My #conscientpodcast conversation with indigenous playwright, actor & director Keith Barker, artistic director of Native Earth Performing Arts on Dec 8, 2021 in Tkaronto about indigenous theatre & storytelling including a reading of his 'APOLOGY, MY' 5 minute play for the 2021 Climate Change Theatre Action with voice actors Riel Schryer and Sabrina Mathews. Also with excerpts from e92 santee smith and e44 bilodeau.

Keith Barker is from the Métis Nation of Ontario and is artistic director of Native Earth Performing Arts in Tkaronto. He is the winner of the Dora Mavor Moore Award and the Playwrights Guild’s Carol Bolt Award for best new play. He received a Saskatchewan and Area Theatre Award for Excellence in Playwriting for his play, The Hours That Remain, as well as a Yukon Arts Award for Best Art for Social Change. 

He’s a kind, generous and thoughtful person. 

I met Keith while we were both working at the Canada Council in the mid 2010’s. We reconnected at the National Arts Centre’s 2019 Summit on Theatre and Climate Change presented at The Banff Centre. 

Our conversation touched upon indigenous theatre, the impact of telling a good story and the impact of placing artists in spaces with community members, telling their stories and talking about the crisis ands includes excerpts from e92 santee smith – about SKéN:NEN and interconnectedness and e44 bilodeau – the arts are good at changing culture. 

There were many memorable moments in our conversation. This quote in particular resonated with me: 

To me, artists being right in on the conversation, being present and actually pushing the agenda is absolutely the thing we need to be. That’s where we need to be. Too many politicians and policy and all that stuff. You’re watching that stuff fail right now and to put artists in spaces with community members, telling their stories and talking about the crisis… that’s happening and engaging people, that’s the power of theatre and that’s the power of art. That, to me, is the thing that’s gonna push people to make changes or to start talking or to enter into dialogue. Because right now we have a left and a right that isn’t gonna speak. They don’t like each other. They don’t like their politics, but you get them in a room together and they actually break bread and start having food. They realize that both their kids go to the same school. They both drive the same car. They both love hockey. You know, if we start finding those connections through art, then they they’re gonna engage. And it doesn’t matter if it’s an indigenous artist telling that story or you know, another, IBPOC person or anybody else. If you’re telling a good story, people are gonna be engaged and, and it’ll compel you to wanna do something.

I also have a special treat for you in the last 5 minutes of this episode. You’ll hear near the end of my conversation with Keith that I accepted to produce a radio version of his APOLOGY, MY play which was commissioned by the 2021 Climate Change Theatre Action (CCTA) project. You’ll hear my son Riel playing a political advisor and my wife Sabrina Mathews playing the Prime Minister of Canada. Big thanks to Riel and Sabrina for this powerful reading of the play and big thanks to Keith and Climate Change Theatre Action for permission to produce this amazing play that anticipates a future we can still avoid.

Note: Here is the APOLOGY, MY play by Keith Barker, performed by Riel Schryer and Sabrina Mathews as a stand alone audio file:

This is one of 6 episodes recorded during the Gathering Divergence Multi-Arts Festival & Conference Fall 2021 | Art in the Time of Healing: The Importance of IBPOC Arts in Planetary Renewal event from December 8 to 10, 2021 in Toronto.

The others are:

• episode 90 is a conversation with dance artist, choreographer, director and embodiment facilitator Shannon Litzenberger and reading her State of Emergence: Why We Need Artists Right Now essay
• episode 92 is a presentation (including audience questions) by Santee Smith from the National Cultural Policy and arts in Response to Climate Change panel
• episode 93 is a presentation (including audience questions) by Anthony Garoufalis-Auger from the National Cultural Policy and arts in Response to Climate Change panel
• episode 94 is a presentation (including audience questions) by Devon Hardy from the National Cultural Policy and arts in Response to Climate Change panel
• episode 95 is my conversation with CPAMO Executive Director Charles Smith and artistic programmer Kevin Ormsby from a keynote address including excerpts from their conversation about the Living in the Skin I am In: Experiential Learnings, Approaches and Considerations Towards Anti-Black Racism in the Arts publication  

Links mentioned in this episode:

• https://nac-cna.ca/en/cycle/climatechange  
• https://www.conscient.ca/podcast/e44-bilodeau/

Script of APOLOGY, MY by Keith Barker 

(published with permission of the author) 

This play came out of exchanges I’ve had with my uncle over the years. He is a fervent climate change denier who believes it is a hoax drummed up by lefty pinkos. This play is me writing out my disillusion by imagining a revelation about the climate crisis through the eyes of a Prime Minister who finds himself (or herself) on the wrong side of history.

I’m sorry. I truly am.

You can’t say that.

Why not?

You’re making it personal. Don’t do that.

It’s an apology.

You need to think bigger picture here.

Fine…On behalf of the country–

The country, the people, whatever you want to call them, are not the ones who are

sorry, the government is.

…On behalf of the party–

Whoa whoa whoa, it’s not one party’s fault, it’s every party’s fault. Got it?

(Prime Minister sighs)

Mr. Speaker I stand before you today to offer an official apology.

There you go.

The denial of climate change is a sad and regrettable chapter in our history.

I like the chapters – That was a sad chapter. This? This is a new chapter.

In the last hundred-and-fifty years populations were introduced to widespread

electrification, internal combustion engines, the car, and the airplane.

Sweet. Keep it in the past, stay away from the future.

This massive shift to fossil fuels exponentially increased material prosperity and

measures of well-being. But we were wrong.

We’re never wrong.

It was a mistake.

Mistakes are just as bad as being wrong. Neither will get you votes.

It was regrettable.

Mm, better.

We are past the tipping point of climate change. Now we must deal with the full

consequences of government failure.

Way too negative.

Now we must deal with the consequences of inaction… and a multi-generational culture

of denial to maintain the status quo.

Cut the last part.

I think we need it.

And I think we don’t. Keep going.

…Unprecedented warming cycles have melted the ice caps, causing the mass extinction

of species. The acidification of the oceans has destroyed the majority of marine and

mammal food chains. The occurrence of extreme weather events has vastly increased as

sea levels continue to rise.

You can’t say all that.

People already know this.

Then why are we saying it again?

Because it’s true.

Truth is overrated.

Then why am I even giving this speech?

Because, politically it’s a smart move if we do it right. It also makes you look like a

Prime Minister–

I am the Prime Minister

Yeah, well, you know what I mean.

I don’t think I do.

Listen, don’t focus on the small stuff. You need to ignore your instincts. Whatever

feels right, is wrong. You won’t win this if you repeat mistakes.

Don’t put this all on me.

Says the guy who stood up in the House of Commons and denied the existence of

climate change on the same day scientists announced the Arctic Circle was ice-free.

They did that on purpose to make me look bad.

What, melt the Arctic Circle?

You know what I mean.

I don’t think I do.

You really think you can fix this?

What do you think?

You always answer a question with a question?

Only the dumb ones.

Right…Where were we?

Somewhere between mass extinction and extreme weather conditions.

…Today, we recognize the denial of climate change was wrong

Not wrong but –

Regrettable.

Beauty.

I’ve already said regrettable…

Yeah, and you’re going to say it a hundred more times so get used to it.

…The fossil fuel industry actively misled the public and is largely to blame for the

inaction on climate change with capitalism being the driving force.

Don’t say the C word.

Why not?

You can’t be seen placing the blame on industry.

Just over a hundred companies are responsible for 71% of all the Global Greenhouse

Gas Emissions.

That is debatable.

Not if we’re using science it’s not.

Wow, and where was this guy a few years ago?

I am trying to make up for my past mistakes.

And that my friend is how you kill your political career.

I need to say this.

No, you don’t. You’re talking to the base. Card carrying members. They voted for you

because of your ideology. You can’t just bait and switch these folks. Do that and you

can kiss the election goodbye.

You’re right. Thank you for that.

For what?

It didn’t really hit me until you said my words back to me.

What’d I say? Sorry, I’ve said a lot.

Mass extinction.

Oh come on. I’m just trying to get you re-elected here.

This isn’t about politics anymore.

Everything is about politics.

Sorry, but I need to do this.

Let me do my job here. I’m a fixer, it’s what I’m paid to do. Fix things. And if you want this fixed Mr. Prime Minister, then you need to start listening to me pronto. Do.  Not. Apologize. These altruistic feelings are fleeting. Trust me. You think you’ve found some clarity, but you haven’t. And when those feelings pass, and they will pass, you will regret having made a decision in a moment of weakness. You understand me?

Perfectly. I think you need to go.

You’re making a big mistake.

Maybe, maybe not.

Let me help you.

No, I think you’ve helped enough. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a speech to write.

Last chance… Really? Fine, it’s your funeral… You know what? I wasn’t going vote for

you anyways.

Aww, you broke your own rule.

And what is that?

Don’t make it personal.

END

*

Ma conversation #baladonconscient avec le dramaturge, acteur et metteur en scène autochtone Keith Barker, directeur artistique de Native Earth Performing Arts, le 8 décembre 2021 à Tkaronto, sur le théâtre et les contes autochtones, y compris une pièce de théâtre de 5 minutes, APOLOGY, MA écrite pour Climate Change Theatre Action 2021 (l'action théâtrale sur le changement climatique) avec Riel Schryer et Sabrina Mathews. Cet épisode présente aussi des extraits de e92 santee smith et e44 bilodeau.

Keith est originaire de la nation métisse de l’Ontario et est directeur artistique de Native Earth Performing Arts à Toronto. Il a remporté le prix Dora Mavor Moore et le prix Carol Bolt de la Playwrights Guild pour la meilleure nouvelle pièce. Il a reçu le Saskatchewan and Area Theatre Award for Excellence in Playwriting pour sa pièce The Hours That Remain, ainsi que le Yukon Arts Award for Best Art for Social Change. C’est une personne gentille, généreuse et réfléchie. 

J’ai rencontré Keith alors que nous travaillions tous deux au Conseil des Arts du Canada, au milieu des années 2010. Nous avons repris contact lors du Sommet 2019 du Centre national des Arts sur le théâtre et le changement climatique, qui a eu lieu au Banff Centre. 

Notre conversation a porté sur le théâtre autochtone, l’impact de raconter une bonne histoire et l’impact de placer des artistes dans des espaces avec des membres de la communauté, pour raconter leurs histoires et parler de la crise. Cet épisode comprend des extraits de e92 santee smith – sur SKéN:NEN et l’interconnexion et e44 bilodeau – the arts are good at changing culture.

Notre conversation a donné lieu à de nombreux moments mémorables. Cette citation en particulier a résonné en moi : 

Pour moi, le fait que les artistes soient au cœur de la conversation, qu’ils soient présents et qu’ils fassent avancer les choses est absolument ce que nous devons faire. C’est là que nous devons être. Il y a trop de politiciens, de politiques et de tout ça. Vous regardez ces choses échouer en ce moment et mettre des artistes dans des espaces avec des membres de la communauté, racontant leurs histoires et parlant de la crise… c’est ce qui se passe et engage les gens, c’est le pouvoir du théâtre et c’est le pouvoir de l’art. Pour moi, c’est ce qui va pousser les gens à faire des changements, à commencer à parler ou à entamer un dialogue. Parce qu’en ce moment, nous avons une gauche et une droite qui ne veulent pas parler. Ils ne s’aiment pas. Ils n’aiment pas leurs politiques, mais vous les mettez dans une pièce ensemble et ils rompent le pain et commencent à manger. Ils réalisent que leurs enfants vont dans la même école. Ils conduisent tous les deux la même voiture. Ils aiment tous les deux le hockey. Vous savez, si nous commençons à trouver ces connexions à travers l’art, alors ils vont s’engager. Et peu importe que ce soit un artiste autochtone qui raconte cette histoire ou une autre personne, IBPOC (PANDC) ou autre. Si vous racontez une bonne histoire, les gens vont s’engager et, et ça va vous pousser à faire quelque chose.

J’ai aussi une belle surprise pour vous dans les 5 dernières minutes de cet épisode. Vous entendrez vers la fin de ma conversation avec Keith que j’ai accepté de produire une version radiophonique de sa pièce APOLOGY, MY qui a été commandée par le projet 2021 Climate Change Theatre Action (CCTA). Vous entendrez mon fils Riel jouer le rôle d’un conseiller politique et ma conjointe Sabrina Mathews jouer le rôle du premier ministre du Canada. Un grand merci à Riel et Sabrina pour cette lecture puissante de la pièce et un grand merci à Keith et à Climate Change Theatre Action pour la permission de produire cette pièce étonnante qui anticipe un futur que nous pouvons encore éviter.

Note : J’ai également placé un enregistrement de la pièce ‘APOLOGY, MY’ dans les notes de l’épisode. Voir version de ce texte en anglais.

