Advocacy

Over the last years, TBA21 has increasingly assumed an articulated advocacy approach. TBA21 understands advocacy as a form of infrastructural work within critical political decision-making process: the slow, collective construction of the political, legal, financial and cultural conditions to enable a peaceful and sustainable future for all kinds.  To this end, TBA21 advocacy mainly operated by bringing artist and creative practices in critical policy spaces through a transdisciplinary, complex systemic and collaborative approach, means contextualizing the same approach that TBA21 uses outside the policy sphere and understanding the construction of a peaceful and sustainable future for all kind as a political action, of which formal governance and policy processes are just an aspect, even if fundamental.

TBA21 directly engages with both global and European policy processes, supporting experimental and precautionary approaches to ocean governance, and contributing to the articulation of new legal, cultural, and political frameworks for more just and regenerative ocean futures. This includes sustained engagement within multilateral policy processes such as the International Seabed Authority, where TBA21 operates as a permanent observer, integrating research-based artistic practices into policy deliberations alongside legal and policy expertise, and working to reframe the deep sea as a vulnerable, more-than-human commons. At the European Union level, TBA21 operates in relevant policy frameworks such as the forthcoming EU Ocean Act and key initiatives as the New European Bauhaus by positioning art and creative practices as essential components of evidence-informed decision-making and societal engagement. Finally, TBA21 advocacy work leverages the global impact starting from a local action and engaging directly with the local communities where the Foundation operates: Venice, Portland, Madrid.

The Alligator Head Foundation (AHF), TBA21’s sister organization in Portland, Jamaica, works at the intersection of science, art, and community to protect fish stocks, restore habitats, and regenerate local economies. Through a community-driven approach, AHF advances research-into-practice grounded in convivial conservation and the principles of a regenerative blue commons, combining applied marine science with long-term engagement with fishing, farming, and community-based sectors. The Foundation identifies and implements innovative solutions that strengthen ecosystem resilience and climate adaptation across local, national, and global policy contexts. Through this integrated model and as part of the Convivial Bioscape Living Lab, AHF is emerging as a lighthouse example of inclusive, community-rooted ocean stewardship in the Caribbean and beyond, contributing to transformative biodiversity agendas towards 2030 and beyond.

TBA21 calls on policymakers, international organizations, and civil society to embrace the transformative potential of art and culture in shaping public policy. We advocate for governance structures that acknowledge the interconnectedness of all life forms, integrate diverse knowledge systems, and harness the power of artistic practice to inspire action.

By redefining the role of art in governance, we can create policy frameworks that are not only scientifically sound but also emotionally resonant, culturally inclusive, and regenerative for both human and non-human communities.

TBA21 stands ready to collaborate with governments, multilateral institutions, and civil society to implement these recommendations and co-create a future where art is central to policy and planetary well-being.