Michael Richardson is a storyteller, evaluator and community practitioner driven by a deep commitment to social and environmental justice, with over a decade of experience working with men around ageing, identity and belonging on Tyneside. His work focuses on engaging groups often marginalised from environmentalism—particularly young, working-class men—and reframing climate action as a form of care, dignity and community development.
Michael currently works on Birds, Bees, Bikes and Trees, a National Lottery Climate Action Fund project delivered with North East Young Dads and Lads and Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. The project spans three interconnected strands: a Creative Climate Club engaging communities and cultural audiences to reflect on climate and place; schools-based work supporting pupils to address climate concerns through teaching, creative practice and improvements to school environments; and an upskilling strand developing green skills with young dads and families, including urban beekeeping, forest school training, cycling leadership and bike maintenance.
Through this work, Michael has developed a distinctive perspective on the links between masculinity, class and climate action. He challenges deficit narratives that frame young men as disengaged, highlighting instead their everyday low-carbon lifestyles and the structural inequalities that shape aspiration. His writing, including Why Modern Masculinity is a Climate Issue, explores how inviting men into climate action reshapes who is seen as capable of care.
Michael’s practice is grounded in ethical, relational engagement, with time, trust and lived experience at its core. Through the Practice-Builders’ Network, he hopes to share learning on engaging young men in cultural and climate spaces, while collaborating with others to tackle complex social and environmental challenges collectively.