BSAK ART NEWSLETTER
Welcoming Words
Art With a Purpose Pg 4
Pg 6
Pg 10
Sketchbooks Re-imagined: Sustainability at the Heart of Creative Practice
Sustainability Interview Can Art Save
The Planet?
Pg 12
Pg 14
Artists of the Month
Pg 20
WELCOMING
to the fifth edition of our art newsletter!
It is with great pleasure and excitement that we present to you this new issue, shaped by a theme that speaks not only to our present moment but also to the horizon ahead: Sustainability and its Intersections with Artistic Practices.
Sustainability refers to the continuation of a process or an activity over a long period of time without depleting resources or causing harm to the environment, society or economy. This involves meeting the needs that are presented without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. In this edition, we will be discussing the main impacts of being more sustainable through our day-to-day activities as well as through art. In a time when environmental concerns have become increasingly urgent, we turn our attention to the ways in which art can respond, adapt, and lead.
Within the pages of this publication, you will discover thought-provoking essays that give insight into the evolving relationship between sustainability and artistic practice—not only through the lens of materials or methods, but in the deeper ways art can reshape our ways of thinking, seeing, and engaging with the world. In effect, we will be featuring artists who are reshaping the landscape of creativity, while also discussing forms of pushing boundaries from using recycled material to eco-conscious processes to demonstrate how sustainability and innovation can go hand in hand with one another.
You will equally find interviews with the Head of the Sustainability Committee and the student leaders championing this vital initiative, offering insight into the collective spirit behind our school’s greener future.
Finally, we celebrate this term’s Artist of the Month award recipients, honoured in two categories: Outstanding Creativity and Most Notable Progress. Their work stands as a testament to what it means to create with both imagination and intention—art that not only moves us, but moves us forward.
Thank you for joining us in celebrating the intersection of art and sustainability. Together, let’s create a future that is as beautiful as it is responsible.
Art with a purpose:
In a world where there is an increasing concern with environmental impacts, I decided this would be a perfect subject to explore within the pages of our art journal. Art has always carried the power to reflect and inspire change, so with this in mind I wanted to probe further. In this article, I will be discussing my own journey into sustainability within the arts and how I have explored this subject. Through this investigation into experimenting with sustainable materials, ethical practices, and eco-conscious methods, I have discovered a way to balance artistic practices while equally making an indelible difference to our environment. I will also be shining a light on key artists who are at the forefront of this movement, driving and inspiring change in the art world.
Let us begin with my research into sustainability within my first art project. For the latter, I decided to explore unconventional yet peaceful oriental design themes and their connection to nature. This exploration sparked the idea to incorporate recycled elements into a couple of my pieces.Through this journey, my teacher suggested that I experiment with the method of Beachcombing within my work when gathering materials for my outcomes. Beachcombing describes a process that comprises searching for objects of interest along the seashore–be they natural or manmade–examples of this might be shells, sea glass and driftwood, or other intriguing items and repurposing them in innovative manners. However, in my case I decided it would be far more valuable to collect washed up and discarded rubbish materials that people tend to regularly discard, often polluting the beach and harming the environment. In light of the foregoing, I decided to set out to visit the nearest beach by Reem central park, in order to seek any discarded treasures. While walking along the seashore, I was not surprised to have found many pieces of eroded plastic that were lying on top and within the sand and water. When looking for objects that had potential for my art I also found it quite overwhelming and upsetting to see unwanted items to be recklessly disposed of within a natural setting. This also just showed me how extreme our impact as humans has been to our climate with our disposal of plastics and other rubbish. Furthermore, the fact that I was seeing this so close to where I live also gave me the impression that there must be a massive change within our ways.
As I kept on searching, I stumbled across some rubbish you always find on a beach, but in the end I picked all of them up and put them on my back and took them home. Once I arrived home, I washed and dried my objects in the bath as they had the odour of the sea. From my scavenge, I managed to find quite a few curled up bits of plastic, plastic string from fishing nets. However, my main find was lots of coloured plastic bottle caps, the variety of colours meant my head was already starting to wonder how I may repurpose them. Along my journey I also found many personal items too, such as hair clips and jewellery. When it came to eliminating the materials I would be using for an outcome, I disposed of my least likely to choose options into recycling. This action was quite significant in making me feel like I had at least accomplished a clean up within the area.
