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ark sheffield

ark sheffield is a citywide conversation about the climate crisis. 
It was launched with Sheffield Hallam University and partners in 2022 for Sheffield Theatres's Together in the City. 

How is an ark a way of talking about the climate crisis?

The story of people creating a boat to save themselves from a flood resonates across cultures and histories, past and present. In our time of unprecedented climate emergency, the flood is not the same for all people. For some, it is sea level rise. For others, it could be economic uncertainty or displacement. It could be many things...

How are we doing it?

We've been working with not-for-profit food organisations, culture and heritage institutions, artists, community organisers, and academics to explore the following questions through a series of warm and welcoming meals, workshops, and public events. 

What form does the flood take for you?
How will you create your ark?
What would you take with you?
What should we leave behind?

What can you do?

You are invited to join us for walks, take part in workshops, attend complimentary meals, and contribute your voice as we answer these questions.  All activities, meals, and events are free to attend. 

Select one of the options below to see what we are doing and learn how you can get involved by attending a free event or by organising and sharing your own unique activity.

eat

move

listen

act

assemble

ark sheffield has been Initiated by Sheffield Hallam University Lecturers Dr Tom Payne (Humanities) and Dr Julia Udall (Natural and Built Environment) with Dr Alex De Little (Goldsmiths Centre for Sound Practice Research). The project is supported by Sheffield Theatres, as part of Together in the City festival (2022); with additional funding support from UK Research and Innovation and Sheffield Hallam University. ark sheffield is produced in partnership with Sheffield Hallam University, Goldsmiths University, GumboFM, Blend Kitchen, Heeley City Farm, Foodhall, Open Kitchen Social Club, The Wood Fired Pizza Company, SADACCA, Sheffield Museums, Sheffield City of Sanctuary, RESOLVE Collective, University of Leeds, and UK Research and Innovation. ark was conceived in 2015 by Tom Payne as part of his post-doctoral research for the Cymerau case study for the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Towards Hydrocitizenship. It was developed in mid-Wales with support from National Theatre Wales’s Summer Camp (Broneirion, 2015) and Wales Lab (Aberystwyth, 2019). It has received additional funding from the Department of Humanities Research and Innovation Fund (2017 - present). With special thanks to those who supported and contributed to the earlier phases of development, including Simon Coates, Kully Thiarai, Lucy Wood, Jacob Gough, Sam Christie, Jenny Hall, Adrian Kear, and Rosie Strickland. The unique community engagement and performance methodology behind ark sheffield has been developed by Tom Payne, Julia Udall and Alex De Little at Sheffield Hallam University as part of the Economic and Social Research Council’s Festival of Social Science’s event, Amplifying Climate Dialogues (2021), and through collaborative working with the team, our community partners and Sheffield Theatres. Photography by Becky Payne.

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©ark sheffield 2022

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