EarthXR to Program Interactive Experiences for Inaugural Online ARTS x SDGS Festival

EarthXR, the interactive branch of the Dallas-based environmental EarthxFilm festival, has partnered with the first ARTS x SDGS Festival to curate and sponsor a program of immersive content and conversations online. Aligned with World Creativity and Innovation Week, the festival powered by Create2030 will be virtually accessible to festival pass holders from April 15th-21st through a private Vimeo platform. ARTS x SDGS strives to engage the growing creative economy to achieve the UN-led 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a 15-year blueprint of our rights and responsibilities for living on this planet by 2030.

The festival is founded and curated by Emmy-winning filmmaker, WHO/UN arts curator and EarthXR advisor Lisa Russell, who boasts 15+ years producing films and curating arts initiatives at the UN. 

“Artists are some of our world’s greatest creative thinkers, so why not give us a seat at the table with policy makers to create solutions to some of our world’s biggest problems?” asks Lisa.

Interactive experience highlights and speakers thus far include: 'Wild Immersion endorsed by Jane Goodall' with director Adrien Moisson; 'Arcadia Earth' with Experiential Artist Valentino Vettori; The Outlaw Ocean Music Project, created by NYTimes Best Seller Ian Urbina; 'Blood Memory XR' co-director Stina Hamlin, co-founder of STATE of Mind Media and director of post production at East Coast Digital, Inc.; South Sudanese artist, storyteller, musician and 'War Child' documentary subject Emmanuel Jal; Oceanic Global; and 'Akashinga' (“The Brave Ones”), an all-female anti-poaching force established by the International Anti-Poaching Foundation (IAPF).

The program will also feature live webinar panels with UN/NGO experts, academics and professional artists, emphasizing the SDGs, arts and education. Creative workshops and arts showcases will present films, music videos, poetry, beatboxing and theater. EarthXR has curated several panels and experiences demonstrating how AR, VR, MR and immersive arts can support awareness and action about environmentalism and sustainability.

The artist showcase is viewable via ticketed login throughout the entire week at the leisure of the virtual attendee. In the spirit of boosting morale during a difficult time, all 75 artists who submitted works to the festival were accepted to the showcase.

“Our XR creators use music, dance and immersive filmmaking to highlight messages critical to public health and the health of the planet,” says Tiffany Kieran, EarthXR director of XR Programming and Partnerships. “We are honoured to partner with ARTS x SDGS and the UN community to explore creative solutions for environmental justice. It’s exciting to reunite collaborators like Arcadia Earth, ARTS x SDGS, Ian Urbina’s The Outlaw Ocean Music Project  and ‘Wild Immersion endorsed by Jane Goodall’, who worked with us on EarthxFilm/EarthXR Climate Week events. We are seeing these year-round partnerships turn into impactful future creative collaborations.”

Notes Lisa: “I was determined to host the first ARTS x SDGS festival even in its virtual iteration, as the SDGs and today’s current climate are pivotal discussion points right now. I’m excited by the feedback and enthusiastic response from partners and participants like EarthXR, UN experts and more, and can’t wait to share their knowledge with the world.”

While originally slated to kick off in New York City, where the UN headquarters is located, the inaugural ARTS x SDGS festival was restructured as an online event in response to the Covid-19 epidemic, ensuring selected artists would be celebrated for their artistic contributions to the social good and earn valuable visibility and support. 

For more information on the festival, visit www.artsx.co.