Creative Climate Conversations at The Talking Shop Part I 4-9 March 2024
“There is evidence to show that cultural participation can contribute to social relationships, community cohesion, and/or make communities feel safer and stronger. Research has found positive links between cultural participation and improved social skills and engagement with the wider community” – ‘The Culture White Paper’, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2016
- When are where was the session held?
We held a week of Creative Climate Conversations for the opening week of the final trial of The Talking Shop model in Blackwood in Caerphilly County 4th -9th March 2024
- Approximately how many people attended? We recorded 318 visits
- How well do you feel the audience understood the issues and concepts being discussed? The majority were very familiar with the concept of climate change and the challenges we face.
- How comfortable did the audience feel in sharing their views and opinions? Very comfortable. The Talking Shop hosts and creatives introduced and facilitated the conversations. All visitors were invited to take part in a creative activity and/or to talk to us about the questions over a cup of tea.
- Answers to the Key Questions document that you must use during your event. Please see below bullet points of notes recorded in a variety of ways and direct quotes. Most of these are anonymous.
- What would you say were the main themes that came out of the discussion? Public transport and active travel were very high on people’s agendas. People want to get out of their cars (or do not have a car) and want to use public transport however as you see below the public transport in the area is unreliable, irregular, infrequent, costly and not timetabled to meet the needs of citizens. People talked to us about the bus service alot (there is no train station in Blackwood) and that the timetable made it very difficult to coincide with doctors appointments and impossible to use for evening social events. The public transport offer in the area by regular users was considered ‘poor, appalling and rubbish”. Much was talked about the fact that the bus service is run by a private company. The lack of public toilets has come up a lot in the shop also and this was regularly linked to public transport and climate ie you won’t get out of your car and use public transport if there is no working/open public toilet at the bus station.
Walking and cycling – were probably second highest and the fact that people didn’t feel safe to walk and cycle was a recurring theme. People who were determined to walk or cycle to work or with their children to school talked about how difficult this was to achieve
Less conversation and a little more action – was also a main theme. The majority of visitors accepted that radical change was needed and that this needed to occur swiftly and that leadership and action from those elected at all levels needed to occur whilst keeping citizens in the loop and consulted. There was also a recurring theme of the need for all generations to be involved.
- Were there any specific messages that participants want to share with Welsh Government in relation to the discussions held?
Being heard – There was an overriding theme, which we are finding in all Talking Shops, of people not feeling heard and listened to and forgotten. All visitors were very happy to talk about these issues and very happy that this report was going to be written and sent. The idea that they could contribute and influence and help shape things was very positive for everyone we spoke to. The 20 mph limit came up several times and was referred to as an example of a top down policy and not taking people with you on the journey of how that decision was reached
Creativity – using creative approaches to democratic deliberation in this example was extremely successful with very positive feedback. We contracted a different creative for every day. The response was very positive and whilst the take up was low for the first couple of days the visitor numbers steadily increased every day as word got out and our social media driven by The Democracy Box young co-creators began to penetrate
Facilitation – was cited, along with creative approaches and the set up and ambiance, design and ethos of The Talking Shop as key to the success of these Creative Climate Conversations and in bringing together of people of all ages and all backgrounds
- Please add any additional feedback, thoughts or suggestions that may be beneficial for anyone interested in holding similar sessions or discussions in the future.
The Creative Climate Conversations were held inside the final trial of The Talking Shop which is taking place in Blackwood from March 2 – June 1 2024.
We programmed the following creative activities using the key questions
Monday 4th Fairy Garden Planting and Lantern making
Tuesday 5th Songwriting in response to Climate Change
Wednesday 6th Creative Journaling in response to Climate Change
Thursday 7th Weaving Crafts using recycled and foraged materials
Friday 8th Clay pot painting
Saturday 9th Tote bag making using old t-shirts
Please see @thedemocracybox on twitter, TikTok and instagram and @omidazeproductions and @thetallkingshop on Facebook for full coverage of the week
Omidaze would strongly recommend that Welsh Government ministers read The Democracy Box report Beyond the Ballot Box in full. We would like to draw your attention particularly to recommendation 5 of the report which states
“That The Talking Shop model (including The Talking Shop on Tour) should be funded and delivered in each location by multiple local and national stakeholders whose remits include democratic and/or cultural engagement, participation, consultation, opportunities and services. A core government grant should be made available to match fund any town wishing to host a Talking Shop. The Talking Shop model should be used to complement and support existing models such as citizens’ assemblies and citizens’ panels.”
