Response-Ability a project by Ruth Sacks Response-ability, a project by three young artists, intends to restore the colonial Joubert Park greenhouse and set up a communal gardening initiative with surrounding marginalised communities. The project will document local traditional knowledge of botany and re-imagine the space of the greenhouse to be relevant and welcoming for local communities. The artists will work with individuals, NGOs and other community initiatives. The aim of the project is to build a network for exchange, climate change resilience and food sovereignty, and aims to address issues of industrialisation, inequality and soil infertility. Food security is problematic in South Africa, which relies on an industrialised and unequal farming and distribution system. Increasing temperatures and drought deepen this crisis, with monoculture intensifying soil infertility. The government prioritises big business models aiming for quick profit, and local knowledge of biodiversity and crops is lost. Especially inhabitants of cities have little access to other means of food production, and disadvantaged communities are most affected. Repurposing the Joubert Park greenhouse, Response-Ability builds a resilient community through artistic intervention, collective gardening and knowledge sharing. In the last years South Africa has had a considerable problem with drought and shortages of water. _++Outputs++_

An online source of the artistic ‘survival’ book will be available and shared in accessible ways targeting resource poor urban residents. 100 editions. Reach: Approx. 60 books will be accessible to community centres and organizations (+-200 will read it). Remaining copies disseminated through art exhibitions, locally and internationally (+-3,000 people).

Workshop series with local farmers, community members, artists, and school-goers. Reach: This aims to be a total of 150 people.

Garden [physical site]. Reach: between 100 and 250 people in total.

Series of artist interventions. Performance, poetry, sound and organic sculptures, art-based facilitation and research methodologies. Functional communal artworks (eg. Beehives, kitchen equipment) are encouraged. Reach: 15 artists.

_++Outcomes++_

Knowledge on the use, conservation, and practices related to wild and cultivated plants is shared. Knowledge needed to climate change adaptation is captured. Evidence: Quantitative assessment of background and number of participants. Qualitative assessment through conversation and questionnaires. Visitor book.

Greenhouse will become a community center. Evidence: Record the increased number of visitors. Garden itself is photographed monthly as the growth and health of the plants is a means of measuring engagement. Whatsapp group to share local news, and information on planting and collaborations.

Resilience to climate change adaptation of the community is enhanced. Soil quality will be improved. Diversity of plants in the area will be increased by 30%. Evidence: Ask participants to stay in touch to follow the trail of where greenhouse garden plants and seeds go. End-of-year report of all achieved outcomes, survey across stakeholders and core participants. local community of Joubert Park area, Johannesburg.