Ceci est l’un des 6 épisodes enregistrés lors du festival et de la Gathering Divergence Multi-Arts Festival & Conference Fall 2021 | Art in the Time of Healing: The Importance of IBPOC Arts in Planetary Renewal du 8 au 10 décembre 2021 à Toronto. Les autres sont: 

• L’épisode 90 est une conversation avec l’artiste de la danse, chorégraphe, metteur en scène et facilitatrice d’incarnation Shannon Litzenberger et une présentation de son essai State of Emergence : Pourquoi nous avons besoin d’artistes maintenant
• L’épisode 92 est une présentation (avec questions du public) par Santee Smith à la table ronde National Cultural Policy and arts in Response to Climate Change.
• l’épisode 93 est une présentation (avec des questions du public) par Anthony Garoufalis-Auger à la table ronde National Cultural Policy and arts in Response to Climate Change.
• L’épisode 94 est une présentation (avec questions du public) par Devon Hardy à la table ronde National Cultural Policy and arts in Response to Climate Change.
• l’épisode 95 est ma conversation avec Charles Smith, directeur général du CPAMO, et Kevin Ormsby, programmateur artistique, lors de leur présentation ‘keynote’, y compris des extraits de leur exposé sur le projet Living in the Skin I am In: Experiential Learnings, Approaches and Considerations Towards Anti-Black Racism in the Arts (Apprentissages expérientiels, approches et considérations concernant la lutte contre le racisme noir dans les arts). 

Liens mentionnés dans cet épisode :

• https://nac-cna.ca/en/cycle/climatechange  
• https://www.conscient.ca/podcast/e44-bilodeau/

Scénario de APOLOGY, MY par Keith Barker 

(publié avec permission de l’auteur) 

Cette pièce est née d’échanges que j’ai eus avec mon oncle au fil des ans. C’est un fervent négationniste du changement climatique qui croit que c’est un canular inventé par les gauchistes roses. Cette pièce est l’expression de ma désillusion en imaginant une révélation sur la crise climatique à travers les yeux d’un Premier ministre (ou une Première ministre) qui se trouve (ou se trouve) du mauvais côté de l’histoire.

Je suis désolé. Je le suis vraiment.

Vous ne pouvez pas dire ça.

Pourquoi pas ?

Vous en faites une affaire personnelle. Ne fais pas ça.

C’est une excuse.

Tu dois penser à une plus grande image ici.

Bien… Au nom du pays…

Le pays, les gens, peu importe comment vous les appelez, ne sont pas ceux qui sont

désolé, c’est le gouvernement.

…Au nom du parti…

Whoa whoa whoa, ce n’est pas la faute d’un parti, c’est la faute de tous les partis. Compris ?

(Le premier ministre soupire)

Monsieur le Président, je me tiens devant vous aujourd’hui pour présenter des excuses officielles.

Et voilà.

Le déni du changement climatique est un chapitre triste et regrettable de notre histoire.

J’aime les chapitres – C’était un triste chapitre. Et celui-là ? C’est un nouveau chapitre.

Au cours des 150 dernières années, les populations ont été initiées à l’électrification généralisée, l’électrification, les moteurs à combustion interne, la voiture et l’avion.

Sympa. Gardez ça dans le passé, restez loin de l’avenir.

Ce passage massif aux combustibles fossiles a augmenté de manière exponentielle la prospérité matérielle et lesles mesures du bien-être. Mais nous avions tort.

Nous n’avons jamais tort.

C’était une erreur.

Les erreurs sont tout aussi mauvaises que d’avoir tort. Aucun des deux ne vous apportera des votes.

C’était regrettable.

Mm, mieux.

Nous avons dépassé le point de basculement du changement climatique. Maintenant nous devons faire face à toutes les conséquences de l’échec du gouvernement.

Beaucoup trop négatif.

Maintenant nous devons faire face aux conséquences de l’inaction… et à une culture multi-générationnelle de déni pour maintenir le statu quo.

Coupe la dernière partie.

Je pense qu’on en a besoin.

Et je pense qu’on n’en a pas besoin. Continuez.

…Des cycles de réchauffement sans précédent ont fait fondre les calottes glaciaires, provoquant l’extinction massive d’espèces. L’acidification des océans a détruit la majorité de la marine et des chaînes alimentaires marines et mammifères. L’occurrence d’événements météorologiques extrêmes a considérablement augmenté alors que le niveau des mers continue de monter.

Vous ne pouvez pas dire tout ça.

Les gens le savent déjà.

Alors pourquoi le dire à nouveau ?

Parce que c’est vrai.

La vérité est surfaite.

Alors pourquoi est-ce que je fais ce discours ?

Parce que, politiquement, c’est un geste intelligent si on le fait bien. Ça vous fait aussi ressembler à un Premier Ministre…

Je suis le Premier Ministre

Oui, et bien, vous savez ce que je veux dire.

Je ne pense pas.

Ecoute, ne te focalise pas sur les petites choses. Tu dois ignorer tes instincts. Tout ce que ce qui semble juste, est faux. Tu ne gagneras pas si tu répètes tes erreurs.

Ne me mets pas tout sur le dos.

Dit le gars qui s’est levé à la Chambre des communes et a nié l’existence du changement climatique le même jour où les scientifiques ont annoncé que le cercle arctique était libre de glace.

Ils l’ont fait exprès pour que j’aie l’air mauvais.

Quoi, faire fondre le cercle arctique ?

Tu sais ce que je veux dire.

Je ne pense pas.

Tu penses vraiment que tu peux réparer ça ?

Et toi, qu’en penses-tu ?

Tu réponds toujours à une question par une question ?

Seulement les plus stupides.

Bien… Où en étions-nous ?

Quelque part entre l’extinction massive et les conditions météorologiques extrêmes.

…Aujourd’hui, nous reconnaissons que le déni du changement climatique était une erreur.

Pas faux mais…

Regrettable.

Beauté.

J’ai déjà dit regrettable…

Ouais, et tu vas le dire une centaine de fois de plus, alors habitue-toi.

…L’industrie des combustibles fossiles a activement trompé le public et est largement responsable de l’inaction sur le changement climatique, le capitalisme étant la force motrice.

Ne dites pas le mot en C.

Pourquoi pas ?

Vous ne pouvez pas être vu en train de rejeter la faute sur l’industrie.

Un peu plus d’une centaine d’entreprises sont responsables de 71% de toutes les émissions mondiales de gaz à effet de serre de gaz à effet de serre.

C’est discutable.

Non, si nous utilisons la science, ça ne l’est pas.

Wow, et où était ce gars il y a quelques années ?

J’essaie de rattraper mes erreurs passées.

Et ça mon ami, c’est comme ça que tu tues ta carrière politique.

Je dois le dire.

Non, tu ne dois pas. Tu parles à la base. Des membres qui ont leur carte. Ils ont voté pour vous à cause de votre idéologie. Vous ne pouvez pas simplement appâter et changer ces gens. Faites ça et vous pouvez dire adieu à l’élection.

Vous avez raison. Merci pour ça.

Pour quoi ?

Ça ne m’a pas vraiment frappé jusqu’à ce que tu me répètes mes mots.

Qu’est-ce que j’ai dit ? Désolé, j’en ai dit beaucoup.

Extinction massive.

Oh, allez. J’essaie juste de vous faire réélire.

Il ne s’agit plus de politique.

Tout est à propos de la politique.

Désolé, mais je dois le faire.

Laissez-moi faire mon travail ici. Je suis un réparateur, c’est ce que je suis payé pour faire. Réparer les choses. Et si vous voulez que ça s’arrange, M. le Premier ministre, alors vous devez commencer à m’écouter pronto. Faites-le.  Non. Vous excuser. Ces sentiments altruistes sont éphémères. Faites-moi confiance. Vous pensez avoir trouvé une certaine clarté, mais ce n’est pas le cas. Et quand ces sentiments passeront, et ils passeront, vous regretterez d’avoir pris une décision dans un moment de faiblesse. Tu me comprends ?

Parfaitement. Je pense que tu dois partir.

Vous faites une grosse erreur.

Peut-être, peut-être pas.

Laisse-moi t’aider.

Non, je pense que vous avez assez aidé. Maintenant si vous voulez bien m’excuser, j’ai un discours à écrire.

Dernière chance… Vraiment ? Bien, c’est ton enterrement… Tu sais quoi ? Je n’allais pas voter pour toi de toute façon.

Ah, tu as brisé ta propre règle.

Et c’est quoi ?

Ne pas en faire une affaire personnelle.

FIN

The post e91 keith barker – telling a really good story appeared first on conscient podcast / balado conscient. conscient is a bilingual blog and podcast (French or English) by audio artist Claude Schryer that explores how arts and culture contribute to environmental awareness and action.

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About the Concient Podcast from Claude Schryer

The conscient podcast / balado conscient is a series of conversations about art, conscience and the ecological crisis. This podcast is bilingual (in either English or French). The language of the guest determines the language of the podcast. Episode notes are translated but not individual interviews.

I started the conscient project in 2020 as a personal learning journey and knowledge sharing exercise. It has been rewarding, and sometimes surprising.

The term ‘conscient’ is defined as ‘being aware of one’s surroundings, thoughts and motivations’. My touchstone for the podcast is episode 1, e01 terrified, based on an essay I wrote in May 2019, where I share my anxiety about the climate crisis and my belief that arts and culture can play a critical role in raising public awareness about environmental issues. The conscient podcast / balado conscient follows up on my http://simplesoundscapes.ca (2016–2019) project: 175, 3-minute audio and video field recordings that explore mindful listening.

Season 1 (May to October 2020) explored how the arts contribute to environmental awareness and action. I produced 3 episodes in French and 15 in English. The episodes cover a wide range of content, including activism, impact measurement, gaming, arts funding, cross-sectoral collaborations, social justice, artistic practices, etc. Episodes 8 to 17 were recorded while I was at the Creative Climate Leadership USA course in Arizona in March 2020 (led by Julie’s Bicycle). Episode 18 is a compilation of highlights from these conversations.

Season 2 (March 2021 – ) explores the concept of reality and is about accepting reality, working through ecological grief and charting a path forward. The first episode of season 2 (e19 reality) mixes quotations from 28 authors with field recordings from simplesoundscapes and from my 1998 soundscape composition, Au dernier vivant les biens. One of my findings from this episode is that ‘I now see, and more importantly, I now feel in my bones, ‘the state of things as they actually exist’, without social filters or unsustainable stories blocking the way’. e19 reality touches upon 7 topics: our perception of reality, the possibility of human extinction, ecological anxiety and ecological grief, hope, arts, storytelling and the wisdom of indigenous cultures. The rest of season 2 features interviews with thought leaders about their responses and reactions to e19 reality.

my professional services

I’ve been retired from the Canada Council for the Arts since September 15, 2020 where I served as a senior strategic advisor in arts granting (2016-2020) and manager of the Inter-Arts Office (1999-2015). My focus in (quasi) retirement is environmental issues within my area of expertise in arts and culture, in particular in acoustic ecology. I’m open to become involved in projects that align with my values and that move forward environmental concerns. Feel free to email me for a conversation : claude@conscient.ca

acknowledgement of eco-responsibility

I acknowledge that the production of the conscient podcast / balado conscient produces carbon. I try to minimize this carbon footprint by being as efficient as possible, including using GreenGeeks as my web server and acquiring carbon offsets for my equipment and travel activities from BullFrog Power and Less.

a word about privilege and bias

While recording episode 19 ‘reality’, I heard elements of ‘privilege’ in my voice that I had not noticed before. It sounded a bit like ‘ecological mansplaining’. I realize that, in spite of good intentions, I need to work my way through issues of privilege (of all kinds) and unconscious bias the way I did through ecological anxiety and grief during the fall of 2020. My re-education is ongoing.

Go to conscient.ca

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This episode combines a conversation with dance artist, choreographer, director and embodiment facilitator Shannon Litzenberger on December 8, 2021 in Toronto with Shannon reading her State of Emergence: Why We Need Artists Right Now essay at the Gathering Divergence Multi-Arts Festival & Conference Fall 2021 | Art in the Time of Healing: The Importance of IBPOC Arts in Planetary Renewal organized by Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO) led by executive director Charles Smith and artistic programmer Kevin Ormsby. This is the first of 6 episodes recorded at the Gathering Divergence. Photo of Shannon Litzenberger by Aria Evans.

In her State of Emergence: Why We Need Artists Right Now essay Shannon Litzenberger shares her thoughts about the state of the arts and the state of artists where she hopes her perspective as an artist on the current crisis might resonate for other artists who still need to give voice to their experiences in this time of great disruption. You’ll hear Shannon read the entire 17-page essay, which is four parts: 

1. The Alienated State of the Artist: An Emergency and a Revolution-in-the-Making 
2. From Culture as a Colonial Project to Culture as a Lever for Change
3. Artists as World-Makers
4. From Emergency to Emergence: Detaching from the Current System to Build the Next One

Our conversation touched upon the origins of the essay, it’s intended audience, my thoughts on why it is a timely and provocative essay, precarity, empathy and Shannon’s embodiment work. 

This is the first of 6 episodes recorded at the Gathering Divergence event from December 8 to 10, 2021:

• episode 91 is my conversation with Keith Barker, artistic director of Native Earth Performing Arts, including a reading of his new 5 minute Climate Change Theatre Action play, Apology, My at the end of this episode
• episode 92 is a presentation (including audience questions) by Santee Smith from the recording of a panel I moderated called National Cultural Policy and arts in Response to Climate Change
• episode 93 is a presentation (including audience questions) by Anthony Garoufalis-Auger from the National Cultural Policy and arts in Response to Climate Change panel
• episode 94 is a presentation (including audience questions) by Devon Hardy from the National Cultural Policy and arts in Response to Climate Change panel
• episode 95 is my conversation with CPAMO Executive Director Charles Smith and artistic programmer Kevin Ormsby including excerpts from their talk about the Living in the Skin I am In: Experiential Learnings, Approaches and Considerations Towards Anti-Black Racism in the Arts publication  

Shannon’s essay is available on Medium. For more information about Shannon’s work see http://www.shannonlitzenberger.com/. 