The Talking Shop model has been proven as successful with nearly 9000 recorded visits to the Cardiff, Newport and Merthyr trials in 2022-23 and 100% positive feedback. This final trial is allowing Yvonne Murphy/Omidaze Productions to finish blueprinting the model which could then be replicated in any town and would provide an ongoing space for democratic conversation, information and deliberation using creative approaches.
Highlights of responses to key questions
- What is public transport like in your area?
“Trains are always late and cancelled, can’t predict the availability of transport”
– Leo,16
“Transport can be really unreliable” – Brooke, 15
“Normally you get there 10 minutes early and the bus is half an hour late.”
“Buses are unreliable”
“StageCoach app is rubbish”
“Buses are unreliable. They don’t turn up on time or come frequently enough”
“Terrible. Changes the times of the buses. Used to be better. Last bus used to be later, now it’s 6pm. Need more buses from Blackwood to Caerphilly to allow people to get out. Better for mental health.”
“Need free buses for everyone”
“Public transport here is brilliant compared to France where there is one bus a day”
“Public transport is appalling”
- Poor. Buses to Cardiff only once an hour, more buses to Newport
- No buses back to Pontllanfraith after 5pm. Problematic for a pensioner coming down to Blackwood for a pint
- Public transport should be free or reduced for everyone
- Public transport needs to be reliable if we are going to encourage people to use it
- Need open and free public toilets if we are going to encourage people to use public transport (Public toilet by bus station costs 50p and has been closed for ages. Need disabled toilets and baby changing facilities
- Rubbish. Can’t follow the bus timetable on the app. Buses unreliable and app is poor
- Bus passes at 65 do not need to be universal, a waste of money, not everyone needs one. (Means assessed?)
- Car users don’t care about bus service which is part of the problem
- Chicken and egg – people won’t get out of their cars until public transport is sorted. Public transport won’t get sorted unless there is more demand
- Local councillors met to discuss people about getting buses back but resulted in no action
- Cost of public transport is prohibitive
- Public transport needs to be run not for profit
- I bus every hour – can’t guarantee it as sometimes buses don’t turn up. Feels unreliable
- Congestion pretty bad and public transport pretty limited in Blackwood
- Bus system doesn’t work. Regularly late and standards lower BUT drivers are serving those with additional needs well and helping/ensuring accessibility.
- Infrequent and expensive
- Travel info is not easily found
- Buses are too infrequent for hospital/doctors appointments
- Bus users UK – no longer have a local representative
- Transport should not be for profit. Nationalisation of buses.
- Buses taken off route for school pick ups/drop off times
- Congestion is pretty bad-public transport
- To Blackwood very limited
- Doesn’t feel safe to cycle on roads- Drivers drive too close
- Public transport is not too bad. It’s on the hour every half an hour
- Congestion is pretty bad in Blackwood- poor public transport options
- What are the cycle and walking routes like in your area?
- OK depending on where you live
- Why do people take their car everywhere?
- How can we encourage parents to leave their car at home when dropping children to school?
- No footpath from bus station to the library in Blackwood. Dangerous to cross.
- More resources needed to enforce pedestrian trials. Ie police only have powers to enforce but public largely ignoring this
- No cycle route. Really dangerous. 1 mile to school and really dangerous. No safe crossing. No lollipop lady. We were told “Why did you move here if you didn’t want to drive”
- No active travel infrastructure
- Council response is usually defensive and personally offended when challenged on this
- No pavements in Penllwyn
- Dangerous to cycle
- Cars parking on pavements and obstructing pavements/pathways is a real problem. Who is responsible for this?
- Doesn’t feel safe to cycle around on roads. Drivers are too close.
