Climate change is a major theme running through this year’s Sydney, Perth and Adelaide Festivals. Meanwhile, the artistic directors face tough questions about their carbon footprint. Steve Dow chats to performance artists and festival directors about climate action and how the arts can drive change.

A performance on board the Arka Kinari, which will sail into Sydney for the Sydney Festival. Photo © Hibatul Hakim

Sailing into Sydney Harbour this summer, an upcycled, 70-tonne, two-masted vessel built in 1947 for fishing will yield “culture as cargo”. Among the seven multinational crew will be Los Angeles-born electronic composer Grey Filastine and the Malang, Java-born musician and singer Nova Ruth, whose speciality is melodic post-folk. The pair live on board the steel-hulled schooner, relying on solar energy and...