“Engage now or be left behind” – Adapt on responding to the climate emergency with creativity

Josie Tucker and Richard Ashton are the founders and creatives behind Adapt, a climate club and creative studio that harnesses humour, design and contemporary culture to address the climate crisis. Their work includes partnering with other sustainable focused brands including Ocean Bottle and Ecosia.

In 2019, the duo invited 50 artists to make work that communicates the urgency of the climate emergency for a group exhibition ‘Sadness is a no gO-zone’. Another project, named Protest Gear, was inspired by the similarities between football fans and protest crowds – people gathered passionately together for the same cause. The pair worked with six artists to produce scarves with messages supporting climate change and social issues. 

Tucker and Ashton joined D&AD President Naresh Ramchandani, who is himself the founder of Do The Green Thing, for dinner to discuss their creative practice marrying communication and design with their climate agenda. They discussed how they approach collaborating with other creatives, how not to limit yourself and the simple yet effective ways emerging creatives can address issues like climate change in their work. Watch it back above.

Watch more creatives who have previously joined D&AD President Naresh Ramchandani for a chat and learn about their careers and practice.