Emma Underhill, founder of UP Projects, on using art to highlight climate change

I believe that art should be experienced beyond galleries and integrated into daily life. It has the power to connect with diverse audiences – adding beauty and intrigue to a place, encouraging a heightened awareness of topics or issues.

Importantly, it can also promote a shift in mindset and behaviours with the people who engage with it. With this belief, I founded UP Projects in 2002, a public art organisation committed to bringing ambitious new work by local and international artists to unexpected corners of the public realm, often working directly with the communities who live and work nearby.

As a resident of Enfield, I was proud to relocate UP Projects from central London to Enfield in 2020. We work across the borough as well as nationally. One of our core commitments is to address urgent global issues, particularly the climate crisis, which has been central to our work for many years.

Before the pandemic, I began working on an ambitious artist-led project called ‘Bodies of Water’, which responds to the urgent need for better water management in the UK and internationally. This project is especially relevant in places like south-west England, which has experienced severe drought and intense flooding since 2022.

Securing support from Arts Council England and Art Fund allowed us to commission a major public artwork by Korean/German artist Anne Duk Hee Jordan. Their work for Bodies of Water spans two locations in England: A la Ronde in Exmouth, East Devon, and Haigh Hall in Wigan, Greater Manchester. So, after over five years, I’m thrilled that the project is now open this year to audiences across the country.

Jordan’s artworks for Bodies of Water function as alternative water filtration systems to raise awareness of the cyclical nature of water in these locations, as well as draw upon mythology and storytelling.

Community engagement has been central to the project in both areas, with local residents participating in workshops led by locally-based artists Anna FC Smith and Richard Irvine. At UP Projects we always incorporate community engagement and participation into our commissions to ensure they are relevant to local audiences.

The project also includes a digital platform: bodiesofwater.site offers resources for learning, action, and coping with climate anxiety. On Thursday, 11th September, we will host a Bodies of Water symposium in Liverpool, where we’ll explore the intersection of public art, climate, and regenerative practice. Anyone interested is welcome to attend.

For more information about UP Projects:
Visit upprojects.com/bodies-of-water-symposium-regenerative-art-practice

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