- Only pavements
- No pavement in some areas
- It’s dangerous to cycle in Blackwood
“It is not hard to walk. It is not hard to cycle. Why take your car?”
“I think we have a thriving cycle community.”
“Cycle paths we do have are really good. They are good for getting out for the day. Not necessarily for going to work.”
“I would like to see a cycle path built into the infrastructure of the town.”
“They’ve built a new cycle route in nant y Bwlch. Trefal – a lovely area. When it was on TV lots of people came to the area. You’d see lots of people with backpacks. It was nice”
“Bike routes are appalling or don’t even exist.”
- How do we involve everyone in conversions and decisions about climate change?
“More opportunities like The Talking Shop to get young people involved in important issues. Fun activities help to spark interest. “ – Leo 16
“I think it’s important for people to have more opportunities to learn and discuss topics like climate change.” – Brooke 15
- Public consultations
- Interactive TV
- Live surveys one off and monthly
- Facilitation
- Voluntary and paid action
- Need face to face consultation and conversation
- Everyone doesn’t need to be involved practically but do need the opportunity to understand what’s happening and be informed
- Anti-wind farms activist gave up campaign information and said that coal tips were put at further risk because of wind farm building and that water access or the farm was cut off by wind farm building with building companies offering water stacks as replacements. Problem of council consultation only online via zoom which meant many older people were unable to take part
- People don’t know who to get hold of and who is responsible for what
- People need to see action and follow up after consultation. Need to close the feedback loop
- Nothing needs to be 100% better tomorrow, but 1% better today. Rome was not built in a day.
- Stop focusing on doom and gloom. We know it is happening, solutions not problems.
- By being inclusive
- The Talking Shop! Open door policy, having debates not arguments, open conversation to change minds.
- Don’t persecute us for trying.
- Videos, Graphics, Audio, Large prints
- By getting young people interested in nature, show them the harms of littering and teaching them to recycle.
- How the older generation did things- Make do and mend.
- Emphasise the importance of different opinions
“Trying to force the issue of climate change, people don’t have a choice in the matter. MPs/MSs force positions upon the public without there being a debate.”
- Who do you think should be involved in making decisions about what we need to do to tackle climate change?
“I think everyone should be able to give their opinion on climate change but the opinions who are the most important are the youths as they have to live through the changes.” – Leo 16 years old
- Engineers in conversation with young people and climate activists
- Young and old working together
- Invent cleaner air, understand how iron, chemicals, waste and nuclear waste works.
- Junior Schools “Brains are switched on and tune their brains with real facts about climate and the world. Fresh brains”
- We should be caretakers on this planet, but caretakers do a good job, we don’t.
- How could/should transport change in 10-30 years?
“Stop talking, start walking”
“Hopefully public transport will become a more prominent and effective form of transport.”
- Look at where it is working ie where it’s frequently being used, high percentage of population and investment. You have to invest in services, pay people enough and have more training to shape this.
Once the decision has been made to invest:
- Regularity
- Ease of access- getting on and navigating the journey
- Affordability
- Reliability
- Pleasant to use
- Investment in green vehicles- be interesting to see what the carbon footprint is of electric vehicle productions/ installations is compared to diesel etc.
- How do we reduce emissions?
“Stop saying reduce emissions. Instead say “phase out fossil fuels.” Otherwise it suggests that there is another way to reduce emissions”
Ref Dr Genevieve Gunter – The Climate Science Projects
- Cars being currently built need to be environmentally friendly
- One visitor talked about having had an electric car but app (connect curb) for public charging points was not great. Installed a charging point at home
- How do people in terrace houses charge their electric cars?
- Government should install charging points if people convert to electric cars
- Go local- stop/reduce air miles
- Make public transport more convenient
- Make driving less convenient
- We need to encourage people to adopt a brave new world
“We stop driving and use more of the public transport available to reduce carbon emissions”
“I live on the main Aberbargoed main road. I think the 20mph has made the congestion fumes worse. You can’t cross the road half the time. Turn the bypass back, you name it, it’s coming through the village. Traffic is bad. Fumes are bad. Public transport is bad.”
