'Art and Activism: The Aberdeen Climate9 jury trial' watch video

March 3rd 2009, a group of climate change activists called Climate9 closed down Aberdeen airport, causing flights to be cancelled and preventing an estimated 100 tonnes of dangerous greenhouse gases from reaching the atmosphere. They were subsequently tried for Vandalism and Breach of the Peace in June 2010.

Climate9 discuss their activism, the trial, and the role of the artist as a creator of narratives within a political landscape. They also touch on the use of military tactics and technologies by Climate9 and other activist groups.

Climate9 describe their actions as "breaking the law to prevent the greater crime of committing ourselves to irreversible climate change." Of the trial, "We used the jury trial as an opportunity to justify our actions, and to ask questions of a legal system that gives protection to climate criminals whilst threatening climate defenders with prison."

Representing Climate9:

Tilly Gifford 26, graduated from GSA in 2010. Following her experiences of jam-making in France, community organising in Clydebank, and craft work in rural India, she has been organising with Plane Stupid for the last couple of years. Interested in creating new narratives and imagery to communicate climate change, she also hopes to continue making ceramic sculpture in Glasgow.

Kate Mackay 21, was born in Yorkshire, and is currently studying photography at the Glasgow School of Art, and is interested in combining visual arts with environmental concerns.  In 2009 she lived and worked on a protest site in Belgium with her dog Kali.

Josie Hanson 25, is originally from a farming community in Devon, where the effects of climate change are already being felt. "All of the ever fast increasing changes I've witnessed fill me with fear that the impact of our decadent way of life will be far more detrimental to future generations than we could have predicted". Josie currently works in Glasgow.

Johnny Agnew 23, lives and works in Glasgow, and is studying for a Masters in Wildlife Conservation. The rest of his time is spent working towards environmental sustainability and challenging big polluters with groups such as Plane Stupid.

The Wednesday Event at the Glasgow School of Art is a series of informal lectures, screenings, panel discussions and pecha kuchas, organised primarily by Cultural Engagement and Exhibitions, with input from the rest of the school.  Designed to be cross-school, cross-platform and cross-disciplinary, some of them might even make you cross!