*

Cet épisode intègre une conversation avec l'artiste de danse, chorégraphe, metteur en scène et facilitateur d'incarnation Shannon Litzenberger le 8 décembre 2021 à Toronto avec Shannon lisant son essai State of Emergence: Why We Need Artists Right Now au Gathering Divergence Multi-Arts Festival & Conference Fall 2021 | Art in the Time of Healing: The Importance of IBPOC Arts in Planetary Renewal organisé par Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO) dirigé par le directeur exécutif Charles Smith et le programmateur artistique Kevin Ormsby. Il s'agit du premier de 6 épisodes enregistrés lors de cet événement. Photo de Shannon Litzenberger par Aria Evans.

Dans son essai State of Emergence : Why We Need Artists Right Now, Shannon Litzenberger nous fait part de ses réflexions sur l’état des arts et l’état des artistes. Elle espère que son point de vue d’artiste sur la crise actuelle trouvera un écho auprès d’autres artistes qui ont encore besoin de donner une voix à leurs expériences en cette période de grands bouleversements. Vous entendrez l’intégralité de cet essai de 17 pages, qui se divise en quatre parties : 

1. L’état d’aliénation de l’artiste : Une urgence et une révolution en devenir 
2. De la culture comme projet colonial à la culture comme levier de changement
3. Les artistes, faiseurs de monde
4. De l’urgence à l’émergence : Se détacher du système actuel pour construire le prochain.

Notre conversation a porté sur les origines de l’essai, son public cible, mes réflexions sur les raisons pour lesquelles il s’agit d’un essai opportun et provocateur, la précarité, l’empathie et le travail d’incarnation de Shannon. 

Ceci est le premier de 6 épisodes enregistrés lors de l’événement Gathering Divergence du 8 au 10 décembre 2021:

• l’épisode 91 est ma conversation avec Keith Barker, directeur artistique de Native Earth Performing Arts, y compris une lecture de sa nouvelle pièce de Climate Change Theatre Action de 5 minutes, Apology, My à la fin de cet épisode.
• L’épisode 92 est une présentation (avec questions du public) par Santee Smith Ã  partir de l’enregistrement d’une table ronde que j’ai modérée et qui s’intitulait National Cultural Policy and arts in Response to Climate Change.
• l’épisode 93 est une présentation (avec des questions du public) par Anthony Garoufalis-Auger à partir de l’enregistrement de la table ronde sur la politique culturelle nationale et les arts en réponse au changement climatique.
• L’épisode 94 est une présentation (avec questions du public) par Devon Hardy du panel Politique culturelle nationale et arts en réponse au changement climatique.
• l’épisode 95 est ma conversation avec Charles Smith, directeur général du CPAMO, et Kevin Ormsby, programmateur artistique, y compris des extraits de leur exposé sur le projet Living in the Skin I am In : Living in the Skin I am In: Experiential Learnings, Approaches and Considerations Towards Anti-Black Racism in the Arts (Apprentissages expérientiels, approches et considérations concernant la lutte contre le racisme noir dans les arts).  

L’essai de Shannon est disponible sur Medium. Pour plus d’informations sur le travail de Shannon, voir http://www.shannonlitzenberger.com/ .

The post e90 shannon litzenberger – state of emergence : why we need artists right now appeared first on conscient podcast / balado conscient. conscient is a bilingual blog and podcast (French or English) by audio artist Claude Schryer that explores how arts and culture contribute to environmental awareness and action.

———-

About the Concient Podcast from Claude Schryer

The conscient podcast / balado conscient is a series of conversations about art, conscience and the ecological crisis. This podcast is bilingual (in either English or French). The language of the guest determines the language of the podcast. Episode notes are translated but not individual interviews.

I started the conscient project in 2020 as a personal learning journey and knowledge sharing exercise. It has been rewarding, and sometimes surprising.

The term ‘conscient’ is defined as ‘being aware of one’s surroundings, thoughts and motivations’. My touchstone for the podcast is episode 1, e01 terrified, based on an essay I wrote in May 2019, where I share my anxiety about the climate crisis and my belief that arts and culture can play a critical role in raising public awareness about environmental issues. The conscient podcast / balado conscient follows up on my http://simplesoundscapes.ca (2016–2019) project: 175, 3-minute audio and video field recordings that explore mindful listening.

Season 1 (May to October 2020) explored how the arts contribute to environmental awareness and action. I produced 3 episodes in French and 15 in English. The episodes cover a wide range of content, including activism, impact measurement, gaming, arts funding, cross-sectoral collaborations, social justice, artistic practices, etc. Episodes 8 to 17 were recorded while I was at the Creative Climate Leadership USA course in Arizona in March 2020 (led by Julie’s Bicycle). Episode 18 is a compilation of highlights from these conversations.

Season 2 (March 2021 – ) explores the concept of reality and is about accepting reality, working through ecological grief and charting a path forward. The first episode of season 2 (e19 reality) mixes quotations from 28 authors with field recordings from simplesoundscapes and from my 1998 soundscape composition, Au dernier vivant les biens. One of my findings from this episode is that ‘I now see, and more importantly, I now feel in my bones, ‘the state of things as they actually exist’, without social filters or unsustainable stories blocking the way’. e19 reality touches upon 7 topics: our perception of reality, the possibility of human extinction, ecological anxiety and ecological grief, hope, arts, storytelling and the wisdom of indigenous cultures. The rest of season 2 features interviews with thought leaders about their responses and reactions to e19 reality.

my professional services

I’ve been retired from the Canada Council for the Arts since September 15, 2020 where I served as a senior strategic advisor in arts granting (2016-2020) and manager of the Inter-Arts Office (1999-2015). My focus in (quasi) retirement is environmental issues within my area of expertise in arts and culture, in particular in acoustic ecology. I’m open to become involved in projects that align with my values and that move forward environmental concerns. Feel free to email me for a conversation : claude@conscient.ca

acknowledgement of eco-responsibility

I acknowledge that the production of the conscient podcast / balado conscient produces carbon. I try to minimize this carbon footprint by being as efficient as possible, including using GreenGeeks as my web server and acquiring carbon offsets for my equipment and travel activities from BullFrog Power and Less.

a word about privilege and bias

While recording episode 19 ‘reality’, I heard elements of ‘privilege’ in my voice that I had not noticed before. It sounded a bit like ‘ecological mansplaining’. I realize that, in spite of good intentions, I need to work my way through issues of privilege (of all kinds) and unconscious bias the way I did through ecological anxiety and grief during the fall of 2020. My re-education is ongoing.

Go to conscient.ca

Powered by WPeMatico

episode 89 features quotes from Artists must confront the climate crisis – we must write as if these are the last days by Nigerian novelist and poet Ben Okri from the November 12, 2021 edition of The Guardian newspaper. Okri writes about existential creativity and call for a new philosophy for these times, with an excerpt from episode 87 kendra fanconi. Cover art is a collection of flowers and fruits by Jeannine Schryer of Ottawa. 

conscient podcast episode 89, Sunday, December 5, 2021, 7.32 pm

I’m back in Ottawa and I’m going to record this monologue in one take, as I have been doing since the beginning of season 3 of this podcast. So here we go. 

Today’s episode features quotes from Artists must confront the climate crisis – we must write as if these are the last days by Nigerian novelist and poet Ben Okri from the November 12, 2021 edition of The Guardian newspaper.

Here is the first quote from Ben Okri’s article: 

Here we are on the edges of the biggest crisis that has ever faced us. We need a new philosophy for these times, for this near-terminal moment in the history of the human. It is out of this I want to propose an existential creativity. How do I define it? It is the creativity wherein nothing should be wasted. As a writer, it means everything I write should be directed to the immediate end of drawing attention to the dire position we are in as a species. It means that the writing must have no frills. It should speak only truth. In it, the truth must be also beauty. It calls for the highest economy. It means that everything I do must have a singular purpose. It also means that I must write now as if these are the last things I will write, that any of us will write. If you knew you were at the last days of the human story, what would you write? How would you write? What would your aesthetics be? Would you use more words than necessary? What form would poetry truly take? And what would happen to humour? Would we be able to laugh, with the sense of the last days on us?

Words like this provide clarity and insight, don’t they?

I think they help contextualize complexity and they help us cut through destructive fantasies like endless growth.

They literally lay out the truth so that we can see, and hear, the world in which we live, as it really is and it reminds me what a zen teacher once told me: 

‘Zen practice shows us how to take care and take responsibility with, and as each moment, by opening attention to reality and responding to what actually needs to be done.’

It being December, Okri’s words are all the more poignant as we enter this crazy period of hyper consumerism that we call the holiday season. 

This is how Okri concludes his article and I encourage you to read the entire thing: 

This is the best and most natural home we are ever going to have. And we need to become a new people to deserve it. We are going to have to be new artists to redream it. This is why I propose existential creativity, to serve the unavoidable truth of our times, and a visionary existentialism, to serve the future that we must bring about from the brink of our environmental catastrophe. We can only make a future from the depth of the truth we face now.

I’m intrigued by this notion of existential creativity, and I wonder what it might sound like?

(Sound of a piece of paper ripping)

Maybe it sounds like a piece of paper being torn. 

Once torn, the paper cannot be put back together again, like Humpty-Dumpty, and one is left holding the pieces. 

More on the sound of some of these concepts in a future episode. 

I’ll end with an excerpt from episode 87, where theatre artist Kendra Fanconi comments upon Ben Okri’s article: 

We are all artists of the Anthropocene. We inherently are because this is the world that we’re living in right now. There’s no other world. We were down earlier at Robert’s Creek (BC) and it’s a salmon bearing stream. I think of it like we’re artists in the Anthropocene, like fish would be in the ocean: the water is all around us and the Anthropocene is all around us. I think it may be what Ben Okri is tasking us with is: can you describe the water? It’s all we know, but we need to be able to look from this moment now into the future and maybe that’s the job of artists. We’re the visionaries, we can see the future and we can envision it in different ways. I think he speaks to that too at the end of the article about saying part of why we need to talk about the times we’re in now is in relationship to a future, whatever that future looks like. And I do spend a lot of time trying to negotiate my belief in the future.

I wish you peace, peace of mind as you negotiate your own belief in the future.  

I want to thank Ben Okri and The Guardian newspaper for sharing these words and Kendra for her reflections upon them. 

And I thank you, for listening. 

The act of listening, to me, and maybe I should say the art of listening, true listening, sincere and radical listening, through to the depth of the truth, is at the heart of this moment.

*

L'épisode d'aujourd'hui présente des citations de Artists must confront the climate crisis – we must write as if these are the last days par le romancier et poète nigérian Ben Okri, tirées de l'édition du 12 novembre 2021 du journal The Guardian. Okri écrit sur la créativité existentielle et appelle à une nouvelle philosophie pour notre époque, avec un extrait de l'épisode 87 kendra fanconi.

balado conscient, épisode 89, dimanche 5 décembre 2021, 19h32

Je suis de retour à Ottawa et je vais enregistrer ce monologue en une seule prise, comme je le fais depuis le début de la saison 3 de ce podcast. C’est parti. 

L’épisode d’aujourd’hui présente des citations de Artists must confront the climate crisis – we must write as if these are the last days par le romancier et poète nigérian Ben Okri, tirées de l’édition du 12 novembre 2021 du journal The Guardian.

Voici la première citation de l’article de Ben Okri : 

Nous sommes ici au bord de la plus grande crise à laquelle nous n’ayons jamais été confrontés. Nous avons besoin d’une nouvelle philosophie pour ces temps, pour ce moment quasi-terminal de l’histoire de l’humain. C’est de cela que je veux proposer une créativité existentielle. Comment la définir ? C’est la créativité où rien ne doit être gaspillé. En tant qu’écrivain, cela signifie que tout ce que j’écris doit avoir pour objectif immédiat d’attirer l’attention sur la situation désastreuse dans laquelle nous nous trouvons en tant qu’espèce. Cela signifie que l’écriture ne doit pas avoir de fioritures. Il ne doit dire que la vérité. En elle, la vérité doit être aussi la beauté. Cela demande la plus grande économie. Cela signifie que tout ce que je fais doit avoir un but singulier. Cela signifie aussi que je dois écrire maintenant comme si c’était les dernières choses que j’écrirais, que chacun d’entre nous écrira. Si vous saviez que vous en êtes aux derniers jours de l’histoire humaine, qu’écririez-vous ? Comment écririez-vous ? Quelle serait votre esthétique ? Utiliseriez-vous plus de mots que nécessaires ? Quelle forme prendrait vraiment la poésie ? Et qu’adviendrait-il de l’humour ? Serions-nous capables de rire, avec le sentiment des derniers jours sur nous ?

Des mots comme ceux-ci apportent clarté et perspicacité, n’est-ce pas ?

Je pense qu’ils aident à contextualiser la complexité et qu’ils nous aident à couper court aux fantasmes destructeurs comme la croissance sans fin.