I actually enjoyed the entire experience and it was a rewarding way of reusing discarded materials that no one else would want to deal with. Once I gathered all my elements, I began to form an outcome piece in my head. I wanted to showcase some of the treasures found on the sea shore. I decided I would like my piece to be inspired by the wire sculpture artist Karen Akhiyan, who creates emotional sculptures from wire and gives them delicate emotional expressions and poses. I felt that his work conveys powerful messages through each piece–giving them impact–something I strived to achieve within my own work. I was also inspired by the vibrant work of the artist Yayoi Kusama, whose consistent use of bold colours influenced my decision to incorporate vivid hues into my recycled piece, in order to create a stronger visual impact.
I then began to form my piece by using an aluminium can to create a structure base, then covered it with air-drying clay. To make this base more intriguing, I began to push the coloured bottle caps into the clay to form bright polka dots around the base. While I was waiting for the work to dry, I moved onto making a wire frame that consisted of a body-like shape. However, I had the dilemma of not knowing which materials I should use to wrap the metal frame with in order to make it more human in the finished shape. I then had the bright idea to use foil that I had been collecting and saving from takeaways. This proved to be a perfect material to use though it was very challenging for the foil to adhere properly to the wire. I moved onto painting the base in colours that correlated with the bottle caps and went with the flow in how I applied the paint, trying to evoke a sense of movement.
Once I fixed the foil figure to the base, I felt like I needed to make the figure appear more unusual to stand out more. That is when I was inspired to wrap my foil figure with coloured thread that I laced with glue to then be able to easily shape and tighten certain areas, to lend it a more life-like appearance. To complete the piece, I incorporated a balloon that the figure could hold, made entirely out of crumpled foil. I covered this balloon with a circular cut-out piece of kitchen paper, then used fine liners to draw a map of the world on it, as I felt this carried symbolic meaning. Finally, I glued this piece on with PVA glue and sealed the whole sculpture with it too. I did several coats to have a more resilient finish.
At the end of making this piece I realised how easy it is to use unlikely and unwanted materials to create something entirely unique. This completely changed my perspective on how I would be moving forward into art. I actually ended up applying the same principles in another sculptural piece where I again used aluminium cans to support the interior. I then created a wire frame and laid out more foil that I had saved to be positioned on top of it. I drew my inspiration for using sustainable materials in my art from researching artists who explore similar themes within their work. One of my favourites that I came across was the artist Nnena Orkes who is an Australian-born Nigerian who now works and lives in Chicago. Nnenna has always been heavily inspired by her surroundings, she makes her art using biodegradable products to create an awareness about sustainable practices in art. She effectively creates her magnificent sculpture from bioplastics that exist within everyone's lives. In effect, she repurposes variegated materials, from thread, and rope to dye, yarn, tea, starch and wax. However, she holds a particular affinity for paper, as she finds it easy to manipulate by folding, shredding, gluing and many other techniques. Using these materials, she forms sculptures that are inspired by richly textured forms of colour and shape that are accessible in nature. Nenna uses her art to demonstrate to other active artists that they do not need to rely on the unsustainable art materials that everyone’s encouraged to use, but that they should be more open to using unconventional materials that are in our everyday lives which can also prevent waste.
An example of an artist based in the UAE who engages in sustainable practices is Hashel Al Lamki, a multidisciplinary Emirati artist. He is well known for his multimedia practices, as his work spans from paintings made from sustainable materials to sculptures, audio visual digital compilations and large-scale public installations. He highlights the interconnectedness of humans and their natural habitat by employing themes such as migration, urbanisation and globalisation. When Al Lamki creates his paintings, he uses a mix of oils, natural pigments, oil pastels and ink.
Wafa Al Falahi is another talented Emirati designer who was featured at COP28 and who has been making her own biodegradable plastic material from Henna. With this innovative discovery she created a lighting piece that was formed from materials she had gathered from the local area. This piece of work demonstrated the use of resource efficiency, while also showcasing the UAE’s potential for sustainable practices in the future. Wafa specialises in clay creations, and has stated that her fascination with clay first stemmed from its pure material qualities. Wafa talks about how moulding clay allows her to focus on the present moment which retains her focus when creating her work. As an artist, Wafa embraces an organic approach to her work as she celebrates the inherent nature of the materials she works with.
