Infrastructural Rehearsals: Creative Responses to the Green and Digital Transition

Abstract

As climate change becomes rapidly tangible governments and corporations are proposing digital infrastructure as essential for addressing social and environmental challenges, often referring to this as the twin digital and green transition. 'Infrastructural Rehearsals' aims to gain insights into how this is impacting communities and to document their responses because we believe it is important knowledge that can contribute to an equitable just transition and life affirming infrastructuring. The research project crucially addresses how in response to the increase of digital infrastructures to manage environmental transformation, communities including cultural organisers, artists, curators, environmental activists, social justice groups and digital collectives are making proposals for what we refer to as infrastructural rehearsals. These ground-up responses include digital media and design practices that model the green and digital transition through prototypes, toolkits, workshops and events. They also include actions and campaigns that focus on building alternatives through creating scenography to commune within and to collectively practice, learn and revise from. Together with communities and cultural organisers we will research how creative practices seek to sustain the future and livelihoods in the transition to a low-carbon economy. Engaging with concerns such as equality, queer futures, and anti-racism. Through inventive methods such as On-the-spot toolkits, Drop-in clinics and Infrastructuralism incident reports, we will reflect on how creative practice can contribute to the design and governance of a more equitable digital and green transition.