Ils exposent littéralement la vérité afin que nous puissions voir, et entendre, le monde dans lequel nous vivons, tel qu’il est vraiment et cela me rappelle ce qu’un professeur zen m’a dit un jour : 

La pratique du zen nous montre comment prendre soin et assumer nos responsabilités à chaque instant, en portant notre attention sur la réalité et en répondant à ce qui doit être fait.

Maintenant que nous sommes en décembre, les mots d’Okri sont d’autant plus poignants que nous entrons dans cette folle période d’hyperconsommation que nous appelons la période des fêtes. 

C’est ainsi qu’Okri conclut son article et je vous encourage à le lire en entier : 

C’est le meilleur et le plus naturel foyer que nous ayons jamais eu. Et nous devons devenir un nouveau peuple pour le mériter. Nous devons être de nouveaux artistes pour le redessiner. C’est pourquoi je propose une créativité existentielle, au service de l’inévitable vérité de notre époque, et un existentialisme visionnaire, au service de l’avenir que nous devons créer au bord de notre catastrophe environnementale. Nous ne pouvons créer un avenir qu’à partir de la profondeur de la vérité à laquelle nous sommes confrontés aujourd’hui.

Maintenant, je suis intrigué par cette notion de créativité existentielle et je me demande à quoi elle peut ressembler ? 

(Bruit d’une feuille de papier qui se déchire)

Peut-être que cela ressemble à une feuille de papier que l’on déchire. 

Une fois déchiré, le papier ne peut pas être recollé, comme Humpty-Dumpty, et on se retrouve avec les morceaux. 

Nous reviendrons sur le son de certains de ces concepts dans un prochain épisode. 

Je terminerai par un extrait de l’épisode 87, où l’artiste de théâtre Kendra Fanconi commente l’article de Ben Okri : 

Nous sommes tous des artistes de l’Anthropocène. Nous le sommes par nature, car c’est le monde dans lequel nous vivons en ce moment. Il n’y a pas d’autre monde. Nous étions tout à l’heure à Robert’s Creek (BC) et c’est un ruisseau à saumon. Je pense que nous sommes des artistes dans l’Anthropocène, comme des poissons dans l’océan : l’eau est tout autour de nous et l’Anthropocène est tout autour de nous. Je pense que ce que Ben Okri nous demande, c’est de décrire l’eau. C’est tout ce que nous savons, mais nous devons être capables d’envisager l’avenir à partir de ce moment présent, et c’est peut-être là le travail des artistes. Nous sommes les visionnaires, nous pouvons voir l’avenir et nous pouvons l’envisager de différentes manières. Je pense qu’il en parle aussi à la fin de l’article en disant qu’une partie de la raison pour laquelle nous devons parler de l’époque dans laquelle nous sommes maintenant est en relation avec un avenir, quel que soit cet avenir. Et je passe beaucoup de temps à essayer de négocier ma foi en l’avenir.

Je vous souhaite la paix, la paix de l’esprit alors que vous négociez votre propre croyance en l’avenir.  

Je tiens à remercier Ben Okri et le journal The Guardian pour avoir partagé ces mots et Kendra pour ses réflexions à leur sujet. 

Et je vous remercie d’avoir écouté. 

L’acte d’écouter, pour moi, et peut-être devrais-je dire l’art d’écouter, la véritable écoute, l’écoute sincère et radicale, jusqu’à la profondeur de la vérité, est au cœur de ce moment.

The post e89 excerpts from ben okri’s ‘artists must confront the climate crisis’ appeared first on conscient podcast / balado conscient. conscient is a bilingual blog and podcast (French or English) by audio artist Claude Schryer that explores how arts and culture contribute to environmental awareness and action.

———-

About the Concient Podcast from Claude Schryer

The conscient podcast / balado conscient is a series of conversations about art, conscience and the ecological crisis. This podcast is bilingual (in either English or French). The language of the guest determines the language of the podcast. Episode notes are translated but not individual interviews.

I started the conscient project in 2020 as a personal learning journey and knowledge sharing exercise. It has been rewarding, and sometimes surprising.

The term ‘conscient’ is defined as ‘being aware of one’s surroundings, thoughts and motivations’. My touchstone for the podcast is episode 1, e01 terrified, based on an essay I wrote in May 2019, where I share my anxiety about the climate crisis and my belief that arts and culture can play a critical role in raising public awareness about environmental issues. The conscient podcast / balado conscient follows up on my http://simplesoundscapes.ca (2016–2019) project: 175, 3-minute audio and video field recordings that explore mindful listening.

Season 1 (May to October 2020) explored how the arts contribute to environmental awareness and action. I produced 3 episodes in French and 15 in English. The episodes cover a wide range of content, including activism, impact measurement, gaming, arts funding, cross-sectoral collaborations, social justice, artistic practices, etc. Episodes 8 to 17 were recorded while I was at the Creative Climate Leadership USA course in Arizona in March 2020 (led by Julie’s Bicycle). Episode 18 is a compilation of highlights from these conversations.

Season 2 (March 2021 – ) explores the concept of reality and is about accepting reality, working through ecological grief and charting a path forward. The first episode of season 2 (e19 reality) mixes quotations from 28 authors with field recordings from simplesoundscapes and from my 1998 soundscape composition, Au dernier vivant les biens. One of my findings from this episode is that ‘I now see, and more importantly, I now feel in my bones, ‘the state of things as they actually exist’, without social filters or unsustainable stories blocking the way’. e19 reality touches upon 7 topics: our perception of reality, the possibility of human extinction, ecological anxiety and ecological grief, hope, arts, storytelling and the wisdom of indigenous cultures. The rest of season 2 features interviews with thought leaders about their responses and reactions to e19 reality.

my professional services

I’ve been retired from the Canada Council for the Arts since September 15, 2020 where I served as a senior strategic advisor in arts granting (2016-2020) and manager of the Inter-Arts Office (1999-2015). My focus in (quasi) retirement is environmental issues within my area of expertise in arts and culture, in particular in acoustic ecology. I’m open to become involved in projects that align with my values and that move forward environmental concerns. Feel free to email me for a conversation : claude@conscient.ca

acknowledgement of eco-responsibility

I acknowledge that the production of the conscient podcast / balado conscient produces carbon. I try to minimize this carbon footprint by being as efficient as possible, including using GreenGeeks as my web server and acquiring carbon offsets for my equipment and travel activities from BullFrog Power and Less.

a word about privilege and bias

While recording episode 19 ‘reality’, I heard elements of ‘privilege’ in my voice that I had not noticed before. It sounded a bit like ‘ecological mansplaining’. I realize that, in spite of good intentions, I need to work my way through issues of privilege (of all kinds) and unconscious bias the way I did through ecological anxiety and grief during the fall of 2020. My re-education is ongoing.

Go to conscient.ca

Powered by WPeMatico

My #conscientpodcast conversation with my father-in-law, the poet and educator Robin Mathews, which combines a 2021 recording about radical listening with a 2004 recording about political poetry and the role of the artist in society, including Robin reading 3 of his poems: at the Café Lenin, The Lady From Iraq and Unmarked Graves.

This is a special edition of the conscient podcast. You’ll hear two recordings that I did with my father in the law, the poet and educator Robin Mathews. I did not narrate his extensive biography however there are some links in the episode notes below for you to learn more about his distinguished career as a writer and activist. 

The first recording is from just a few days in Vancouver, where I ask him to help me understand the origins of the term radical and also the notion of radical listening, which is the theme of this 3^rd season. The second recording is from 17 years ago, in 2004 which was a series of conversation I had with Robin about political poetry and the role of the artist in society. I thought I would bring these two conversations together in this episode.

You’ll also hear him read three of his poems. The first is at the Café Lenin from his Think Freedom book of poetry published in 2004 by Northland Publications.  The second is The Lady From Iraq, written in 1991. The third is from this year, called Unmarked Graves. 

In particular I like this quote from our 2004 conversation about the role of the artists in society:

It doesn’t do to dictate about the artist, because artists are as various as it is possible to be. A great many artists can only have their being in withdrawal and insularity, retreat and silence and so to call upon them to be social activists would be wounding and maybe destructive but in the large picture of the artist in the society, even the artists that I have described, must in himself or herself, recognize that to be artists is a special function and a special blessing and in response to it, the artist must take responsibility for the nature of the society in which he or she lives. And that’s asking a great deal, but I don’t think it’s asking too much.

I want thank Robin for sharing his deep knowledge of arts and culture and his passion for poetry and literature. I also thank him for being a generous and supportive father-in-law to me and a loving grandfather to our children. Though she does not appear in this episode, I also recognize the work and wisdom of Esther Mathews as an activist and cultural worker. 

Poems narrated in this episode

at the Café Lenin (2004)

We’ll meet at the Café Lenin. 

when the midnight hour has toiled.

We’ll drink to the hopes, the past held dear

on a planet grown tragically old 

We’ll mourn the loss of the ozone, 

the oceans depleted of fish; we’ll remember the songs that were sung by the frogs,

we’ll remember and wonder and wish 

We’ll sit in the Café Lenin 

with its decor of scarlet and black 

mourning the million’s gone down to their grave

so the markets can stay ‘on track’. 

We’ll drink to the men and the women 

who fight for the Good and the Just

and are torn from hope and human love 

by Imperial greed and lust. 

We’ll praise all revolutions – 

no matter how poor or small – 

where the weak and the tortured fight to break free 

of Capital’s murdering thrall. 

We’ll meet at the Café Lenin 

in the darkness and dead of our night. 

We’ll remember, dream – and then plan a fresh

for a New Day filled with Light.

The Lady from Iraq

The lady in the High-Class Store, backs the madmen on the Hill. She blesses them and thinks it right, that they should kill and kill, because the world, she says, is bad and good. Our leaders stand up for the right. The bad must feel our heavy wrath falling on them in the night.

The lady in the High-Class Store Doesn’t wish her neighbour ill, Doesn’t have a racist hate, Doesn’t rifle from the till.

Like you and me she starts her day with coffee by her lawn side view, Sews for her daughter, loves her son, Fears the different and the new.

She talks about our U.S. friends. She says they need to go to war. As friends we ought to follow them. We can’t do less, she thinks, or more.

She’s built herself a fortress mind. She wanders in a burning wood where admen tell her what is True, The TV tells her what is Good.

She doesn’t know her choice has been. Packaged somewhere far away. When she sees there’s throwing stones, She wants to throw some of her own.

Her leaders know that. They depend that she’ll continue being she. They build their banal madness on her firm predictability.

Unmarked Graves (2021)

Hearing voices rising from unmarked graves 

seeing forms as though of bodies

bound in ill-fitting cerements

moving away from habitations
moving silently through unbroken forest

as if along worn trails

Hearing voices murmuring unintelligible phrases 

and seeing the shapes of bodies 

(or what were once bodies)

bound in ill-fitting cerements
moving silently through unbroken forest
moving where there is no pathway….
Their voices rising from unmarked graves
echo in the empty passageways of memory.

When they speak
(as if they are speaking to one another)
their voices rising from unmarked graves
are not wise and rounded and certain voices
(as the voices of the dead should be:
voices that rise from completed lives)
they are uncertain voices 
echoing in the empty passageways of memory.

No history can restore them.
No intention can give them wholeness back, 
as if their destiny
is barely to be heard or seen
except as voices rising from unmarked graves –
except as shadows bound in ill-fitting cerements
moving through unbroken forest – 
having been given release
to utter cries of forlorn hope
cries that come to the ears as the cries of those
lost in the empty passageways of memory –
as cries uttered in sadness and abandonment
rising from the unmarked graves of those not known
or remembered
but walking on the ghostly pathways
of a past erased
and only found again in palsied memory … 
and in dream.

Links mention in this episode

• https://www.lib.sfu.ca/system/files/28909/Paris1968.pdf
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Mathews_(poet)
• https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/robin-mathews

*

Ma conversation #baladoconscient avec mon beau-père, le poète et éducateur Robin Mathews, qui allie un enregistrement de 2021 sur l'écoute radicale avec un enregistrement de 2004 sur la poésie politique et le rôle de l'artiste sur la société, avec Robin lisant 3 de ses poèmes : at the Café Lenin, The Lady From Iraq et Unmarked Graves.

Ceci est une édition spéciale du balado conscient. Vous allez entendre deux enregistrements que j’ai réalisés avec mon beau-père, le poète et éducateur Robin Mathews. Je n’ai pas fait la narration de sa biographie détaillée, mais vous trouverez des liens ci-dessous pour en savoir plus sur sa carrière distinguée d’écrivain et d’activiste. 

Le premier enregistrement a eu lieu lue 25 novembre, 2021 à Vancouver, où je lui demande de m’aider à comprendre les origines du mot radical et aussi la notion d’écoute radicale, qui est le thème de cette 3e saison. Le deuxième enregistrement date d’il y a 17 ans, en 2004. Il s’agit d’une série de conversations que j’ai eues avec Robin sur la poésie politique et le rôle de l’artiste dans la société. J’ai donc pensé réunir ces deux conversations dans cet épisode.

Vous l’entendrez également lire trois de ses poèmes. Le premier s’intitule At the Café Lenin et est tiré de son recueil de poèmes Think Freedom publié en 2004 par Northland Publications.  Le deuxième est The Lady From Iraq, Ã©crit en 1991. Le troisième, que vous allez entendre, date de cette année et s’intitule Unmarked Graves. 