When researching more sustainable methods and different techniques for art I came across the Ghanian artist El Anatsui. He explores the themes of history, culture and the environment with each of his pieces. El Anatsui has a particular interest in finding the potential in discarded rubbish materials in which he is able to create visually opulent immersive pieces. His works are a blend of paintings, sculptures and tapestries. El Anastui creates his work from found materials such as; clay, paper, bottle tops, printed plates, cassava graters, copper and metal.
He is very well known for his large-scale sculptures that are composed together from crumpled and folded pieces of metal, in which he resources these metals from his local recycling stations. Through his work, he explores the effects of human consumption on the environment and the fraught material and ideological implications.
These artists and many others push the established boundaries of creativity through the integration of sustainable materials into their work, hoping to inspire fellow artists to embrace these practices and move towards a more environmentally-conscious future. It has been inspirational to create this article to highlight these artists' movements, particularly as they are not merely showcasing visually compelling pieces, but they are crafting a vision of a more sustainable future. As we move forward into a new beginning, it is apparent that sustainability and climate consciousness will be continuing to leave a tangible mark on all our lives, making it vital that we take this as a sign of a need for progressing these methods and techniques further.
Sketchbooks Re-imagined:
For more than seven years, the Art Department has quietly redefined where the artistic process begins. In an age where disposability so often dictates production, we have chosen to make room for renewal by repurposing disused sketchbooks into beautifully re-bound, sustainable editions now placed in the hands of every student.
What was once left behind—half-filled pages, forgotten covers, sketchbooks long abandoned in cupboards—has been given a new life. Each volume, carefully hand -assembled from reclaimed materials, carries subtle traces of the past: fragments of earlier ideas, the texture of previous intentions, the ghost of a gesture paused mid-thought. Now, across year groups and disciplines, our students use these resurrected books to map their thinking, explore their visual language, and lay the earliest threads of their creative journeys.
Yet this initiative is more than a practical solution: it is a philosophical gesture. A quiet, deliberate challenge to the notion that art must always begin with the new. These sketchbooks ask students to confront the materials they use, to understand their origins, and to see sustainability not as a peripheral concern, but as something deeply intrinsic to the very act of meaning-making.
To begin on a rescued page is to enter a dialogue with the environment, with previous makers, and with the ethics of one’s own practice. It reminds us that creative integrity and environmental responsibility are not opposing forces, but parallel paths and complementary pursuits. Indeed, it is often within the bounds of limitation that the most original thinking takes flight.
These sketchbooks, humble in form yet rich in meaning, are symbols of what it means to create with care: care for process, for material, and for the world we inhabit and shape through our choices. They encourage us to see waste not as an end, but as the beginning of something new—and to embrace sustainability not as a burden, but as a source of inspiration.
CAN ART SAVE THE PLANET?
Sustainability. It’s a word that saturates headlines, marketing campaigns, and dinner party conversations--but do we truly grasp what it means? According to the Oxford Dictionary, sustainability is the “avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance.” But beyond the definition, here’s the uncomfortable truth: we are failing at it. So, the question arises: can creativity and innovation actually save the world, or is art merely a glossy distraction - a beautiful filter over an increasingly terrifying reality? While art cannot halt rising sea levels or reverse global warming on its own, dismissing its potential is both naïve and dangerous. Art is not a bandage; it is a blade - sharp, persuasive, and deeply human. This essay argues that art is not just decoration for the apocalypse, it is an act of resistance, a catalyst for awareness, a storyteller of truths science alone cannot tell.
