‘If Not Now’ is an artist’s film produced as part of the LUNZ (Land Use for Net Zero) UKRI research programme. It combines animation with environmental documentary storytelling. The film responds to my residency at Rothamsted Research – a ‘farm platform’ that is part farm, part science living laboratory, and part data collection centre. The work at Rothamsted broadly consists of testing, experimenting and measuring the impact of different farming practices upon climate change, biodiversity soil health, emissions to water and air and food production in the UK. Ultimately, their research feeds into developing farming policies within the wider economic, political, environmental and social contexts of the UK. Important work given the impact of farming on the environment.
The film’s soundtrack is a poetic and reflective conversation between two people who ask questions without offering answers. Animated drawings of species at risk, pathogens and chemical pollutants are layered over video footage of rivers, fields and sky. The film ends with the urgency of: ‘ Are we ready to change the way we feed ourselves? If not now, then when?’
As part of the process, I delivered interactive and conversation-led workshops with a group of scientists at Rothamsted connected to a series of digital prints called ‘Print Provocations’ which I installed onsite. They ask a series of interrelated questions – often really complex multi-layered questions with no easy answers. A QR code label accompanied the prints, enabling scientists to share their thoughts and responses to the questions via a feedback form. Through this process, the prints gathered further data for the wider project. The prints will be displayed at the final LUNZ conference where stakeholders across four nations can add their thoughts and responses.
The film will be screened during events hosted by Rothamsted with farmers, landowners and the general public to start conversations about farming practices, land use, biodiversity and food security.