Four Corners 2009   22nd – 29th July
Four Corners at the Bluecoat is a week of FREE environmental events for all ages including hands on exhibitions, performances, films, advice, information, practical living workshops, family art activities and food.
As part of these events we are looking for someone who can be the Four Corners Doctor in residence, Dr Carbon

Who is Dr Carbon?
Dr Carbon is an expert in offering innovative ideas and advice on how to reduce your carbon footprint. S/He does this by working with you and taking the lead from you to examine your life and finding ways of enhancing your life experiences by reducing your carbon consumption. S/He has a friendly creative and positive approach to exploring with you how this is possible…for example you may look together at elements of household carbon use/your use of transport/food/ or leisure to benefit you and the planet.  You choose whether you would like to choose looking at a day in the week – ie what your family does on a Saturday and how your impact on this day may be reduced or target a particular element of your lifestyle eg the food you consume.  Dr Carbon will give you a stepped range of options: ‘fast track’ to ‘slowly does it’ depending on the adjustments you feel ready to make.  After your consultation Dr Carbon will give you a prescription for change which you can keep and refer to and use to inspire you in your new carbon reduced lifestyle.  Dr Carbon is keen to emphasise how most carbon reductions aren’t about giving things up but can have a positive impact on you and your quality of life

Dr Carbon’s Shed
Dr Carbon will give his/her consultation from a shed that will be decorated with images, colourful graphics and graphs giving basic information about where you can make carbon savings and intriguing carbon facts. S/He also has a row of glass bottles filled with oil – the major part of our fossil fuel impact comes from oil – so our fossil fuel addiction can be made manifest.  S/He may have other instruments, gauges and substances – perhaps relating to the origins of fossil fuels -  like an old fashioned apothecary.

Dr Carbon’s experience
Dr Carbon needs to have detailed knowledge and understanding of carbon footprinting techniques as well as a creative and engaging way of communicating the issues and dealing with each client on a case by case basis.  S/He needs to be able to be flexible in his approach and assess with the client what each person is really capable and motivated to achieve rather than offering a blanket set of figures and recommendations ie the ‘prescription’ will be homeopathic, tailored to the individual opportunity offered up by each client.  These recommendations can be broad and aim to encourage reflection and inspire change in the short and the longer term.  The idea being that by having a ‘carbon consultation’ specifically aimed at you – you may be more inclined to make the changes that you feel are possible within your own life.

Are you our Dr Carbon?
Dr Carbon is either someone who has done public engagement work around foot print methods/carbon audits and is willing to explore this creative (and fun!) way of working. In this case an artist will be commissioned to help create Dr Carbon’s Shed working alongside Dr Carbon as well as design the prescription document as something that people will want to keep, or Dr Carbon is an artist with in depth experience of carbon foot print methods (or willing to undertake training in this area). If you are an artist interested in creating the working environment and prescription document for Dr Carbon we’d like to hear from you.
There will be a small commission fee available for Dr Carbon

If you are interested please send an email asap to Anne Marie Culhane mail@amculhane.co.uk outlining why you think you might be the Dr Carbon we are looking for or call her for a chat on 07849073394/01566782148 We would like to meet those interested in being Dr Carbon on Tuesday 16th or Wednesday 17h June 

www.encounters-arts.org.uk