- How do we tackle climate change fairly for everyone?
“A concern is the next generation will hold a burden that they never asked for – so we have to prepare them.”
- Huge levels of consumption by corporations. Need to focus less on individuals and more on companies
- Higher corporation taxes
- Should be taxing aviation fuel not coach fuel which targets the poorest
- Those in power need to lead by example
- Need to see the rich changing their behaviour.
- Target frequent flyers not people who fly once a year at most
- We need to think and act radically. Think local in terms of sustainable food production for example.
- Cut energy prices
- How do you think businesses in your community will change and what will jobs and skills look like in the future?
“Blackwood has lots of shops and is not a clone town – that is a good thing.”
- Too many shops for nails/vaping/sunbeds/tattoos
- Nothing here, it’s gone down hill.
- Need more things like this (The Talking Shop)
- Need this (The Talking Shop) to be permanent
- How would you improve community business?
- Lower rates of pay/start up scheme ‘Building businesses’
1st year= pay ¾
2nd year= pay ½
3rd year= pay full
Or over a 15 year period=5 year payments
“This work evidences that one of the best ways to ensure all generations understand and engage in our democracy is to place young people and professional creatives front and centre of any information campaigns about our Welsh and UK democracy. Creatives and creative approaches can help us work out ways to make democracy relevant, so that everyone understands that it affects their lives and the things that matter to them most. To do this successfully, we must address the problem regarding the status of the arts, culture and creative sector in the UK. “ Yvonne Murphy The Democracy Box Report Beyond The Ballot Box
- What opportunities are there (or should there be) for you to be involved?
“I would like to buy from reusable/refill shops. That’s how I could help.”
- Community gardens
Q How do we ensure better places to live and work?
“There is so much penny pinching going on in this world. We spend too much on finding the answers and not on working solutions” (ie talking and not doing)
“Smaller housing associations had spaces like this (The Talking Shop) – tennants houses where we would all combine (share resources). It built a community and made a difference. Everyone feeling that they belong. That has gone now.”
Q How affordable is it to ensure your house and community are warm and comfortable?
- Use recycled materials e.g plastic. Wool for insulation. Old tyres for insulation and flooring
- Robert in his 80s has a property still operating off oil. Huge expense associated with switching to gas. One house in the street was quoted 10k. We need turbines to generate electricity and homes need adapting. Local and Welsh government need to be responsible for cost
Q How do you think the industries and businesses in your community will change and what will the jobs and skills look like in the future?
- Reusable products readily available on the High Street
Additional comments
“Recycle everything. Look at the German model of recycling and sustainability”
“Recycle everything and not just the parts that are commercially viable.”
“We spend too much time worrying ourselves that we become too stressed to begin. Stopping the worry is harder than starting the solution”
“Litter is an issue. It’s not the best for the town”
“They (Welsh Government) just want it to seem like they care about you but they already know what they are going to do”
“There needs to be the political will to tackle climate change.”
“I don’t think the community is listened to.”
“Public toilets should be statutory”
“Climate change requires change to affect it.”
“There is no industry in our valleys. It’s all gone.”
“Bargoed is like a village. Aberbargoed is worse”
“A slow roll/role (sp?) brought people back into the area. They said a slow role had a positive effect, an enhanced effect in bringing families back into Detroit. A ‘slow roll’ is any mode of transport which has a wheel or wheels” (e.g bike, scooter, roller skates)
“20 mph putting people off voting/affecting votes and overshadowing everything and putting a bad light on the Welsh Government.”
“Older generation always used to ‘make do and mend’”
“Pedestrianising the High Street, a bowling alley, promises are not kept.”
“We can not keep consuming our planet’s natured resources without consequence. Political party allegiance will not matter to mother nature’s destruction of our home. We as a society need to collectively unite with the adoption of new technologies surrounding our everyday creative comforts. I believe ‘Hydrogen’ is the Noah’s Ark of clean, reusable, safe resource for humankind’s next century of habitation of this planet. “ – Dominic Walker
The Talking Shop Background Information.
