Event type: Festival

A free programme of short films, audio plays and podcasts by women from Liverpool and West Lancashire is launching to coincide with this year’s Earth Hour.

The 400 Parts Per Million Festival, produced by Theatre in the Rough, explores young women’s experience of the Climate Crisis – as women are statistically most likely to be affected by the impacts of climate change.

The participants have been working with climate activists, artists and scientists from around the world for the past six months to learn more about the issues. They have even found time to launch an original podcast series with guests including Springwatch’s Gillian Burke.

From a clown battling with a recycling bin, to an exploration of witchcraft and climate, their work is bold, funny and provocative.

It is free to access from Saturday 26 March by going to www.400.earth. This coincides with Earth Hour 2022, when millions of people across the world switch off their lights in support of nature and our planet.

Chris Fittock, Director of Theatre in the Rough, said: “Women are under-represented in both STEM and the arts. Yet, globally, they are the most likely to be affected by climate change. This project aims to empower young women to be the artistic and ecological leaders we need.”

Three days to shake the world: learn, discuss, debate and act to drive change. Not by 2050, not in a decade – now.

The three-day global summit was commissioned by Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram and will be held in venues across Liverpool city centre from 22 to 24 March.

Leaders such as Emilie Stephenson, Force for Good at Innocent Drinks and Hannah Cockcroft MBE, Paralympian and Small Business Advocate will showcase invaluable insights on what social changes are coming and how businesses of all shapes and sizes can respond.

As the country begins to move away from the pandemic, The Good Business Festival is focused on helping companies of every size and interest become more competitive and future-proof themselves by doing the right thing.

Kick-starting with a focus on action, day one will take audiences to unique Liverpool City Region venues, such as The British Music Experience and Liverpool Town Hall, to take a deep dive into what needs to be done to tackle the climate crisis, reduce inequalities and create sustainable cities and communities.

Among the sessions will be three futurologists from The British Academy, Deloitte and Nesta predicting the trends of tomorrow and forecasting the societal direction of the next five years, while Torus and Peel L&P will address responsible regeneration as part of Places with Purpose.

Taking place in the iconic surroundings of the Crypt at the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Liverpool Guild of Students, day two will focus on ‘what difference our money makes’ and delve into consumer insights and behaviour. The programme will see a series of sessions in which market research global leaders Ipsos UK and brands such as TRAID, thinktank Fashion Roundtable and CoGo analyse how much ethics really matter to today’s consumers, and whether the gap between what people say and what they do is shrinking or widening.

Commenting on the insights which will be discussed at the session, Kelly Beaver, CEO of Ipsos UK, said: “How important is ethics to the average consumer? While the rise and rise of brand values has been a standout trend from the emerging data of our post-pandemic world, our data also hints at a growing gap between consumer attitudes and actions on this front – especially where there is a likely financial or lifestyle trade-off.”

Health, sports, music and energy will take centre stage for a rousing third day finale at CONTENT and Hillsong. Big Pharma will explore how working together during the pandemic has helped meet global needs in record time and examine how these lessons can be transferred to solve other global problems from the climate crisis to income inequality.

The final day will also take a look at the status of the music industry and what progress is being made in the energy sector, as well as showcasing the trailblazers of tomorrow, who’ve designed state-of-the-art systems to solve a problem in the world today.

The multi-day, multi-venue, three-day city takeover also promises to shake things up with an interactive and engaging series of citywide pop-up events, arts programmes, social activities and live entertainment.

Highlights will include a film premiere of a series of short films curated by the Climate Crisis Hub and exclusive live music performances from emerging local bands.

The full social schedule will be unveiled next week.

For more information about the line-up for The Good Business Festival, including the social programme, or to register for tickets visit www.thegoodbusinessfestival.com.