We are a visual artist project organization formed in 2005 by Dr Sally Payen and Jaime Jackson. Specializing in nature based socially engaged practice and collaborative action with climate and ecology scientists, we aim to help people positively respond to the earth crisis. Salt Road is the regional hub for Culture Declares Emergency West Midlands and are an associate artist hub for Climate Museum UK.

Sally Payen, A Salt Road commission for ThinkTank Museum’s Our Changing Planet Gallery Birmingham

Culture Declares provides community. A network of international and UK-based Hubs, sharing knowledge and practical support to seek justice, work towards regenerative change and provide care through culture, heritage and the arts.

CDE is putting action into creative practice, and culture into environmental activism.

CDE’s Vision, Mission and Values

Vision

That the cultural sector is a leading contributor to the transformation of social and economic systems to create a regenerative world in which biodiverse life is protected and the livelihoods of people are sustained with equality.

Mission

To support and mobilise a global movement of declarers in the cultural sector to take action and inspire others.

Values

Our values are underpinned by truth-telling, care-taking, and change-making.

We welcome all allies in collective action. 

  • Declarers commit to telling truths by understanding and communicating how the Earth crisis has arisen from historic and deeply rooted injustices, the impacts of this on human and biodiverse communities, and how transformative solutions must be driven by justice and honour the perspectives of those most affected. 
  • Declarers commit to taking care in all we do to eliminate all forms of oppression from all aspects of our work and seek to create an environment where we dismantle attitudes and biases that hinder positive relationships and progress. 
  • Declarers commit to transforming harmful systems and, in doing so, value the diversity of all lived experiences and cultural perspectives, including those of more-than-human beings. Our change-making strategies and actions must draw on indigenous wisdom and biodiverse living systems.