The Talking Shop was piloted in Cardiff in 2019 in an empty shop opposite Cardiff Castle. Visitors repeatedly asked if Talking Shop hosts could show them, on their phone, digital content that would simply and succinctly explain our UK democracy in the way the hosts had. These recurring requests led to this research and development project and the creation of The Democracy Box.
During the course of the Democracy Box research, young people, old people and everyone in between said, as well as digital public information and democratic information in schools, they wanted face-to-face information, signposting, interaction and dialogue. Our research came full circle back to The Talking Shop where it began.
The Talking Shop is a shop that sells nothing and where ideas, information, conversation are free. And so is the tea. It’s an open and safe space for the public and creatives to come together to inform themselves as citizens and collide, converse, connect, collude and create.
Inside The Talking Shop, you will now find the Democracy Box story in takeaway booklets and via digital content on screens, headphones and QR codes. Trained hosts (including young co-creators) introduce the public to The Democracy Box story and content, signpost democratic and cultural information, and facilitate democratic conversation and deliberation using creative approaches.
The Talking Shop provides a platform for civic engagement, democratic debate and creative approaches to democratic deliberation. The Talking Shop is being trialled in towns across Wales, as Omidaze work out how to replicate that kitchen or dining room table experience for everyone in any town or city.
The model has now been trialled successfully in Cardiff, Newport and Merthyr Tydfil in 2022 and 2023 and has recorded nearly 9,000 visits with no dedicated marketing budget. The visitors range in age from six months to 96 years old and include all socio/economic demographics, with a high percentage of young people aged 16 to 30. Visitors represent the full spectrum of democratic engagement, from self-declared non-engagement to highly engaged citizens.
Visitors have told us a story about what we have lost: our public spaces to gather and connect, debate, converse and deliberate – public spaces that can provide us with civic information and democratic education. Everyone contributes to and helps curate the shop. A programme of creative participatory activities hosted by Omidaze, collaborating organisations and freelance creatives act as engagement tools and creative approaches to democratic deliberation.
The Talking Shop’s creative sessions and approaches to deliberative democracy include a wide variety of creative sessions and workshops, designed and facilitated by professional freelance creatives. To date Omidaze have programmed arts and crafts, bunting making, collaging (individual and collective), stone painting, journaling, origami, knitting, crocheting, podcasting, creative writing, paper lantern making, graffiti, Christmas crafts, wreath making, clay modelling, pompom making, poetry writing, illustration, zine making, music, dance, drama and spoken word. Various creative activities are also available in the shop every day, including arts and crafts, games, jigsaws and books. All have proved successful in helping to bring people into the shop and engage people in conversation, including visitors who may not otherwise have entered the shop, and in giving structure to the conversations and democratic deliberation.
Creating structured and programmed creative activities to increase democratic and cultural engagement and participation and facilitate deliberative democracy is a key priority for Omidaze and the future potential of The Talking Shop model. The Talking Shop prototyping will be complete by the end of 2024. The final stage is to trial one more site in Ba;ckwood and create and test the accompanying ‘Talking Shop on Tour’ concept.
These final trials will allow Omidaze to explore:
- How to make the conversations fully bilingual
- How to structure the creative conversations and democratic deliberations further. 3. How to feed outcomes of these deliberations into our democratic system and structures which, if successful, has the potential to help bridge the existing divide between activism and our current constitutional mechanisms.
- How multiple stakeholders can come together to invest in and benefit from a long-term or even permanent Talking Shop in any town or city.
- How The Talking Shop on Tour model can reach those unable to access a fixed town/city centre site, as well as being an engagement tool to that site.
The Talking Shop information and reports
Information on The Talking Shop
The Talking Shop 2019 pilot report
The Talking Shop Trials 2022-23 Summary of emerging themes
The Talking Shop trailers and explainer videos
The Talking Shop explainer film 2022
Video of The Newport Talking Shop made by Newport Youth Council
Cares Family/Multiplier The Talking Shop 2022 Cardiff Film
Cardiff & Newport Talking Shops 2022 Full length
Cardiff & Newport Talking Shops 2022 short