LIVE + BREATHE
We are South London’s artists, activists, influencers, and creatives, united for clean air. LIVE + BREATHE invites you to celebrate your area whilst supporting leading organisations within your communities to use an arts-led approach to advocate for climate action, racial and social justice.
Our approach has seen us feature on ITV London News, BBC Radio London, BBC Radio 4, at The O2 as invited by Billie Eilish. Our team have also been invited to present LIVE + BREATHE’s work to conferences in major European capitals and as far afield as New York City, Mexico and Colombia.
It is also a source of pride that we have enabled grassroots activists to have their creative clean air advocacy shown in London’s leading cultural venues, from the Southbank Centre, to Kew Gardens to the Royal Ballet and Opera.
Why Clean Air for London?
•Invisible Issue
Air pollution is the silent killer. Lambeth and Southwark have some of the worst levels in London, putting skaters, cyclists, runners, and commuters at risk.
•Health Issue
Dirty air causes asthma, heart attacks, and long-term health issues. Communities of colour, like those in South London, are hit hardest.
•Justice Issue
Air pollution is a social justice issue. Everyone deserves clean air. We unite to demand change and protect our right to breathe freely.
What we do
•Our mission
To inspire, involve and advocate for a just and joyful future where we all enjoy our community, creativity and activities – and live and breathe freely.
•How we work
We collaborate as partners to plan and create art, culture and activities that involve our communities in moments of advocacy and education.
•Our demands
We ensure that underrepresented voices are heard by those democratically elected, be it at local, regional or national level.
Advocacy Areas
As a community-led enterprise, we ensure that demands and advocacy areas come from those living in toxic areas and with highest exposures in their daily lives. We advocate for the term ‘living experience’, as toxic air in London breaches World Health Organisation levels on a current basis, not in the past tense as the phrase ‘lived experience’ might imply.
We work with clinicians and academics from Imperial College London, Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospital, Queen Mary University London and others, to ensure evidenced information is disseminated to the community. Furthermore, where appropriate, we lend our voices in coalition with campaigns that push for clean air measures, such as those of Asthma + Lung UK, Global Action Plan and Clean Cities.
We currently have two live advocacy focus areas:
GREEN SPACE
Equity + Provision
We demand more and better green spaces, where we can access the clean air outdoor. The privatisation and corporatisation of publicly-owned land should not be happening.
Parklets + Garden Streets
More resources should be directed towards communities that lack access to green spaces, transforming under-utilised spaces and school streets where young people will benefit.
Trees in urban areas
We want more and diverse trees planted across London to restore our city’s biodiversity, improve air quality and to fight the effects of climate change on our neighbourhoods.
Access Rights
The community’s and especially young people’s right to access green spaces must not be sacrificed under the guise of tackling antisocial behaviour, preserving aesthetics or prioritising car access.
Maintenance + Safety
We stand against threats to close our green spaces and urge local authorities to ensure our green spaces are well maintained.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Free Buses
If it’s good enough for New York, it’s good enough for London. No longer must we put up with neoliberalism-enforced austerity. Free buses are good for the economy as it will enable people to get to school, work and recreational activities more affordably, revitalising our cities and high streets.
Quality + Provision
We demand better and affordable transport, where no matter where or who we are – we can get where we need to go easily, without relying on cars.
Affordability
We need investment in buses, trains and trams to ensure that public transport is always the most convenient and most affordable way to travel around London.
Accessibility
Our infrastructure and roads need to be adapted to prioritise the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and wheelchair users, and to ensure that active travel remains accessible to everyone.
Active Travel
Our high streets should be pedestrian friendly and prioritise people over cars. Creating car-free school streets means young people can thrive without being impacted by air pollution.
All measures should be carried out with public engagement and where changes must be made to lifestyle, support measures must be added too.
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LIVE + BREATHE is supported by Impact on Urban Health.
