IN-PERSON Manchester Livable Cities

Abstract

As sustainability becomes a central concern in urban and cultural development, small arts organisations are increasingly recognised as active contributors to ecological awareness and local resilience (Bishop, 2012; Jackson, 2011). This paper investigates how Grand Union, a small arts organisation based in Birmingham, UK, has integrated environmental and social priorities into its curatorial practice since 2019, positioning itself as a cultural intermediary (Jones et al., 2019; Latour, 2005) in response to post-industrial urban challenges. The paper focuses on The Growing Project, a long-term, off-site community art initiative developed by Grand Union located in the industrial outskirts of the city core. Through this project, Grand Union brings together contemporary art, environmental education, and collaborative gardening in urban spaces. The initiative exemplifies a form of socially engaged, place-based curating (Kester, 2011) that supports environmental awareness and civic participation at the grassroots level. Drawing on site visits, project documentation, semi-structured interviewing, and curatorial statements, this paper examines how Grand Union’s work contributes to broader discussions on ecological justice, climate adaptation, and urban regeneration (Yúdice, 2003; Massey, 2005). The study argues that small arts organisations, such as Grand Union, can foster meaningful environmental engagement not through large-scale programmes but through long-term, embedded work within communities facing structural precarity. By tracing Grand Union’s evolving curatorial strategies, this presentation reflects on how art can reconfigure our understanding of civic space and urban ecology in the context of environmental crisis (Gablik, 1991; Miles, 2014). It contributes to broader debates about the role of culture in shaping sustainable futures for post-industrial cities.