Vive le planet! Climate activists in Shrewsbury use French connection in latest events

Shrewsbury residents are being invited to the latest in a series of climate ‘fresks’ on Saturday, February 10 at Castlefields Community Centre from 10am to 1pm.

First launched in France in 2018, the fresks are community workshops where local people can learn more about the climate and nature crisis and think collaboratively about the solutions.

The "fun yet informative" sessions centre on a series of cards that participants use to create a collage or fresco (‘fresk’) of pictures while learning about cutting edge climate science. The initiative has spread to over 156 countries internationally and has recently seen a rise in popularity in the UK.

Sarah Clayton, one of the co-ordinators behind the Shrewsbury events, said: "When we started the fresks, we had no idea they’d be so popular. We were flooded with requests and bookings! People love the way these workshops make something as scary and huge as the climate crisis seem more manageable. There’s no politics involved, and you learn lots from doing them.

"Plus, there’s something very playful about the cards the fresks are designed around. They free your brain up to think about things in a more collaborative and out-of-the-box kind of way. Best of all is how the fresks bring local people together. We’ve seen some amazing collaborations growing out of the fresks, as Shrewsbury residents swap ideas and come up with plans about how to tackle the crisis locally."

Since September there have been 12 climate and biodiversity fresks in Shrewsbury, with more planned. Local organisations including Shrewsbury Town Council, The Hive, the United Reformed Church and Shrewsbury Museum & Archive have all requested the hands-on sessions for staff. They join over 21,000 people across the UK who’ve taken part.

With demand growing locally, Sarah and her fellow coordinator Clare Bear from Shrewsbury not-for-profit Lovelyland have been looking into ways to roll out the scheme across Shropshire for both individuals and workplaces. They are now training facilitators to run the workshops across the county.

Sarah added: "In France, where the climate fresks started, people consider getting involved in them as part of being a good citizen. Being informed about the crisis, and what we can do to solve it, is something everyone needs to do. As we saw with the recent floods, the crisis is already on our doorsteps here in Shrewsbury. Participants leave these fresks armed with new knowledge, new connections, and a desire to change the world. It’s people power!"

Shrewsbury fresks can be booked at lovelyland.co.uk/events.