Facts inform. Art feels. And in an age of information overload, feeling might just be what we need most. Climate statistics - while crucial - often fall flat in sparking action. Why? Because numbers don’t bleed. But images, sounds, stories? They cut through. Art can emotionally engage people in ways that data cannot. Indeed, while science can give you the statistics and the facts, it remains powerless to evoke emotions and identify with the audience. The topic of sustainable art aims to achieve awareness for urgent matters like climate change, social issues and the discard for the environment at large through the repurposing of material and the making of sustainable artwork. Marissa Schiesser insightfully describes the latter practices as “an evolving and adaptable way of thinking about what it means to make art” rather than a rigid set of guidelines. In light of the foregoing, art has the power to be a communicator for messages that need to be spread. Ice Watch is an exhibition where the artist Olafur Eliasson transported 30 massive blocks of melting glacial ice to urban areas like London and Paris and left them to melt in public squares. This piece is so powerful as it bypasses facts and abstract numbers like “2°C rise” and instead connects with society and people, allowing them to truly sympathise and relate to what is going on in the world. This is a real life problem that people can touch and the physicality makes it all the more powerful, culminating in an emotional experience about the real ramifications of climate change. Another resonant example is Maya Lin’s What is Missing? which embodies the communicative power of art by translating environmental data into emotive journeys. Unlike traditional scientific communication, which often overwhelms the audience with statistics, it is an ongoing multi-sensory, multi-platform memorial that commemorates species and habitats lost due to human impact. Otherwise said, it is not a single physical artwork, but a living archive: a series of websites, videos, soundscapes, interactive maps, and installations in museums and public spaces. It transforms data into feelings, as the piece transforms stories and memories about cold facts into emotional narratives. Most importantly, it offers hope, which is a communication strategy in its own right. People tend to shut down when they feel hopeless. Lin’s work shows how art can shift mindset from helplessness to agency and determination to change the world, at large. Lin uses memory and mourning to subtly make ecological loss personal. Her quiet storytelling allows viewers to reflect, feel and act on what they have seen, interacting and changing their interpretation and morality behind it. This demonstrates that effective communication isn't always loud, but can be emotionally resonant. .
Art is not passive. It’s political. Art can act as a catalyst for activism and social change. Art can inspire political action. For instance, environmental movements such as the cultural phenomenon of street art whose main proponent is Banksy, often critiques consumerism and climate inaction. Indeed, his piece Gas Mask Boy is a powerful work that critiques gas pollution. It shows, through art, the future and the impact the latter could have on generations to come through evocative themes like innocence and childish desire. This child has probably never seen a flower because of the gas pollution and colossal impact mankind has on the planet. Banksy is an iconic environmental activist and has inspired not just change, but also other artists take action, acting as a catalyst for change. One of these examples could be eco-theatres which use drama to protest climate. Extinction Rebellion’s is a famous example of this as it has symbolic die-ins and dramatic exaggeration - but are they really exaggerations? - to bring across a message. In an innovative and peaceful way, artistic interventions disrupt norms and provoke public debate. This could be the new way to create thought-provoking interventions for people to be forced into taking action.
Art does more than provoke - it encourages dialogue and community involvement. A new, interactive that this has been encouraged by schools and communities is through the creation of expansive murals focused on sustainability. There are also documentaries and shows that bring awareness to environmental problems. Prominent examples include the documentaries Our Planet, Before the Flood, and Chasing Ice, which blend art and journalism to educate the masses. Art empowers communities to take ownership of environmental narratives.
Our planet (dirs. Alastair Fothergill, Keith Scholey, 2019) is not only a beautifully shot documentary, but suggests actions that can be easily taken by any member of the public. Sir Attenborough stands as a phenomenal narrator whose voice has become synonymous with environmental storytelling. His involvement in documentary filmmaking has not only lent gravitas to the subject of climate change but has also fostered a participatory culture shaped by fandom theory. The presence of such influential public figures invites wider audiences to engage, driven in part by the cultural capital attached to celebrity advocacy. Similarly, Before the Flood (dir. Fisher Stevens, 2016), featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, effectively blends cinematography, narrative, and science to render complex ecological data accessible and emotionally resonant. The film transforms scientific discourse into a compelling visual journey, amplifying its impact by weaving storytelling with advocacy. This is a very powerful way to draw light on issues that our planet faces but also with star power. The latter refers to a theory put forth by Richard Dyer, which suggests that using celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio can help inspire and influence their fans and others to take action and be like them, in a sense. Richard Dyer’s star power theory explains why: we don’t just watch celebrities, we listen. And sometimes, we act.
