BOLD NEW ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY THE LAND IS ALL VIEW LAUNCHED TO TRANSFORM EAST ANGLIA’S CULTURAL SECTOR

BOLD NEW ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY THE LAND IS ALL VIEWLAUNCHED TO TRANSFORM EAST ANGLIA’S CULTURAL SECTOR

The Norfolk and Suffolk Culture Board (NSCB), supported by Fern Culture and Norfolk & Norwich Festival, has officially launched The Land is All View. This ambitious environmental strategy establishes a roadmap for cultural organisations across Norfolk and Suffolk to drive practical climate action, pioneer sustainable development and foster regional environmental responsibility.

The NSCB, a coalition of Norfolk County Council, Suffolk County Council and culture organisations across both counties commissioned the strategy with funding provided by Arts Council England.

Managed by Norfolk & Norwich Festival, the research was carried out by Amber Massie-Blomfield and Lilli Geissendorfer of Fern Culture. The research approach saw participation from experts, local authorities, academic and environmental organisations and around 80 cultural workers from across the region.

"The arts possess a unique, transformative capacity to communicate complex ecological challenges and inspire real behavioural change," said Amber Massie-Blomfield of Fern Culture. "The Land is All View provides a framework for the creative sector to work together to reduce environmental impact, lead on nature recovery, and adapt to the impacts of climate change."

The report introduced the concept of Cultural Environmental Responsibility (CER) – the cultural sector’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact but also using its power, at the heart of communities, to drive wider change.

Research indicated a strong local ecosystem and positive steps the cultural sector were already taking. This included 91% of survey respondents indicating they are taking personal action on Cultural Environmental Responsibility. 69% of respondents viewed themselves as proactive advocates or influencers - encouraging colleagues to share knowledge and promote greener choices.

The foregrounding of biodiversity and nature recovery is an area of real regional distinctiveness and many cultural organisations are already partnering with nature organisations to develop projects. It highlights opportunities to develop sensitive partnerships with the region’s growing energy sector and to capitalise on the academic institutions including the University of East Anglia and the Suffolk Sustainability Institute. The report also urges cultural institutions to embed the region’s recently published Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) into their core operations to deliver measurable social value and improve community wellbeing.

The report’s CER Roadmap outlines a strategic pathway for Norfolk and Suffolk's culture sector to transition toward a flourishing ecological future. It focuses on driving collective regional action rather than leaving organisations to solve environmental challenges in isolation.

Daniel Brine, Chief Executive of Norfolk & Norwich Festival and Member of the Norfolk and Suffolk Culture Board said “The Land is All View is an important piece of work for Norfolk and Suffolk. By marrying operational decarbonisation with powerful public storytelling, Norfolk and Suffolk’s culture sector can set a national benchmark for ecological leadership.”