In 2024, Newham Council launched a Just Transition Plan aimed at aligning climate action with social justice initiatives. Jacob Heitland, Director of Climate Action for the London Borough of Newham, pointed out a pressing issue: despite being one of the UK's lowest carbon-emitting boroughs on a per capita basis, Newham is at significant risk from flooding and extreme heat intensified by climate change.

To address these challenges, the project "Imagining Newham in a Changing Climate: GIS Mapping in the Creative Writing Classroom," funded by OSUN's Experimental Humanities Collaborative Network, was initiated by two colleagues at Birkbeck, Dr. Aideen Foley, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Geography and Dr. Steve Willey, Lecturer in Creative and Critical Writing. Together, they are leading a collaborative study that engages local educators and community leaders with three primary objectives:

1. Investigating Local Priorities: The project seeks to creatively engage with climate change in Newham, highlighting often-overlooked social and emotional dimensions.
2. Exploring Methodological Synergies: It will examine the intersection of participatory map-making and ecologically focused creative writing workshops, assessing how these approaches can enhance community engagement.
3. Empowering Educators and Leaders: The goal is to equip local educators and leaders with innovative tools to implement this mixed methodology effectively within their communities.

Through this initiative, the project explores how participatory mapping—a collective effort by community members to highlight important local features—intersects with creative writing. The project aims to illuminate the complex temporal, social, and emotional dimensions of climate change, connecting these to the lived experiences and aspirations of Newham residents.

The first phase of the project will launch on October 15, 2024, with a community-focused workshop at Sandringham Primary School. Participants will include heads of schools from the Newham Learning partnership, Andrew Kemp, Senior Climate Action Programme Manager for Newham Council, and representatives from local environmental organizations like Ashok’s Vision International and Newham Woodcraft Folk.

Phase two will facilitate a knowledge exchange, both in-person and online, allowing faculty and students from OSUN to explore participatory mapping techniques while understanding the creative possibilities of integrating map-making with climate justice efforts.