Here’s the truth we can’t ignore: awareness is not action. And art, no matter how moving, cannot substitute policy, or scientific innovation. A powerful documentary may spark a conversation—but will it change your vote? There’s a risk of turning activism into aesthetics. Art alone cannot implement policies or technological solutions. It is essentially up to the general public. How can public views, opinions and perspectives affect the interpretation of an artwork? Essentially, despite awareness campaigns, carbon emissions continue to rise and environmental problems are becoming more and more dire. Art alone is not enough - it can raise awareness, but it does not always lead to real action or systematic change. Statistics sometimes scare people into taking action; according to NOAA's 2023 Annual Climate Report the combined land and ocean temperature has increased at an average rate of 0.11° Fahrenheit (0.06° Celsius) per decade since 1850, or about 2° F in total. That alone is sufficient to scare anyone. Does it make you want to save our planet? So, where do we go from here?
In times of crisis, when headlines scream collapse and the future feels increasingly bleak, maybe what we need most isn’t another fact sheet or protest sign - but a radical reimagining. That’s where artists come in. Not just as creators, but as visionaries, as people who dare to dream up alternatives when the world seems dead set on destruction. Movements like Solarpunk embody this beautifully. Unlike the tired dystopias that dominate our screens - where survival is bleak and hope is naive - Solarpunk says: What if the future looked like community gardens, green cities, and equity rooted in nature? It’s art that invites us to believe in possibility again. Isn’t that what we’re missing? This kind of speculative art matters because it shifts us from fear to agency. It reminds us that imagination is resistance. But the radical role of artists doesn’t stop with fictional futures. Indigenous artists like Christi Belcourt are already weaving together environmental resistance and cultural memory, offering not just art but acts of survival. Her work pulses with meaning - delicate floral patterns that echo nature’s beauty while protesting its destruction. And beneath it all lies a fierce ecofeminist thread: a deep understanding that land, body, and womanhood are not separate struggles. They’re intertwined. When the Earth is exploited, so too are the most marginalised. Isn’t it telling that some of the most powerful environmental art comes not from big institutions, but from voices on the margins? It suggests that saving the planet isn’t just about science—it’s about storytelling, lived experience, and the courage to imagine something better. Maybe it’s time we start listening.
“Art will not save the planet. However, it might save us. From apathy. From detachment. From believing this isn’t our fight. Art makes the invisible visible. It transforms data into memory, policy into emotion, and science into soul. It doesn’t just ask us to think - it dares us to feel.”
Echoes of Earth:
In a world increasingly affected by environmental challenges, young people are stepping forward to lead the charge toward sustainability. At The British School Al Khubairat (BSAK), the Green Leaders of Tomorrow (GLT), in collaboration with the school’s Eco Club, have emerged as a dynamic force committed to promoting environmental awareness and sustainable practices within and beyond the school community. This feature explores GLT's vision through the voices of student Thuweybah and staff lead Mr. Craig Cooper, shedding light on the club’s initiatives, challenges, and aspirations.
Interview with GLT member and student Thuweybah:
Nandana: Please introduce yourself!
Thuweybah: My name is Thuweybah, I am co-president of the Green Leaders of Tomorrow and part of the Eco Club in school. We work to drive youth to be more involved in sustainability and the world around us.
N: From what I know, the “GLT” is a recent initiative, right?
T: Yes, GLT started in January 2025. It's actually part of a larger organisation outside of school, but we brought it into BSAK. The Eco Club, on the other hand, is an in-school initiative that predates GLT.
Bel: Who created the club, exactly? Do you know?
T: It was founded by Mr. Kearns, an engineering and DT teacher who was really passionate about sustainability. Although he’s since left, his work laid the foundation for everything we’re doing now.
N: Why did you want to join it, though?
T: I wanted to join the Eco Club because I feel like I always wanted to make an impact on the world around me, especially as sustainability has been such a pressing issue to us and something that will affect our generation the most going into the future. We’re the ones who will have to deal with it. So I thought, why not start now and get involved and help out?
B: What would you say is your personal mission, or the club's overall mission?
