Following on from the UN General Assembly's International Year of Creative Creative Industries for Sustainable Development 2021, the "Sustainability Stories" Photo and Video storytelling competition aimed to mobilise professional and amateur photographers and videographers to advocate for the Resource Nexus and sustainability. Around 150 photographers and videographers from 40 countries submitted some 400 photos and videos, along with their stories/descriptions, related to the Resource Nexus and one or more of the following themes: Agriculture, Forests, Circular Economy, Climate Change, and Biodiversity. Their work either showed the impact of one of the above areas on the Resource Nexus or vice versa, or they showed positive actions for sustainable development. The winning entries were presented in a physical exhibition at the Technische Sammlungen Dresden and in a virtual gallery.
Building on the success of engaging a growing community of audiovisual storytellers during a pandemic, Sustainability Stories 2.0 builds on the competition and the exhibition to create a lasting impact by expanding the opportunities wherethese sustainability stories can be told and shared. This project aims to bring these environmental stories from all over the world to more people in Saxony and make a significant contribution to public education for sustainable development by allowing the touching images to physically travel to different places in Saxony.
A desired outcome is not only an increased awareness of sustainability issues from the perspective of the respective issues, but also the mobilisation of civil society action, to act for the planet.
