CFAs: Sustaina India Fellowships 2024

The initiative is presented by Thukral and Tagra (T & T) and Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW). In the second edition, Sustaina India will support three creators over six months to realise impact-driven projects in the space of climate action and sustainability. The fellowship will culminate in a 10-14 day long exhibition in New Delhi in January/February 2025.

Objectives

• To mobilise creators to integrate decentralised climate awareness and sustainability conversations into the cultural fabric of India and beyond.
• To address the urgent need to catalyse pollinations across art, science and policy-making through annual fellowships, exhibitions and public programmes.
• To unpack the key potential of materials to tell stories of climate action and sustainability

Focus Areas

• The creators are encouraged to direct their proposal towards the idea of ‘reimagining a habitable future’ with a focus on core themes such as clean energy transition, sustainable water and food, clean air, climate resilience and circular economy.
• Energy Transition: India and the rest of the world are undergoing a significant energy transition marked by a shift towards more sustainable and low-carbon energy sources. This transition is driven by several factors (such as the need to mitigate the planetary crisis, including climate change and pollution), ensure energy security and embark on a sustainable development pathway. Beyond the systemic changes required, consumers can play their part, for example, through rooftop solar installations and switching to electric vehicles. Besides, decentralised renewable energy has huge potential to improve energy access and power livelihood solutions, especially in rural areas. There is a need to ensure the energy transition remains socially equitable and environmentally responsible.
• Sustainable Water and Food: The recent water crisis in Bangalore is the latest example of the need for more sustainable water resource management. Water scarcity and pollution are pressing challenges. Further, climate change intensifies water-related risks such as droughts and floods. Sustainable water management practices can enhance resilience to these impacts, ensuring reliable water supply for communities, agriculture, and industry. India also stands at a critical juncture in shaping the future of its food system. Sustainable agriculture practices offer a much-needed alternative to conventional input-intensive agriculture, the long-term impacts of which include degrading topsoil, declining groundwater levels and reduced biodiversity. It is also vital to ensure India’s nutrition security by diversifying the plates and shifting to more seasonal and local diets in a climate-constrained world. Water and nutritional security are imperative to maintaining a desirable quality of life.
• Clean Air: Scientific evidence about the impact of air pollution is mounting. According to the World Health Organisation, there are more than 70,000 scientific papers which show that air pollution adversely affects health. Nine out of 10 people in the world are exposed to unsafe air. Clean air might not be high on the issues of concern for Indians, but it is a silent killer. How can they bring back blue skies?
• Climate Resilience: India is highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, with eight out of ten Indians living in districts prone to cyclones, droughts, floods, heat and cold waves. The risks also extend to economic activities and critical infrastructure such as power systems, roads, bridges, buildings, airports and seaports. Building climate resilience is essential for India to effectively respond to increasing extreme weather events, protect vulnerable communities and ecosystems, and ensure sustainable development. Communities at India’s grassroots are mobilising and demonstrating scalable examples of building resilience using nature-based solutions, traditional wisdom, and technology.
• Circular Economy: It is an economic model that aims to maximise the use of resources and minimise waste by following the principles of reduce, reuse and recycle. This way, the product life cycle can be extended, and waste can be reduced to a minimum. Circularity is critical for sustainable development. The circularity of clean energy technologies and water is gaining prominence in the context of the clean energy transition and climate change.

What they offer?

• Mentorship from the curators of Sustaina, Thukral and Tagra + Srinivas Aditya Mopidevi.
• Awareness workshops led by environmental experts to understand the issues of climate and sustainability and access to resources of CEEW — one of Asia’s leading public policy think tanks.
• Production budget to each fellow of INR 1 lakh to create a new project.
• An honorarium of INR 50,000 to each fellow for their contributions.
• Opportunity to present the project at the second Sustaina India’s exhibition in New Delhi in January-February 2025.

Who can apply?

• Young and emerging creators currently residing in India.

For more information, visit Sustaina India.