T: My personal mission is to encourage young people to see sustainability as a problem, because nowadays people do hear about it but they dismiss it, saying “oh, okay, whatever” and continue using plastic and not being sustainable with transport and all sorts of stuff. I want to bring light to this issue and show people that it's affecting so many more people, and it's affecting them more than they believe. They think it's if you’re in a country that’s affected by natural disasters, and that’s their issue, but even though we’re very lucky that we don't have many, it’s still affecting us in the air quality, the food we eat, even drinking water, and I just really want to show people that.
B: So it’s good that you’re trying to move forward into that direction [of raising awareness].
N: So you said GLT was only founded in January, but I’ve seen you do a lot of stuff already. Can you go into more detail about what you’ve done?
T: Yes, GLT kind of formed during the sustainability summit, which was in December, and we attended that as the Eco Club. Once we were there, we interacted with people from other schools and heard a lot of discussions which made us realise the severity of the situation and how - at school - we’re not really doing much to help the world around us. That’s when we created the GLT. We wanted to make sure that instead of making a school-wide impact, we were making a global impact.
N: That’s really good. Have you set up anything? As in, have you run any events or organised anything?
T: Oh, yeah, in February, we had the Ted Talk event, where people would talk about subjects in front of others, so it was like a normal TedEd Talk event but relating to sustainability, and I think we had about 12 or 13 students from different schools within the UAE that we invited to do a Ted Talk in front of a panel of judges. We invited the Youth Council president of Mubadala, people from companies like ADGM and people who work with Mangrove Conservation to judge but they also provided their personal thoughts on sustainability and what they’ve done. I think it was a really good educational programme because it showed people that these adults—-some even going into retirement—-should be looked up to. They should grow to do what they’re doing, if not more, because the situation is worsening unfortunately. We also recently joined the Alliance for Sustainable Schools, which is a global organisation for schools that aims for sustainable uniforms, canteen foods, and other school-related issues. They invited us to the first ever sustainable hackathon in Masdar City, which is known for its sustainability, and we spent the day looking at psychological techniques to encourage students to be more sustainable, for example interventions we could put in place so they can be more dedicated to the cause.
B: Are there any psychological techniques that you learnt? Any new ways to attract people?
T: We learnt about techniques like windows of opportunity, comparison and gamification. It was really interesting and eye opening to see that even saying things as small as “if you don't use plastic for a week, you can get a voucher” can really encourage someone to step up and push themselves to do better.
N: Everything you talked about has been really big and outside of school, which is amazing, but what about within school? Have you done anything within BSAK?
T: In school, we recently implemented the recycling bins. Before we only had two bins, one for regular waste and one for recycling, but now we have four: glass, paper, plastic and general waste. I feel like when we’re disposing waste as a school, this makes it much easier by separating it into recyclable categories and prioritising what we can reuse instead of throwing it all away. We also now have a composting bin in Primary, and we are hoping to bring it into secondary next year. It’s really good for teaching the younger kids to be sustainable and showing them that food waste can be used as compost for the gardens and so on.
B: I know there are different roles and responsibilities within the Eco Club, but how can people take part in all of this? Can they join the club? And is there a certain way to contact you?
T: Well, you can email us for our support, but we also have a website and a Linkedin page where you can connect with us too. What we aim to do is very important to me because I’ve never been someone that just says “oh, wow, save the trees!”, you know?Most people think that’s what sustainability is, but there's sustainability in art, fashion, design, in sectors you wouldn't think it mattered, and it is really important. Our team split ourselves up into our different interests. For example, I’m more interested in design, so I’m part of the design team rather than the tech team. As a young person, you have your passions, and it’s important to encourage sustainability in every sector possible and show how easy it is to integrate one with another.
Interview with Mr. Craig Cooper – Staff Lead for GLT
Bel: Did you have a role in starting the Eco Club at BSAK?
Mr Cooper: No, not at all. Mr Kearns oversaw the Green Leaders of Tomorrow which were known as the Global Social Leaders. He left in February and wanted to find a teacher to help take over and that's how I came to join. Though the group themselves were the ones who decided to form the group in school, Mr Kearns and now myself help to support them as best as we can, but the group is 100% student-led.
B: How do you support GLT?