J’aime particulièrement cette citation tirée de notre conversation de 2004 sur le rôle des artistes dans la société :

Il ne faut pas dicter le rôle de l’artiste, car les artistes sont aussi divers qu’il est possible de l’être. Un grand nombre d’artistes ne peuvent exister que dans l’Isolement, l’insularité, la retraite et le silence, et leur demander d’être des activistes sociaux serait blessant et peut-être destructeur, mais dans l’image globale de l’artiste dans la société, même les artistes que j’ai décrits, doivent reconnaître qu’être artiste est une fonction spéciale et une bénédiction spéciale, et en réponse à cela, l’artiste doit prendre la responsabilité de la nature de la société dans laquelle il ou elle vit. Et c’est beaucoup demander, mais je ne pense pas que ce soit trop demander.

Je tiens à remercier Robin d’avoir partagé sa profonde connaissance des arts et de la culture et sa passion pour la poésie et la littérature. Je le remercie également d’avoir été un beau-père généreux et solidaire pour moi et un grand-père aimant pour nos enfants. Bien qu’elle n’apparaisse pas dans cet épisode, je reconnais également le travail et la sagesse d’Esther Mathews en tant que militante et travailleuse culturelle.

The post e88 robin mathews – on radical listening & political poetry appeared first on conscient podcast / balado conscient. conscient is a bilingual blog and podcast (French or English) by audio artist Claude Schryer that explores how arts and culture contribute to environmental awareness and action.

———-

About the Concient Podcast from Claude Schryer

The conscient podcast / balado conscient is a series of conversations about art, conscience and the ecological crisis. This podcast is bilingual (in either English or French). The language of the guest determines the language of the podcast. Episode notes are translated but not individual interviews.

I started the conscient project in 2020 as a personal learning journey and knowledge sharing exercise. It has been rewarding, and sometimes surprising.

The term ‘conscient’ is defined as ‘being aware of one’s surroundings, thoughts and motivations’. My touchstone for the podcast is episode 1, e01 terrified, based on an essay I wrote in May 2019, where I share my anxiety about the climate crisis and my belief that arts and culture can play a critical role in raising public awareness about environmental issues. The conscient podcast / balado conscient follows up on my http://simplesoundscapes.ca (2016–2019) project: 175, 3-minute audio and video field recordings that explore mindful listening.

Season 1 (May to October 2020) explored how the arts contribute to environmental awareness and action. I produced 3 episodes in French and 15 in English. The episodes cover a wide range of content, including activism, impact measurement, gaming, arts funding, cross-sectoral collaborations, social justice, artistic practices, etc. Episodes 8 to 17 were recorded while I was at the Creative Climate Leadership USA course in Arizona in March 2020 (led by Julie’s Bicycle). Episode 18 is a compilation of highlights from these conversations.

Season 2 (March 2021 – ) explores the concept of reality and is about accepting reality, working through ecological grief and charting a path forward. The first episode of season 2 (e19 reality) mixes quotations from 28 authors with field recordings from simplesoundscapes and from my 1998 soundscape composition, Au dernier vivant les biens. One of my findings from this episode is that ‘I now see, and more importantly, I now feel in my bones, ‘the state of things as they actually exist’, without social filters or unsustainable stories blocking the way’. e19 reality touches upon 7 topics: our perception of reality, the possibility of human extinction, ecological anxiety and ecological grief, hope, arts, storytelling and the wisdom of indigenous cultures. The rest of season 2 features interviews with thought leaders about their responses and reactions to e19 reality.

my professional services

I’ve been retired from the Canada Council for the Arts since September 15, 2020 where I served as a senior strategic advisor in arts granting (2016-2020) and manager of the Inter-Arts Office (1999-2015). My focus in (quasi) retirement is environmental issues within my area of expertise in arts and culture, in particular in acoustic ecology. I’m open to become involved in projects that align with my values and that move forward environmental concerns. Feel free to email me for a conversation : claude@conscient.ca

acknowledgement of eco-responsibility

I acknowledge that the production of the conscient podcast / balado conscient produces carbon. I try to minimize this carbon footprint by being as efficient as possible, including using GreenGeeks as my web server and acquiring carbon offsets for my equipment and travel activities from BullFrog Power and Less.

a word about privilege and bias

While recording episode 19 ‘reality’, I heard elements of ‘privilege’ in my voice that I had not noticed before. It sounded a bit like ‘ecological mansplaining’. I realize that, in spite of good intentions, I need to work my way through issues of privilege (of all kinds) and unconscious bias the way I did through ecological anxiety and grief during the fall of 2020. My re-education is ongoing.

Go to conscient.ca

Powered by WPeMatico

My 2nd #conscientpodcast conversation with theatre artist and art + climate activist Kendra Fanconi in Robert’s Creek, BC about the ‘Artist Brigade’, Ben Okri, eco-restoration, eco-grief & reauthoring the world, with excerpts from e43 haley, e30 maggs & Ã©37 lebeau.

Robert’s Creek is on the ancient and unceded territory of the shishalh Nation.  The shishalh people call Robert’s Creek xwesam.  

I’ve known Kendra for many years, first through her work with Radix Theatre then as an arts and environment advocate in the community, notably through The Only Animal company, which she co-founded with Eric Rhys Miller in 2005 and which has created over 30 shows  that ‘take theatre places it has never gone before’. I’ve always admired Kendra’s vision, her calm demeanour, her strategic mind, and deep commitment to environment issues, as you’ll hear on our conversation, which recorded in her kitchen in Robert’s Creek, BC. 

My goal with this series of second conversations is to go deeper into issues from our initial conversation, to hear updates on their work as well as their vision for the future. 

Kendra gave me an update on the ‘Artists Brigade’ project, her perspectives Nigerian novelist and poet Ben Okri’s call to action Artists must confront the climate crisis – we must write as if these are the last days article, ecological restoration, the work of death doula and climate grief advisor Corey Mathews (Hardeman), the impact of eco-anxiety and about reauthoring the world, including excerpts from e43 haley, e30 maggs & Ã©37 lebeau.

Links mentioned during our conversation :

• Jason DeCaires Taylor (coral reef work)
• Alana Mitchell
• Greenhouse (two-day climate intensive for Artist Brigade)
• David Suzuki Foundation

I was also moved by this quote from my conversation with Kendra:

I think the climate movement is full of love and care. Those are the people who get involved. Even though we have this sort of vision of the angry activists. I think at the heart of it, it’s about care and love. And so, I found that definition of climate grief and the link of love and loss to be very reassuring and to know that grieving in community, which may be is, I mentioned to you earlier, this sort of love that I have for this climate brethren, artists who care about climate, that I’ve found on how nourishing that is for me. Maybe we all do it together? We’re locked in this love and loss and we’re doing it as a community and versus doing it alone, which I feel like I did do for many years before I got involved in this way. It’s just so much better.

Excerpt from previous conscient episodes used in e87:

 David Haley (e43 haley):

What I have learned to do, and this is my practice, is to focus on making space. This became clear to me when I read, Lila : An inquiry into morals by Robert Pirsig. Towards the end of the book, he suggests that the most moral act of all, is to create the space for life to move onwards and it was one of those sentences that just rang true with me, and I’ve held onto that ever since and pursued the making of space, not the filling of it.

David Maggs (e30 maggs):

Complexity is the world built of relationships and it’s a very different thing to engage what is true or real in a complexity framework than it is to engage in it, in what is a modernist Western enlightenment ambition, to identify the absolute objective properties that are intrinsic in any given thing. Everyone is grappling with the fact that the world is exhibiting itself so much in these entanglements of relationships. The arts are completely at home in that world. And so, we’ve been sort of under the thumb of the old world. We’ve always been a kind of second-class citizen in an enlightenment rationalist society. But once we move out of that world and we move into a complexity framework, suddenly the arts are entirely at home, and we have capacity in that world that a lot of other sectors don’t have. What I’ve been trying to do with this report (Art and the World After This) is articulate the way in which these different disruptions are putting us in a very different reality and it’s a reality in which we go from being a kind of secondary entertaining class to, maybe, having a capacity to sit at the heart of a lot of really critical problem-solving challenges.

Anne-Catherine Lebeau (é37 lebeau.):

Note: translation from the French

For me, it is certain that we need more collaboration. That’s what’s interesting. Moving from a ‘Take Make Waste’ model to ‘Care Dare Share’. To me, that says a lot. I think we need to look at everything we have in the arts as a common good that we need to collectively take care of. Often, at the beginning, we talked in terms of doing as little harm as possible to the environment, not harming it, that’s often how sustainable development was presented, then by doing research, and by being inspired, among other things, by what is done at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in England, around circular economies, I realized that they talk about how to nourish a new reality. How do you create art that is regenerative? Art that feeds something.

*

Ma deuxième conversation #baladoconscient avec Kendra Fanconi, artiste de théâtre et activiste pour l'art et le climat, à Robert's Creek, en Colombie-Britannique, sur la "Brigade des artistes", Ben Okri, l'éco-restauration, l'éco-chagrin et la réécriture du monde, avec des extraits de e43 haley, e30 maggs & Ã©37 lebeau.

Robert's Creek se trouve sur le territoire ancien et non cédé de la nation shishalh.  Le peuple shishalh appelle Robert's Creek xwesam.  

Je connais Kendra depuis de nombreuses années, d’abord par son travail avec Radix Theatre, puis en tant que défenseur des arts et de l’environnement dans la communauté, notamment par le biais de la compagnie The Only Animal, qu’elle a cofondée avec Eric Rhys Miller en 2005 et qui a créé plus de 30 spectacles qui “emmènent le théâtre là où il n’est jamais allé auparavant”. J’ai toujours admiré la vision de Kendra, son comportement calme, son esprit stratégique et son profond engagement envers les questions environnementales, comme vous pourrez l’entendre au cours de notre conversation, enregistrée dans sa cuisine à Robert’s Creek, en Colombie-Britannique. 

L’objectif de cette série de secondes conversations est d’approfondir les questions abordées lors de notre première conversation, d’entendre des mises à jour sur leur travail ainsi que leur vision de l’avenir. 

Kendra m’a parlé du projet de la “Brigade des artistes”, de son point de vue sur l’appel à l’action du romancier et poète nigérian Ben Okri, de l’article “Les artistes doivent faire face à la crise climatique – nous devons écrire comme si c’était les derniers jours”, de la restauration écologique, du travail de Corey Mathews (Hardeman), doula de mort et conseiller en matière de deuil climatique, sur la réécriture du monde, y compris des extraits de e43 haley, e30 maggs & Ã©37 lebeau.

Liens mentionnés au cours de la conversation 

• Jason DeCaires Taylor (travail sur les récifs coralliens)
• Alana Mitchell
• Greenhouse (stage intensif de deux jours sur le climat pour la brigade d’artistes)
• David Suzuki Foundation

J’ai également été émue par cette citation tirée de ma conversation avec Kendra :

Je pense que le mouvement climatique est plein d’amour et d’attention. Ce sont les personnes qui s’impliquent. Même si nous avons cette sorte de vision des activistes en colère. Je pense qu’au fond, il s’agit d’amour et de compassion. Et donc, j’ai trouvé cette définition du deuil climatique et le lien entre l’amour et la perte très rassurant et de savoir que le deuil en communauté, qui est peut-être, je vous l’ai dit plus tôt, cette sorte d’amour que j’ai pour ces frères du climat, les artistes qui se soucient du climat, que j’ai trouvé sur la façon dont il est nourrissant pour moi. Peut-être que nous le faisons tous ensemble ? Nous sommes enfermés dans cet amour et cette perte et nous le faisons en tant que communauté plutôt que de le faire seuls, ce que j’ai l’impression d’avoir fait pendant de nombreuses années avant de m’engager de cette manière. C’est tellement mieux.

Extrait de précédents épisodes du balado conscient utilisés dans e87 :

David Haley (e43 haley)

Ce que j’ai appris à faire, et c’est ma pratique, c’est de me concentrer sur la création d’un espace. Cela m’est apparu clairement lorsque j’ai lu la : Lila : An inquiry into morals de Robert Pirsig. Vers la fin du livre, il suggère que l’acte le plus moral de tous est de créer l’espace nécessaire à la vie pour aller de l’avant. C’est l’une de ces phrases qui m’ont semblé vraies, et j’y ai adhéré depuis lors, en cherchant à créer de l’espace, et non à le remplir.

David Maggs (e30 maggs) :

La complexité est le monde construit de relations et c’est une chose très différente de s’engager dans ce qui est vrai ou réel dans un cadre de complexité que de s’y engager, dans ce qui est une ambition occidentale moderniste, de l’époque des Lumières (enlightenment), d’identifier les propriétés objectives absolues qui sont intrinsèques à toute chose donnée. Tout le monde est aux prises avec le fait que le monde s’expose tellement dans ces enchevêtrements de relations. Les arts sont complètement à l’aise dans ce monde. Et donc, nous avons été en quelque sorte sous la coupe de l’ancien monde. Nous avons toujours été une sorte de citoyen de seconde classe dans une société rationaliste de l’époque des Lumières. Mais une fois que nous sortons de ce monde et que nous entrons dans un cadre de complexité, les arts sont tout à fait à leur place et nous avons une capacité dans ce monde que beaucoup d’autres secteurs n’ont pas. Ce que j’ai essayé de faire avec ce rapport (Art and the World After This), c’est d’articuler la manière dont ces différentes perturbations nous placent dans une réalité très différente, une réalité dans laquelle nous passons d’une sorte de classe secondaire de divertissement à, peut-être, une capacité à prendre notre place au cœur de la résolution d’un grand nombre de problèmes vraiment critiques.

