture-for-climate networks is Manchester-based MAST.
Cultural institutions and organisations from Brno have also set up a coalition for climate and are calling the city authorities to declare a climate emergency [https://www.kultura-klima-brno.cz/]. Cultural and arts institutions from Prague create a network and proclaim climate emergency. In their manifesto, they emphasise that culture and the arts share the responsibility for the ecological and climate state of the world. They point out the need to fundamentally change how institutions are run. [http://umeniproklima.cz/].
Apart from making declarations and working with your institution for change, you can join working groups with a wide range. An example of such a group is ‘Wikipedia for climate’ which is supported by the portal Nauka o klimacie (Climate Science). As we know, Wikipedia is a basic source of knowledge for nearly everyone. Therefore, the reach of well-written entries for ecological and climate crisis will be really significant.
As institutions, we can also support climate movements. While making its first exhibition, the newly set-up Virtual Museum of the Anthropocene decided that the proceeds from the exhibition and the accompanying events will go to the Wild Carpathians Initiative. This means that all the funds donated during a voluntary collection will be handed over to the Wild Carpathians Initiative, which protects the trees of the Carpathian forest from logging. 

Exerting influence on regulations
When working in a partnership, network or other community to minimise the effects of the climate crisis, it is worth setting increasingly ambitious goals. With your attitude and actions, demand changes to regulations in city and municipality offices and actively participate in creating local environmental policies. Finally, influence trends and change the law on a national scale. This stage requires a lot of willpower and commitment, so act together and do not get discouraged by failures.

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