Mr: There's physical support in the sense that they need teachers and adults to be present whether or not they are on a trip or hosting an event. There is also a duty of care needed by teachers to get involved with, myself, Mr Kearns and Mrs Haweel as well supported when GLT had an event at school. We also try to consider what seems like a very obvious good idea but look further into why it hasn't been done before and there may be reasons why it hasn't been done and we need to discuss both sides.
B: What do you personally believe GLTs mission is?
Mr: Based on what they have done and the conversations we have had, they are trying to make BSAK as sustainable as possible. For not just now but for also when they leave. It's a case of learning as much as possible of what they can change and of what they would like to change, as they have their own interests and their own ideas that they would like to be seen and brought forward. This year, for them it's kind of allowing them to dip their toe in finding out everything they can about sustainability, be that from the experts, industry leaders, teachers, fellow students in BSAK, as well as other schools. They are trying to get enough information to see what they can change.
Lucy: Like you said, there are some changes that you have imputed into the group, what are some examples of some impactful projects that the group have been able to make?
Mr: So, not me personally, but the GLT have overseen the food dehumidifier and were part of the process. They started the Eco closet in senior school, and this is where donated clothes are checked, upcycled, to be given away if need be. They have spoken in assembly in terms of raising awareness about what they are planning to do and trying to encourage more people to get involved, as the more members there are, the more the opportunities will be available.
B: Since you only assist GLT, has there been anything in particular that they have struggled with when trying to accomplish an event for example?
Mr: Not at all, any hurdles that have appeared GLT have been able to overcome them independently. They haven't shared with me anything in particular where I might have to intervene or assist in a major way, as they have been really busy with events and attending and organizing. One of the events they have been able to hold was the TedX sustainability which was hosted at school, even though this did not allow students to attend, it is, nonetheless, a first step. Hosting this event gives them more experience and confidence to do more in the future.
B: Since this is only the beginning of the Club, is there anything in particular that the group is planning to do into the future? Or is it rolling off ideas in terms of what happens?
Mr: There is definitely flexibility, we actually have a meeting after school today and it will be the first time I have met with them since before spring break. There are a couple of new students that have joined the CCA and they'll meet for the first time so they can discuss what the priorities are for this term ahead. We will also be planning ideas for the year ahead.
L: Has being a part of the Eco Club been very beneficial to your own views?
Mr: I wouldn't say it has influenced my views, but it has certainly influenced how well I speak of students in general because of how much they have been able to accomplish on their own. I have not seen that level of innovation before at any school I have ever worked at, and I have certainly been impressed in that regard. However, what they [the students] are looking at and where they are in their journey is different from myself. I am currently making sure I am recycling as much as possible based on what's available in terms of the facilities that are available for recycling, and then water and power consumption are things
that are also on my radar, as these are things that I have had my life experience knowing what I am strong at and what I am not so strong at that differ compared to what their priorities are. I am probably thinking on a smaller scale, like what are the little changes I can do to make day-to-day, whereas they'll have more ambitious ideas.
L: I don't think it matters if it's little or big, they all have an impact.
Mr: I completely agree, that's where the awareness comes in as well. Even when we had the sustainable assemblies during sustainability week, part of that was… I don't think you saw it as seniors, but in one of the assemblies, we had a little more time in the end, and I shared a few things that I had been trying to do that week. One of the things I showed was how much we charge our phones. So one of the things I started to do, which for the most part was successful, was not leaving my phone to charge overnight. So I began charging it in the evenings so that when it reached one hundred percent, I would then remove it. I did little things like that, and I started to take quicker showers and a couple of other little bits and bobs like that.
B: So this has changed a little bit of your lifestyle.
Mr: It has a little bit, but the important thing is that it's a change for good, but it's got to be manageable because anything can seem really easy to begin with. But do you have the pattern or track record of actually doing that consistently and then forming the habit at the end of the day? So, for the most part, I forget to charge my phone when I get home, and it's at twenty percent before I go to sleep. Practically speaking, of course, I will charge it overnight, but if I am conscientious—which is definitely more often than not—then I will make sure I do that before I go to bed. Even with recycling, one of the reasons I started recycling was the fact that I was put to shame whenever I went home because in the UK, they are really good at having different-coloured bins and having different days for collecting different materials. This gave me a wake-up call that I really need to be doing something in the UAE as I haven't been doing it for years. So, even just getting in the habit this year, I recycle at the ADNOC station near me as it has a recycling hub there. So, anytime I go there to fill up the car with petrol, I am conscious to take out these boxes that are filled with recycling. Making it part of your routine is important.