Anne-Catherine Lebeau (é37 lebeau) :

Pour moi, c’est sûr que ça passe par plus de collaboration. C’est ça qui est intéressant aussi. Vraiment passer du modèle ‘Take Make Waste’ à ‘Care Dare Share’. Pour moi, ça dit tellement de choses. Je pense qu’on doit considérer tout ce qu’on a dans le domaine artistique comme un bien commun dont on doit collectivement prendre soin. Souvent, au début, on parlait en termes de faire le moins de tort possible à l’environnement, ne pas nuire, c’est souvent comme ça que l’on présente le développement durable, puis en faisant des recherches, et en m’inspirant, entre autres, de ce qui se fait à la Fondation Ellen MacArthur  en Angleterre, en économie circulaire, je me suis rendu compte qu’eux demandent comment faire en sorte de nourrir une nouvelle réalité. Comment créer de l’art qui soit régénératif? Qui nourrisse quelque chose.

The post e87 kendra fanconi – on the artist brigade, ben okri, eco-restoration, eco-grief & reauthoring the world appeared first on conscient podcast / balado conscient. conscient is a bilingual blog and podcast (French or English) by audio artist Claude Schryer that explores how arts and culture contribute to environmental awareness and action.

———-

About the Concient Podcast from Claude Schryer

The conscient podcast / balado conscient is a series of conversations about art, conscience and the ecological crisis. This podcast is bilingual (in either English or French). The language of the guest determines the language of the podcast. Episode notes are translated but not individual interviews.

I started the conscient project in 2020 as a personal learning journey and knowledge sharing exercise. It has been rewarding, and sometimes surprising.

The term ‘conscient’ is defined as ‘being aware of one’s surroundings, thoughts and motivations’. My touchstone for the podcast is episode 1, e01 terrified, based on an essay I wrote in May 2019, where I share my anxiety about the climate crisis and my belief that arts and culture can play a critical role in raising public awareness about environmental issues. The conscient podcast / balado conscient follows up on my http://simplesoundscapes.ca (2016–2019) project: 175, 3-minute audio and video field recordings that explore mindful listening.

Season 1 (May to October 2020) explored how the arts contribute to environmental awareness and action. I produced 3 episodes in French and 15 in English. The episodes cover a wide range of content, including activism, impact measurement, gaming, arts funding, cross-sectoral collaborations, social justice, artistic practices, etc. Episodes 8 to 17 were recorded while I was at the Creative Climate Leadership USA course in Arizona in March 2020 (led by Julie’s Bicycle). Episode 18 is a compilation of highlights from these conversations.

Season 2 (March 2021 – ) explores the concept of reality and is about accepting reality, working through ecological grief and charting a path forward. The first episode of season 2 (e19 reality) mixes quotations from 28 authors with field recordings from simplesoundscapes and from my 1998 soundscape composition, Au dernier vivant les biens. One of my findings from this episode is that ‘I now see, and more importantly, I now feel in my bones, ‘the state of things as they actually exist’, without social filters or unsustainable stories blocking the way’. e19 reality touches upon 7 topics: our perception of reality, the possibility of human extinction, ecological anxiety and ecological grief, hope, arts, storytelling and the wisdom of indigenous cultures. The rest of season 2 features interviews with thought leaders about their responses and reactions to e19 reality.

my professional services

I’ve been retired from the Canada Council for the Arts since September 15, 2020 where I served as a senior strategic advisor in arts granting (2016-2020) and manager of the Inter-Arts Office (1999-2015). My focus in (quasi) retirement is environmental issues within my area of expertise in arts and culture, in particular in acoustic ecology. I’m open to become involved in projects that align with my values and that move forward environmental concerns. Feel free to email me for a conversation : claude@conscient.ca

acknowledgement of eco-responsibility

I acknowledge that the production of the conscient podcast / balado conscient produces carbon. I try to minimize this carbon footprint by being as efficient as possible, including using GreenGeeks as my web server and acquiring carbon offsets for my equipment and travel activities from BullFrog Power and Less.

a word about privilege and bias

While recording episode 19 ‘reality’, I heard elements of ‘privilege’ in my voice that I had not noticed before. It sounded a bit like ‘ecological mansplaining’. I realize that, in spite of good intentions, I need to work my way through issues of privilege (of all kinds) and unconscious bias the way I did through ecological anxiety and grief during the fall of 2020. My re-education is ongoing.

Go to conscient.ca

Powered by WPeMatico

My #conscientpodcast conversation with Robin Sokoloski, Janis Monture and their students as part of a class in Art Policy, Equity and Activism at Centennial College in Toronto exploring the role of the arts in activism, including quotes from e40 frasz, e82 washable paint, e05 carruthers, e73 judith marcuse – finding the energy to keep moving and e85 tracey friesen – narratives of resilience for a post carbon world.

Robin Sokoloski and Janis Monture teach a class in Art Policy, Equity and Activism at Centennial College in Toronto and asked me to be guest speaker on the issue of art and activism on November 23, 2021. The class kindly agreed to have the class recorded as episode 86 of this podcast. 

I’ve known Robin from many years in her role with Mass Culture and more recently as a co-founder of the Sectoral Climate Arts Leadership for the Emergency (SCALE) network. Robin was also my guest on episode 61 of this podcast. I met Janis many years ago back when I ran the Inter-Arts Office at Canada Council for the Arts in her role with the Woodland Cultural Centre.

Before the class Robin suggested I read this article : Assessing the Impact of Artistic Activism, which I recommend to anyone interested in art and activism. 

The conversation took place in ‘interview’ style. Robin asked me four questions: 

What is the arts role in activism when it comes to positive social good?

Can art affect policy? Is there an example you can think of?

What role can arts funders play when it comes to art and activism?

Share your current interest in art activism. What possibilities do you see within the arts or general public that encourage you to continue this work?

My answers, as well as my interaction with students, are in the recording. 

This episode also includes excerpts from e40 frasz, e82 washable paint, e05 carruthers, e73 judith marcuse – finding the energy to keep moving and e85 tracey friesen – narratives of resilience for a post carbon world.

Links referred to in this episode:

• Artists must confront the climate crisis – we must write as if these are the last days’
• Canada Council 21-26 Strategic Plan
• Climate Art Web
• SCALE-LeSAUT
• The times are urgent; let us slow down

*

Ma conversation #baladoconscient avec Robin Sokoloski, Janis Monture et leurs étudiants dans le cadre d'un cours sur la politique artistique, l'équité et l'activisme au Centennial College de Toronto sur le rôle des arts dans l'activisme, y inclut des extraits des épisodes suivants: e40 frasz, e82 washable paint, e05 carruthers, e73 judith marcuse – finding the energy to keep moving et e85 tracey friesen – narratives of resilience for a post carbon world.

Robin Sokoloski et Janis Monture donnent un cours sur la politique artistique, l’équité et l’activisme au Centennial College de Toronto et m’ont demandé d’être conférencier invité sur la question de l’art et de l’activisme le 23 novembre 2021. La classe a aimablement accepté que le cours soit enregistré comme l’épisode 86 de ce balado. 

Je connais Robin depuis de nombreuses années dans le cadre de son rôle au sein de Mobilisation culturelle et, plus récemment, en tant que cofondatrice du réseau Leadership sectorial des arts sur l’urgence de la transition écologique (LeSAUT). Robin était également mon invitée dans l’épisode 61 de ce balado. J’ai rencontré Janis il y a de nombreuses années, lorsque je dirigeais le Bureau Inter-Arts du Conseil des arts du Canada dans le cadre de son rôle au Woodland Cultural Centre.  

Avant le cours, Robin m’a suggéré de lire cet article : Assessing the Impact of Artistic Activism, que je recommande à toute personne intéressée par l’art et l’activisme. 

La conversation s’est déroulée sous la forme d’une “interview”. Robin m’a posé quatre questions : 

1.      Quel est le rôle des arts dans l’activisme lorsqu’il s’agit de faire du bien social ?

2.      L’art peut-il influer sur la politique ? Y a-t-il un exemple auquel vous pouvez penser ?

3.      Quel rôle les organismes de financement des arts peuvent-ils jouer en ce qui concerne l’art et l’activisme ?

4.      Partagez votre intérêt actuel pour l’activisme artistique. Quelles possibilités voyez-vous au sein des arts ou du grand public qui vous encouragent à poursuivre ce travail ?

Mes réponses, ainsi que mon interaction avec les étudiants, se trouvent dans l’enregistrement. 

Cet épisode comprend également des extraits de e40 frasz, e82 washable paint, e05 carruthers, e73 judith marcuse – finding the energy to keep moving et e85 tracey friesen – narratives of resilience for a post carbon world.

Liens mentionnés dans cet épisode :

• Artists must confront the climate crisis – we must write as if these are the last days
• Plan stratégique 21-26 du Conseil des Arts du Canada
• SCALE-LeSAUT
• The times are urgent; let us slow down
• Web d’art climatique

The post e86 arts policy, equity and activism class at centennial college appeared first on conscient podcast / balado conscient. conscient is a bilingual blog and podcast (French or English) by audio artist Claude Schryer that explores how arts and culture contribute to environmental awareness and action.

———-

About the Concient Podcast from Claude Schryer

The conscient podcast / balado conscient is a series of conversations about art, conscience and the ecological crisis. This podcast is bilingual (in either English or French). The language of the guest determines the language of the podcast. Episode notes are translated but not individual interviews.

I started the conscient project in 2020 as a personal learning journey and knowledge sharing exercise. It has been rewarding, and sometimes surprising.

The term ‘conscient’ is defined as ‘being aware of one’s surroundings, thoughts and motivations’. My touchstone for the podcast is episode 1, e01 terrified, based on an essay I wrote in May 2019, where I share my anxiety about the climate crisis and my belief that arts and culture can play a critical role in raising public awareness about environmental issues. The conscient podcast / balado conscient follows up on my http://simplesoundscapes.ca (2016–2019) project: 175, 3-minute audio and video field recordings that explore mindful listening.

Season 1 (May to October 2020) explored how the arts contribute to environmental awareness and action. I produced 3 episodes in French and 15 in English. The episodes cover a wide range of content, including activism, impact measurement, gaming, arts funding, cross-sectoral collaborations, social justice, artistic practices, etc. Episodes 8 to 17 were recorded while I was at the Creative Climate Leadership USA course in Arizona in March 2020 (led by Julie’s Bicycle). Episode 18 is a compilation of highlights from these conversations.

Season 2 (March 2021 – ) explores the concept of reality and is about accepting reality, working through ecological grief and charting a path forward. The first episode of season 2 (e19 reality) mixes quotations from 28 authors with field recordings from simplesoundscapes and from my 1998 soundscape composition, Au dernier vivant les biens. One of my findings from this episode is that ‘I now see, and more importantly, I now feel in my bones, ‘the state of things as they actually exist’, without social filters or unsustainable stories blocking the way’. e19 reality touches upon 7 topics: our perception of reality, the possibility of human extinction, ecological anxiety and ecological grief, hope, arts, storytelling and the wisdom of indigenous cultures. The rest of season 2 features interviews with thought leaders about their responses and reactions to e19 reality.

my professional services

I’ve been retired from the Canada Council for the Arts since September 15, 2020 where I served as a senior strategic advisor in arts granting (2016-2020) and manager of the Inter-Arts Office (1999-2015). My focus in (quasi) retirement is environmental issues within my area of expertise in arts and culture, in particular in acoustic ecology. I’m open to become involved in projects that align with my values and that move forward environmental concerns. Feel free to email me for a conversation : claude@conscient.ca

acknowledgement of eco-responsibility

I acknowledge that the production of the conscient podcast / balado conscient produces carbon. I try to minimize this carbon footprint by being as efficient as possible, including using GreenGeeks as my web server and acquiring carbon offsets for my equipment and travel activities from BullFrog Power and Less.

a word about privilege and bias

While recording episode 19 ‘reality’, I heard elements of ‘privilege’ in my voice that I had not noticed before. It sounded a bit like ‘ecological mansplaining’. I realize that, in spite of good intentions, I need to work my way through issues of privilege (of all kinds) and unconscious bias the way I did through ecological anxiety and grief during the fall of 2020. My re-education is ongoing.

Go to conscient.ca

Powered by WPeMatico

My #conscientpodcast conversation with media producer and cultural impact leader Tracey Friesen of Vancouver about increasing the power of media to affect social change, her book and organization Story Money Impact, and the good work of Good Pitch. Including quotes from e26 klein and e54 garrett.

I first met Tracey on September 21, 2021 at a Processing the federal election during a climate emergency Zoom event organized by the Climate Emergency Unit. Since then, we have kept in touch through our participation in SCALE (the Sectoral Climate Arts Leadership for the Emergency network). 

Our 30-minute conversation covered a lot of ground, however, we only touched the surface of Tracey’s vast experience and network of collaborators in the cultural industries, so I hope that another conversation is in order down the road!

