YouTuber environmentalist extraordinaire Jack Harries, whose notable work includes interviews with Barack Obama at COP26 and with David Attenborough for his YouTube series ‘Seat at the Table’ discussus his filmmaking journey, how social media has changed, and how he’s tackling climate crisis with creativity. Jack rose to fame with his YouTube travel channel amassing over four million subscribers.
Can you tell us a bit about earthrise studio and what you hope to achieve with the platform?
Earthrise studio is a creative studio and online platform which aims to communicate the climate and ecological emergency. We’re a multidisciplinary studio working across film, design, live events and fundraising campaigns. Our aim is to envision the world we so desperately need and ultimately inspire systems change through human focused storytelling.
Considering the extreme weather conditions across many places, the UK included, these past few days do you feel that this is the wakeup call that was needed regarding climate change? And how do you think we can use our own personal social platforms to bring about change?
In just the last few years it feels as though this issue has gone from the fringes of society to the forefront of the global agenda. This year in particular extreme weather events across the world have served as a crucial and urgent reminder of the unfolding crisis. For many years, we’ve been told it’s up to individuals to create change in their own lives. We now know that this alone won’t be enough. It’s vital that we all work together, to organize, educate one another and campaign for systems change on a global scale. Ultimately we believe we need a system that prioritizes people and planet and not just profit.
How do you feel about Sir David Attenborough handing over the baton on climate change to the younger generation and what do you think we can all do to play our part on a practical level?
Figures like Sir David Attenborough and Dr Jane Godall have defined what it means to be a climate activist and communicator. Today they are passing the baton onto younger generations who are rising up to demand change. Whilst it inspires me to see my generation taking matters into their own hands, it’s also important that older generations do their bit in supporting this activism. Ultimately we must all ask ourselves what skill we can lend to the moment. Activism looks like many different things and it’s up to all of us to play our role – however big or small.
Now that you’ve completed your first series of Seat at the Table, with highlights including Sir David Attenborough and covering COP26. Do you have plans to make a second series and who would be your top three interviewees?
Unfortunately Youtube Originals are no longer funding environmental content which seems like a missed opportunity to me. For this reason we won’t be making any more future seasons of Seat At The Table, however I would like to continue to interview inspiring figure in the space, in particular speaking with wisdom keepers, land protectors and indigenous communities who have long practiced a different philosophy from the one that has led us to where we are today.
How has your career evolved over the past few years, and could you have foreseen the evolution from youtuber to film maker and climate storyteller?
I feel immensely lucky to have had opportunities to grow as a filmmaker and presenter over the last few years. I certainly didn’t imagine being here when I created a youtube channel all those years ago. I’ve always just pursued what i’m passionate about and so far that has led me to some amazing people and places. Whilst it often got me in trouble at school, curiosity has turned out to be my strongest attribute.
How do you feel social media has changed since you started your youtube channel and in your opinion is it for the better?
Social media is always changing and honestly my opinion on it depends on the day you ask! What I have noticed is that over the last few years social media has transformed into a place to educate, inform and inspire one another. Through the proliferation of infographics and short-form video, information has become increasingly democratized and used as a tool to organize and create community. Ultimately I think this is a positive change and the first steps towards creating the systemic changes we so desperately need.
What was the catalyst that took you from youtuber to filmmaker and environmentalist?
Everything changed after a trip to Greenland in 2017. We traveled to the south of the continent to make a documentary and spent a night camping on the Jakobshavn Glacier. I’ll never forget the sound of huge pieces of ice carving off the front of the glacier. We had been transported to the literal front lines of climate change and it was a visceral wake up call that ultimately changed the course of my life.
Can you tell us a bit about your super stage session at The Photography Show & The Video Show and what tackling the climate crisis through creativity gives you the ability to do?
I’m really excited to be speaking at The Photography Show and The Video Show about the power of creativity to inspire change. Ultimately our world is made up of the stories we tell. It’s these broken stories that have led us to the converging global crises we face today. It’s our job as storytellers, filmm makers, photographer and creators to tell new stories, stories of hope, radical optimism, inclusion, diversity, renewal and regeneration. It’s up to us to create the world we want to see.
Do you feel tackling climate crisis through creativity is the way forward for the everyday masses, especially “young people”?
I think everyone has a role to play in tackling the climate crisis. If I was a chemist I would be thinking about alternatives to fossil fuels, if I was a scientist I would be thinking about ways to suck carbon out of the atmosphere, if I was a biologist i’d be thinking about large scale eco-system restoration, unfortunately, i’m not any of those things. It’s taken me a while to understand that my skill is storytelling and communication, so i’ve committed to using that to make a difference. Whoever you are, wherever you are and whatever your skill you’re needed in this movement. It’s up to you to take those first steps towards creating a better world.
What can we expect to see from you next in the world of film and documentary making?
My aim over the coming years is to grow Earthrise Studio. I’d like to find more ways to champion a diversity of voices from people all across the world. We have plans to make a variety of new ideas for some well known broadcasters, and hope to broaden out into the world of podcasting and physical events next year.
Jack will be speaking at The Photography Show & The Video Show on Sunday 18th September