L: Do you think GLT will have an impact for the future of BSAK and the future of Abu Dhabi?
Mr: I certainly hope so because you're familiar with the word trending and part of the awareness, the hype and the build of wanting to improve and wanting to change its kind of the first part. That's when you have the experiences and the support trying to put something in place that is able to stand time and is something people will get on board with. The GLT are definitely in the early stages of seeing what's possible, what's not and learning for themselves what they want to prioritise but absolutely we only have so far the eco closet and of course they have put on the sustainability TEDX. But, I only joined in February so we are only really talking about a couple months worth of initiatives, all in the lead up to their exams and I look forward to seeing what happens after summer.
B: What is the most successful thing GLT has been able to accomplish?
Mr: Definitely the TEDx, and even before that, the fact that they started the club on their own, I think, is a massive step. So, they have hit the ground running, but it would be the TEDx sustainability event. I was on the school ski trip event, and I learned that I was needed to attend as we required the necessary numbers for staffing on the Sunday, so it was the day after I got back. It was more the fact that at the end of a school holiday, they were able to organize and have people attend an event, and it went really successfully. I was just impressed with how well it went because when there were conversations about it a few weeks beforehand, I thought they might have been a bit too ambitious with it happening within such a short time. But a lot of work behind the scenes, especially from Miss Haweel, and I know she has supported them a lot with that, and they managed to get it over the line within a very short space of time. I think that was the most impressive thing they have done since forming, other than forming the group.
B: Do you have any additional advice for people within the school related to sustainability? Anything about sustainability, should people change their habits and get involved with the club?
Mr: I'd say it's very easy in a world where there are extremes, where you hear about the best and the worst of people at the click of a button on the internet, and anything you do might not seem good enough. My advice would be to try and block out that side of things and just focus on the small things you can do to improve. Whether or not it is someone else who has inspired you, or some content online that you have seen, just know that any change for good is a change for good. Any work that you have done in the past, such as setting smart targets for academics, for example, helps you learn skills that you can apply to make changes and form good habits in your own life. When you make small changes, they are easier to implement, and they are easier to turn into habits. From there, you can grow, and in the process, inspire others yourself. If people see you do something positive that you weren't doing before, they'll ask you questions and want to know how you did it. The other thing would be to just be open-minded. At the end of the day, wherever we are in our journey, we can all improve. And lastly, be humble because it's very easy to feel good about yourself when you do something good, and that's fine, but at the same time, that doesn't make us better than others. We are all at different stages of our journey, and we all know different things and have different circumstances. It's all about what we are doing to at least try to improve.
GLT at the Youth Sustainability Summit at ACS
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linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/greenleadersoftomorrow/ website: https://greenleadersoftomorow.wordpress.com/ email: greenleadersoftomorrow@gmail.com
ARTISTS OF THE
Congratulations to our Artists of the Month for March and April 2025. We are proud to recognise the following students for their exceptional achievements in the categories of Outstanding Creative and Progress across Fine Art, Photography, and Graphic Communication. Their commitment to excellence — both in the classroom and through independent study — has set them apart.
Students who have demonstrated remarkable growth, perseverance, and dedication in their artistic practice.
Anita Year 7
Matteo Year 8
Giuliana Year 12 Ava Year 11
Sehansa Year 9
Leen Year 13
Outstanding Creative
Students whose artistic vision, originality, and technical excellence distinguish their work and sets them apart.
Shaun Year 8 Jasper Year 7
10
11
13
9
12
A special thanks to all those who made this publication feasible:
ART AMBASSADORS:
Bel Cebisli
Lucy Gould
Nadine Helal
Nandana Krishnakumar
ART DEPARTMENT:
Dan Emery
Monica Zakka
Thomas Smith
Jayne Newsam