Tracey has over 30 years’ experience in Canada’s cultural sector. She spent more than a decade at the National Film Board in Vancouver, where she earned producer or executive credits on dozens of documentary film, animation and digital projects. She’s also held contracts with organizations like Inspirit Foundation, Mindset Foundation, DOC, Roundhouse Radio, and the David Suzuki Foundation. Tracey is author and founder of Story Money Impact, the charitable society that brought us Good Pitch Vancouver and Story to Action, plus other initiatives to advance education around media impact. In 2013 she was named ‘Woman of the Year’ by Women in Film & TV Vancouver. She is currently Managing Vice-President, BC Branch, at the Canadian Media Producers Association, where she passionately represents and supports BC-based independent film and television producers.  

I was touched by this quote from Tracey near the end of the conversation:

I’m mindful that with the climate emergency, it’s so existential that it’s captured my attention perhaps most strongly because I really hope that in the kind of complicated dynamic of the wonderful, wild world that we’re in right now, that it’s one thing that will impact all of us. Not the same way, certainly, there are those of us living in different parts of the world that will be affected in different ways, but it’s such a global community, it has to come together in all the ways that they can. So, we do need the scientists and we do need all of the work being done across all of the important social issues that are happening right now. And we really do need the storytellers to validate that their story driven, narrative driven, emotionally driven pieces of work will help to touch people now to change their behaviour or will help to soothe or reassure or be with them in the world post transition.

Tracey mentioned the following links during our conversation:

• Being Caribou
• Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA)
• Climate Emergency Unit
• Good Pitch Vancouver
• Reel Green
• Shameless
• Story Money Impact

*

Ma conversation #baladoconscient avec la productrice de médias et leader dans le domaine de l'impact culturel Tracey Friesen de Vancouver sur l'augmentation du pouvoir des médias pour affecter le changement social, son livre et l’organisation Story Money Impact et le bon travail de Good Pitch.

J’ai rencontré Tracey pour la première fois le 21 septembre 2021 lors de l’événement sur Zoom, Comment comprendre l’élection fédérale sur l’urgence climatique, organisé par la Climate Emergency Unit. Depuis lors, nous sommes restées en contact grâce à notre participation à LeSAUT (Leadership Sectoriel des Arts pour l’urgence de la transition écologique). 

Notre conversation de 30 minutes a couvert beaucoup de terrain, mais nous n’avons fait qu’effleurer la vaste expérience de Tracey et son réseau de collaborateurs dans les industries culturelles, alors j’espère qu’une autre conversation s’imposera un jour !

Tracey a plus de 30 ans d’expérience dans le secteur culturel canadien. Elle a passé plus de dix ans à l’Office national du film à Vancouver, où elle a obtenu des crédits de production ou de direction pour des dizaines de films documentaires, d’animation et de projets numériques. Elle a également eu des contrats avec des organisations comme Inspirit Foundation, Mindset Foundation, DOC, Roundhouse Radio et la David Suzuki Foundation. Tracey est l’auteure et la fondatrice de Story Money Impact, la société caritative qui nous a donné Good Pitch Vancouver et Story to Action, ainsi que d’autres initiatives visant à faire progresser l’éducation sur l’impact des médias. En 2013, elle a été nommée “Femme de l’année” par Women in Film & TV Vancouver. Elle est actuellement vice-présidente directrice de la branche de la Colombie-Britannique de l’Association canadienne des producteurs de médias, où elle représente et soutient avec passion les producteurs indépendants de films et de télévision de la Colombie-Britannique.  

J’ai été touché par cette citation de Stacey vers la fin de la conversation :

Je suis consciente qu’avec l’urgence climatique, c’est tellement existentiel que cela a capté mon attention peut-être plus fortement parce que j’espère vraiment que dans le genre de dynamique compliquée du monde merveilleux et sauvage dans lequel nous sommes en ce moment, c’est une chose qui aura un impact sur nous tous. Pas de la même manière, certes, certains d’entre nous vivant dans différentes parties du monde seront affectés de différentes manières, mais il s’agit d’une communauté tellement mondiale qu’elle doit se rassembler de toutes les manières possibles. Nous avons donc besoin des scientifiques, nous avons besoin de tous les travaux réalisés sur toutes les questions sociales importantes qui se posent actuellement, et nous avons vraiment besoin que les conteurs valident le fait que leurs travaux axés sur l’histoire, la narration et l’émotion contribueront à toucher les gens et à modifier leur comportement, ou à les apaiser, les rassurer ou les accompagner dans le monde de l’après-transition.

Tracey a mentionné les liens suivants au cours de notre conversation :

• Being Caribou
• Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA)
• Climate Emergency Unit
• Good Pitch Vancouver
• Reel Green
• Shameless
• Story Money Impact

The post e85 tracey friesen – narratives of resilience for a post carbon world appeared first on conscient podcast / balado conscient. conscient is a bilingual blog and podcast (French or English) by audio artist Claude Schryer that explores how arts and culture contribute to environmental awareness and action.

———-

About the Concient Podcast from Claude Schryer

The conscient podcast / balado conscient is a series of conversations about art, conscience and the ecological crisis. This podcast is bilingual (in either English or French). The language of the guest determines the language of the podcast. Episode notes are translated but not individual interviews.

I started the conscient project in 2020 as a personal learning journey and knowledge sharing exercise. It has been rewarding, and sometimes surprising.

The term ‘conscient’ is defined as ‘being aware of one’s surroundings, thoughts and motivations’. My touchstone for the podcast is episode 1, e01 terrified, based on an essay I wrote in May 2019, where I share my anxiety about the climate crisis and my belief that arts and culture can play a critical role in raising public awareness about environmental issues. The conscient podcast / balado conscient follows up on my http://simplesoundscapes.ca (2016–2019) project: 175, 3-minute audio and video field recordings that explore mindful listening.

Season 1 (May to October 2020) explored how the arts contribute to environmental awareness and action. I produced 3 episodes in French and 15 in English. The episodes cover a wide range of content, including activism, impact measurement, gaming, arts funding, cross-sectoral collaborations, social justice, artistic practices, etc. Episodes 8 to 17 were recorded while I was at the Creative Climate Leadership USA course in Arizona in March 2020 (led by Julie’s Bicycle). Episode 18 is a compilation of highlights from these conversations.

Season 2 (March 2021 – ) explores the concept of reality and is about accepting reality, working through ecological grief and charting a path forward. The first episode of season 2 (e19 reality) mixes quotations from 28 authors with field recordings from simplesoundscapes and from my 1998 soundscape composition, Au dernier vivant les biens. One of my findings from this episode is that ‘I now see, and more importantly, I now feel in my bones, ‘the state of things as they actually exist’, without social filters or unsustainable stories blocking the way’. e19 reality touches upon 7 topics: our perception of reality, the possibility of human extinction, ecological anxiety and ecological grief, hope, arts, storytelling and the wisdom of indigenous cultures. The rest of season 2 features interviews with thought leaders about their responses and reactions to e19 reality.

my professional services

I’ve been retired from the Canada Council for the Arts since September 15, 2020 where I served as a senior strategic advisor in arts granting (2016-2020) and manager of the Inter-Arts Office (1999-2015). My focus in (quasi) retirement is environmental issues within my area of expertise in arts and culture, in particular in acoustic ecology. I’m open to become involved in projects that align with my values and that move forward environmental concerns. Feel free to email me for a conversation : claude@conscient.ca

acknowledgement of eco-responsibility

I acknowledge that the production of the conscient podcast / balado conscient produces carbon. I try to minimize this carbon footprint by being as efficient as possible, including using GreenGeeks as my web server and acquiring carbon offsets for my equipment and travel activities from BullFrog Power and Less.

a word about privilege and bias

While recording episode 19 ‘reality’, I heard elements of ‘privilege’ in my voice that I had not noticed before. It sounded a bit like ‘ecological mansplaining’. I realize that, in spite of good intentions, I need to work my way through issues of privilege (of all kinds) and unconscious bias the way I did through ecological anxiety and grief during the fall of 2020. My re-education is ongoing.

Go to conscient.ca

Powered by WPeMatico

My conversation with Viviane Gosselin, Director of Collections & Exhibitions, Curator of Contemporary Culture and Mauro Vescera, Chief Executive Officer of the Museum of Vancouver (MOV) about greening their operations and addressing the climate emergency and issues of climate justice through exhibitions.  

I worked with Mauro in 2006 on the Art in Ecology – A Think Tank on Arts and Sustainability and was happy to reconnect and learn about his leadership of this institution. I met Viviane through SCALE, the Sectoral Climate Arts Leadership for the Emergency, notably on the Education working group and was impressed by her passion for the environment and institutional engagement on the climate emergency. 

This conversation was recorded in 3 spaces: office, collections and exhibitions. I learned about the MOV’s 4 engagement priorities (redress and decolonization, immigration and diversity, environment and sustainability and urban and contemporary issues) and how they are greening their operations and addressing climate change and climate justice through their exhibitions.  

Viviane also spoke about her work with the Coalition of Museums for Climate Justice. 

*

Ma conversation avec Viviane Gosselin, directrice des collections et des expositions et conservatrice de la culture contemporaine, et Mauro Vescera, directeur général duMuseum of Vancouver (MOV) au sujet de l'écologisation de leurs opérations et de la prise en compte de l'urgence climatique et des questions de justice climatique dans leurs expositions.   

J’ai travaillé avec Mauro en 2006 dans le cadre du projet “Art in Ecology – A Think Tank on Arts and Sustainability” et j’ai été heureuse de renouer le contact et d’en apprendre davantage sur la façon dont il dirige cette institution. J’ai rencontré Viviane par le biais de LeSAUT, le Leadership sectoriel des arts pour l’urgence de la transition écologique, notamment au sein du groupe de travail sur l’éducation et j’ai été impressionné par sa passion pour l’environnement et l’engagement institutionnel sur l’urgence climatique. 

Cette conversation a été enregistrée dans 3 espaces : bureau, collections et expositions. J’ai appris les 4 priorités d’engagement du MOV (réparation et décolonisation, immigration et diversité, environnement et durabilité et questions urbaines et contemporaines) et comment ils écologisent leurs opérations et abordent le changement climatique et la justice climatique à travers leurs expositions.  

Viviane a également parlé de son travail avec la Coalition of Museums for Climate Justice. 

The post e84 viviane gosselin + mauro vescera of the museum of vancouver appeared first on conscient podcast / balado conscient. conscient is a bilingual blog and podcast (French or English) by audio artist Claude Schryer that explores how arts and culture contribute to environmental awareness and action.

———-

About the Concient Podcast from Claude Schryer

The conscient podcast / balado conscient is a series of conversations about art, conscience and the ecological crisis. This podcast is bilingual (in either English or French). The language of the guest determines the language of the podcast. Episode notes are translated but not individual interviews.

I started the conscient project in 2020 as a personal learning journey and knowledge sharing exercise. It has been rewarding, and sometimes surprising.

The term ‘conscient’ is defined as ‘being aware of one’s surroundings, thoughts and motivations’. My touchstone for the podcast is episode 1, e01 terrified, based on an essay I wrote in May 2019, where I share my anxiety about the climate crisis and my belief that arts and culture can play a critical role in raising public awareness about environmental issues. The conscient podcast / balado conscient follows up on my http://simplesoundscapes.ca (2016–2019) project: 175, 3-minute audio and video field recordings that explore mindful listening.

Season 1 (May to October 2020) explored how the arts contribute to environmental awareness and action. I produced 3 episodes in French and 15 in English. The episodes cover a wide range of content, including activism, impact measurement, gaming, arts funding, cross-sectoral collaborations, social justice, artistic practices, etc. Episodes 8 to 17 were recorded while I was at the Creative Climate Leadership USA course in Arizona in March 2020 (led by Julie’s Bicycle). Episode 18 is a compilation of highlights from these conversations.

Season 2 (March 2021 – ) explores the concept of reality and is about accepting reality, working through ecological grief and charting a path forward. The first episode of season 2 (e19 reality) mixes quotations from 28 authors with field recordings from simplesoundscapes and from my 1998 soundscape composition, Au dernier vivant les biens. One of my findings from this episode is that ‘I now see, and more importantly, I now feel in my bones, ‘the state of things as they actually exist’, without social filters or unsustainable stories blocking the way’. e19 reality touches upon 7 topics: our perception of reality, the possibility of human extinction, ecological anxiety and ecological grief, hope, arts, storytelling and the wisdom of indigenous cultures. The rest of season 2 features interviews with thought leaders about their responses and reactions to e19 reality.

my professional services

I’ve been retired from the Canada Council for the Arts since September 15, 2020 where I served as a senior strategic advisor in arts granting (2016-2020) and manager of the Inter-Arts Office (1999-2015). My focus in (quasi) retirement is environmental issues within my area of expertise in arts and culture, in particular in acoustic ecology. I’m open to become involved in projects that align with my values and that move forward environmental concerns. Feel free to email me for a conversation : claude@conscient.ca

acknowledgement of eco-responsibility

I acknowledge that the production of the conscient podcast / balado conscient produces carbon. I try to minimize this carbon footprint by being as efficient as possible, including using GreenGeeks as my web server and acquiring carbon offsets for my equipment and travel activities from BullFrog Power and Less.

a word about privilege and bias

While recording episode 19 ‘reality’, I heard elements of ‘privilege’ in my voice that I had not noticed before. It sounded a bit like ‘ecological mansplaining’. I realize that, in spite of good intentions, I need to work my way through issues of privilege (of all kinds) and unconscious bias the way I did through ecological anxiety and grief during the fall of 2020. My re-education is ongoing.

