As part of the 2009 Nobel Laureate Symposium on climate change, the gala cultural evening, entitled Sculpting Our History, sought to explore the role of the arts, creativity and leadership in confronting the climate challenge. 150 eminent leaders from the fields of the arts, business, science, academia, civil society and the public sector joined together to open dialogue across disciplines on the cultural nature of this global problem. 

Inspired by artist-ecologist Joseph Beuys’ expanded conception of art, in which he saw society as a work of art to which each individual, through their inherent creative and transformative power, could contribute to shaping, moulding and ‘sculpting’, this evening asked the question, "How does seeing as an artist change our worldview?" If, "everyone is an artist, capable of social sculpture…of moulding and shaping the world in which we live", as Beuys believed, then how do we in our different roles and spheres of working respond to this idea? How have the arts shaped our world in the past, and how can they do so today?

This evening also marked the launch of the Cambridge 100 Questions Project. Participants will have the opportunity to contribute to this initiative in which the Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership seeks to identify – from people across all parts of the world – the 100 most important questions our society needs to answer in order to meet the world’s most pressing challenges.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Cape Farewell, Candlestar, the Open University, Prix Pictet, the  RSA Arts & Ecology Programme, the Science Museum, the Social Sculpture Research Unit at Oxford Brookes University and TippingPoint for their help in developing and actualising this event.

 Gala Cultural Evening: Outline