Go to conscient.ca

Powered by WPeMatico

e83 is my narration of a November 13th, 2021, tweet by British writer and climate activist George Monbiot about ‘raising the scale of civil disobedience until we have built the greatest mass movement in history’. I agree and thank George. 

This episode lasts 59 seconds. I want to share a November 13th, 2021, tweet by British writer and climate activist George Monbiot: 

‘Now we have no choice but to raise the scale of civil disobedience until we have built the greatest mass movement in history. We do not consent to the destruction of our life support systems’.

I agree with George and thank him. I find that his statement is both devastating and heartening. Here it is again: 

‘Now we have no choice but to raise the scale of civil disobedience until we have built the greatest mass movement in history. We do not consent to the destruction of our life support systems’.

*

e83 est ma narration d'un tweet le 13 novembre 2021 par l'écrivain et activiste climatique britannique George Monbiot, qui parle â€˜d'augmenter l'échelle de la désobéissance civile jusqu'à ce que nous ayons construit le plus grand mouvement de masse de l'histoire’. Je suis d'accord et je remercie George.

Cet épisode dure 59 secondes. Je veux partager un tweet du 13 novembre 2021 de l’écrivain britannique et activiste climatique George Monbiot : 

‘Maintenant, nous n’avons pas d’autre choix que d’élever l’échelle de la désobéissance civile jusqu’à ce que nous ayons construit le plus grand mouvement de masse de l’histoire. Nous ne consentons pas à la destruction de nos systèmes de survie.’

Je suis d’accord avec George et je le remercie. Je trouve que sa déclaration est à la fois dévastatrice et réconfortante. Le voici à nouveau : 

‘Maintenant, nous n’avons pas d’autre choix que d’élever l’échelle de la désobéissance civile jusqu’à ce que nous ayons construit le plus grand mouvement de masse de l’histoire. Nous ne consentons pas à la destruction de nos systèmes de survie.’

The post e83 the greatest mass movement in history appeared first on conscient podcast / balado conscient. conscient is a bilingual blog and podcast (French or English) by audio artist Claude Schryer that explores how arts and culture contribute to environmental awareness and action.

———-

About the Concient Podcast from Claude Schryer

The conscient podcast / balado conscient is a series of conversations about art, conscience and the ecological crisis. This podcast is bilingual (in either English or French). The language of the guest determines the language of the podcast. Episode notes are translated but not individual interviews.

I started the conscient project in 2020 as a personal learning journey and knowledge sharing exercise. It has been rewarding, and sometimes surprising.

The term ‘conscient’ is defined as ‘being aware of one’s surroundings, thoughts and motivations’. My touchstone for the podcast is episode 1, e01 terrified, based on an essay I wrote in May 2019, where I share my anxiety about the climate crisis and my belief that arts and culture can play a critical role in raising public awareness about environmental issues. The conscient podcast / balado conscient follows up on my http://simplesoundscapes.ca (2016–2019) project: 175, 3-minute audio and video field recordings that explore mindful listening.

Season 1 (May to October 2020) explored how the arts contribute to environmental awareness and action. I produced 3 episodes in French and 15 in English. The episodes cover a wide range of content, including activism, impact measurement, gaming, arts funding, cross-sectoral collaborations, social justice, artistic practices, etc. Episodes 8 to 17 were recorded while I was at the Creative Climate Leadership USA course in Arizona in March 2020 (led by Julie’s Bicycle). Episode 18 is a compilation of highlights from these conversations.

Season 2 (March 2021 – ) explores the concept of reality and is about accepting reality, working through ecological grief and charting a path forward. The first episode of season 2 (e19 reality) mixes quotations from 28 authors with field recordings from simplesoundscapes and from my 1998 soundscape composition, Au dernier vivant les biens. One of my findings from this episode is that ‘I now see, and more importantly, I now feel in my bones, ‘the state of things as they actually exist’, without social filters or unsustainable stories blocking the way’. e19 reality touches upon 7 topics: our perception of reality, the possibility of human extinction, ecological anxiety and ecological grief, hope, arts, storytelling and the wisdom of indigenous cultures. The rest of season 2 features interviews with thought leaders about their responses and reactions to e19 reality.

my professional services

I’ve been retired from the Canada Council for the Arts since September 15, 2020 where I served as a senior strategic advisor in arts granting (2016-2020) and manager of the Inter-Arts Office (1999-2015). My focus in (quasi) retirement is environmental issues within my area of expertise in arts and culture, in particular in acoustic ecology. I’m open to become involved in projects that align with my values and that move forward environmental concerns. Feel free to email me for a conversation : claude@conscient.ca

acknowledgement of eco-responsibility

I acknowledge that the production of the conscient podcast / balado conscient produces carbon. I try to minimize this carbon footprint by being as efficient as possible, including using GreenGeeks as my web server and acquiring carbon offsets for my equipment and travel activities from BullFrog Power and Less.

a word about privilege and bias

While recording episode 19 ‘reality’, I heard elements of ‘privilege’ in my voice that I had not noticed before. It sounded a bit like ‘ecological mansplaining’. I realize that, in spite of good intentions, I need to work my way through issues of privilege (of all kinds) and unconscious bias the way I did through ecological anxiety and grief during the fall of 2020. My re-education is ongoing.

Go to conscient.ca

Powered by WPeMatico

e82 is an unedited, 20-minute soundscape recording, without narration, of a climate emergency rally and march on Friday, November 12, 2021, in Vancouver and an incident with police. The recording includes songs, speeches and chants about climate action and social justice. 

My goal was to record the soundscape of a public protest : the singing, chanting, speeches, random chatter and marching as well as the ambiance of the city, however what I witnessed and heard at this event was the response of the protesters to Vancouver Police around the arrest of group of young people who were doing a ceremony with washable red paint onto the windows of the federal Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change building on Burrard street (see photos), at which point the protest leaders requested the release the arrested persons and decided to remain in solidarity with them instead of continuing with the march towards the banking sector of downtown Vancouver and CBC Vancouver. 

The recording starts with a song and an indigenous person explaining what the intention was were with the ceremony. You then hear a ‘let them go’ chant followed by the police taking the arrested persons away in a van and the protesters’ reaction (‘they only used washable paint’). The march was then redirected onto Cordova Street towards the courthouse where detained persons were likely being held. You hear the protesters doing climate emergency chants followed by a song at which point I stopped the recording because my hands were shaking with cold.

In the end, 3 persons were arrested for public mischief as noted in this CTV news video posting and online.

I thought about whether it was ethical for me to publish this recording, given the delicate nature of the event, keeping in mind what Dr. Milena Droumeva told to me in episode 78 (at 31 minutes 50 seconds):

‘I feel very torn about doing field recordings. I think there are ethics that we need to think about. I try to convey that so that it is not extractive’.

I decided this recording was worth sharing given that it was a public event and of public interest to listen to these voices. It captures a dilemma for our society of balancing the urgent need for peaceful climate emergency protests, indigenous rights and the rule of law.

I want to thank those who were inadvertently recorded and hope their messages about the urgency of the climate emergency and the principle of ‘leaving no one behind’ carry wide and far. 

*

e82 est un enregistrement sonore de 20 minutes, sans montage et sans narration, d'un rassemblement et d'une marche sur l'urgence climatique le vendredi 12 novembre 2021 à Vancouver et d'un incident avec la police. L'enregistrement comprend des chansons, des discours et des chants sur l'action climatique et la justice sociale.

Mon objectif était d’enregistrer le paysage sonore d’une manifestation publique : Cependant, ce que j’ai vu et entendu lors de cet événement, c’est la réponse des manifestants à la police de Vancouver concernant l’arrestation d’un groupe de jeunes gens qui faisaient une cérémonie avec de la peinture rouge lavable sur les fenêtres du bâtiment du ministère fédéral de l’Environnement et du Changement climatique sur la rue Burrard (voir photos), Les leaders de la manifestation ont alors demandé la libération des personnes arrêtées et ont décidé de rester en solidarité avec elles au lieu de poursuivre la marche vers le secteur bancaire du centre-ville de Vancouver et CBC Vancouver. 

L’enregistrement commence par une chanson et une personne indigène expliquant l’intention de la cérémonie. On entend ensuite un chant “laissez-les partir”, puis la police emmène les personnes arrêtées dans une camionnette et la réaction des manifestants (“ils n’ont utilisé que de la peinture lavable”). La marche a ensuite été redirigée sur Cordova Street, en direction du palais de justice, où des personnes détenues sont probablement retenues. Vous entendez les manifestants entonner des chants d’urgence climatique, suivis d’une chanson. À ce moment-là, j’ai arrêté l’enregistrement car mes mains tremblaient de froid.

En fin de compte, trois personnes ont été arrêtées pour méfait public, comme l’indique cette vidéo de CTV news et en ligne.

Je me suis demandé s’il était éthique pour moi de publier cet enregistrement, étant donné la nature délicate de l’événement, en gardant à l’esprit ce que le Dr Milena Droumeva m’a dit dans l’épisode 78 (à la 31e minute, 50 secondes) :

Je me sens très déchirée à l’idée de faire des enregistrements sur le terrain. Je pense qu’il y a une éthique à laquelle nous devons réfléchir. J’essaie de transmettre ces informations de manière à ce qu’elles ne soient pas extractives.

J’ai décidé que cet enregistrement valait la peine d’être partagé, étant donné qu’il s’agissait d’un événement public et qu’il était intéressant pour le public d’écouter ces voix. Il capture un dilemme pour notre société, celui de trouver un équilibre entre le besoin urgent de manifestations pacifiques d’urgence climatique, les droits des peuples autochtones et l’État de droit.

Je tiens à remercier les personnes qui ont été enregistrées par inadvertance et j’espère que leurs messages sur l’urgence de la situation climatique et le principe de “ne laisser personne derrière” seront largement diffusés. 

The post e82 washable paint appeared first on conscient podcast / balado conscient. conscient is a bilingual blog and podcast (French or English) by audio artist Claude Schryer that explores how arts and culture contribute to environmental awareness and action.

———-

About the Concient Podcast from Claude Schryer

The conscient podcast / balado conscient is a series of conversations about art, conscience and the ecological crisis. This podcast is bilingual (in either English or French). The language of the guest determines the language of the podcast. Episode notes are translated but not individual interviews.

I started the conscient project in 2020 as a personal learning journey and knowledge sharing exercise. It has been rewarding, and sometimes surprising.

The term ‘conscient’ is defined as ‘being aware of one’s surroundings, thoughts and motivations’. My touchstone for the podcast is episode 1, e01 terrified, based on an essay I wrote in May 2019, where I share my anxiety about the climate crisis and my belief that arts and culture can play a critical role in raising public awareness about environmental issues. The conscient podcast / balado conscient follows up on my http://simplesoundscapes.ca (2016–2019) project: 175, 3-minute audio and video field recordings that explore mindful listening.

Season 1 (May to October 2020) explored how the arts contribute to environmental awareness and action. I produced 3 episodes in French and 15 in English. The episodes cover a wide range of content, including activism, impact measurement, gaming, arts funding, cross-sectoral collaborations, social justice, artistic practices, etc. Episodes 8 to 17 were recorded while I was at the Creative Climate Leadership USA course in Arizona in March 2020 (led by Julie’s Bicycle). Episode 18 is a compilation of highlights from these conversations.

Season 2 (March 2021 – ) explores the concept of reality and is about accepting reality, working through ecological grief and charting a path forward. The first episode of season 2 (e19 reality) mixes quotations from 28 authors with field recordings from simplesoundscapes and from my 1998 soundscape composition, Au dernier vivant les biens. One of my findings from this episode is that ‘I now see, and more importantly, I now feel in my bones, ‘the state of things as they actually exist’, without social filters or unsustainable stories blocking the way’. e19 reality touches upon 7 topics: our perception of reality, the possibility of human extinction, ecological anxiety and ecological grief, hope, arts, storytelling and the wisdom of indigenous cultures. The rest of season 2 features interviews with thought leaders about their responses and reactions to e19 reality.

my professional services

I’ve been retired from the Canada Council for the Arts since September 15, 2020 where I served as a senior strategic advisor in arts granting (2016-2020) and manager of the Inter-Arts Office (1999-2015). My focus in (quasi) retirement is environmental issues within my area of expertise in arts and culture, in particular in acoustic ecology. I’m open to become involved in projects that align with my values and that move forward environmental concerns. Feel free to email me for a conversation : claude@conscient.ca

acknowledgement of eco-responsibility

I acknowledge that the production of the conscient podcast / balado conscient produces carbon. I try to minimize this carbon footprint by being as efficient as possible, including using GreenGeeks as my web server and acquiring carbon offsets for my equipment and travel activities from BullFrog Power and Less.

a word about privilege and bias

While recording episode 19 ‘reality’, I heard elements of ‘privilege’ in my voice that I had not noticed before. It sounded a bit like ‘ecological mansplaining’. I realize that, in spite of good intentions, I need to work my way through issues of privilege (of all kinds) and unconscious bias the way I did through ecological anxiety and grief during the fall of 2020. My re-education is ongoing.

Go to conscient.ca

Powered by WPeMatico