An extended break from the production of conscient podcast, balado conscient, a calm presence and related social media

Why do this? 

One reason is that I noticed that I sleep better when I don’t produce podcasts or essays about the end of the world as we know it.

Imagine that.

But it’s also because my learning and unlearning journey, which I began back in 2020, some 5 years ago, has come full circle. 

It feels like the end of a chapter.

I sometimes think of it as a five-year mission to explore strange new art, to seek out solutions to the ecological crisis and to boldly talk about things that have never been talked about before. 

Maybe they have, but it’s worth repeating.

You know, it was a trek, with many mistakes and a few discoveries. 

And, of course, there are many, many more stories yet to be told that can inspire us to action, or at the very least comfort us in troubled times.

There are many more examples of transformative artworks that I hope we will know about and eventually experience.

There are many more questions, good questions, to be asked by artists.

Also, artists can play a role in providing us with a few moments of respite and escape from the doom and gloom around us. 

I see the value in this kind of media and storytelling work and support whoever is doing it, as best I can. 

But for me, it’s time to press pause. 

There’s a quote that I want to read to you that’s my northern star. It’s by the great Vietnamese zen master Thich Nhat Hanh:

• What we most need to do is to hear within us the sound of the Earth crying. 

I’m going to think about this and have it at the heart of my daily life and think about what it means to listen deeply to the sounds of the earth crying, which is essentially ourselves. 

How can this insight lead to healing?  We’ll see where my spirit takes me.  I really have no idea where it’s going to go.  

Before ending this last Substack posting I wanted to remind you that I’ve recently published four new podcast episodes of conscient podcast, 2 in English et 2 en Français. 

On conscient podcast: 

• An ENCORE presentation of e41 – emergency preparedness from 2021 with Jen Rae, a Melbourne, Australia based artist, researcher, facilitator and educator of Canadian Red River Métis and Scottish descent who talks about the intersection between art, emergency preparedness, disaster risk-reduction and resilience, which seems very timely in 2026 as these issues are amplified. There is some very good ideas and positive energy coming out of Jen’s work. 
• e244 roundtable - death as transformation, recorded on December 2, 2025 and originally broadcast on December 13, 2025 as an episode of the Making Waves radio program, where I moderated a panel of sound artists and previous guests of conscient podcast, Azul Carolina Duque, Kenneth Newby, andWendelin Bartley about our understanding of ‘death as a natural transformation of energy and consciousness, not an end’ and how our practices as sound artists relate to this transition.

Sur le balado conscient :

• un episode ENCORE l’épisode 27 - l’énergie créatrice libreavec l’artiste sonore, musicienne, réalisatrice radio, sculpteure et une bonne amie de longue date, Hélène Prévost qui nous parle de sa tristesse pour l’état du monde et comment l’art, s’il est libre, peut devenir un puissant levier de changement et de ralliement social. Un bon rappel pour 2026. 
• é171 - villeray acoustique avec deux artistes sonores, Magali Babin et Chantal Dumas, le collectif dB, un entretien enregistré pour un article dans la Revue Circuit, qui parle du projet de recherche-création Villeray acoustiqueune exploration de l’écoute de ce quartier de Montréal comme expérience sensorielle. Vous allez entendre notre conversation et aussi une prise de son du parc Jarry à Montréal par Magali Babin. 

There you go.

Thank you so much for reading and listening over these many years. 

It’s been my privilege to be able to express myself and receive your feedback. 

Thanks to my guests and collaborators on all these platforms.

I’m now going to go silent for a long time, possibly forever, depending on the outcomes of my reflections. 

Take care. 

See you down the road…

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

- Azul Carolina Duque

(Below is the script that you can hear me narrate in this episode.)

Its January 20, 2026. I was going to publish this roundtable called death as transformation later this year to inaugurate the 7th season of the conscient podcast but I changed my mind – imagine that - and have added it to season 6 because I’ve decided to take a long break from producing both of my podcasts and my Substack in order to do some thinking and meditation and self-care but I wanted to get this very special episode out to you now in case I decide not to continue with the podcast after my break.

It's one of those pivotal moments. 

Here’s back story on this episode. 

In November 2025, Artistic Director of New Adventures in Sound Art, Darren Copeland, asked me if I would like to participate in an episode of his monthly Making Waves radio program, which is broadcast on WGXC 90.7 FM in New York's Upper Hudson Valley and also available as a podcast. 

Darren wanted to talk about one of my favorite topics, climate change and asked me what would I like to talk about specifically? And to my surprise I immediately answered: death. 

I went on to explain that I meant death in the sense of how our spirit and consciousness continues when our body goes back to the earth, and what might this spirit and consciousness sound like? I was also interested in how this heightened awareness might help us relate to complex issues like climate change and societal disruption. 

So I helped Darren select an expert panel of sound artists and on December 2, 2025, I moderated a 55 minute recording for the December 13, 2025 edition of Making Waves that featured three former guests of my conscientpodcast : Azul Carolina Duque, who you can hear on e211 art as medicine, Kenneth Newby who you can hear on e207 living with grace and Wendelin Bartley who you can hear on e222 restoring our connection with nature.

So what you’re about to hear is a rebroadcast of this conversation.

This conversation is quite magical because we were able to share some very intimidate stories about our own vulnerabilities, our relationship to death and how our practices as sound artists relates to this transition. 

You’ll hear that I ask each of my guests to respond to this 12-word sentence by a friend of mine, Tim Brodhead: 

• Death as a natural transformation of energy and consciousness, not an end.

And won’t worry the episode is actually a lot of fun and quite enlightening. It’s really more about transition than an end. I’m so pleased that it concludes this chapter of the conscient podcast and in a way begins whatever might come next. 

Thanks so much for listening. Thank you Darren, Azul, Kenneth and Wendelin.

See you next time. 

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

Welcome to another ENCORE episode of conscient podcast. 

I do this because if you missed an episode the first time it was published you can hear it again. 

However this is the last ENCORE episode for a while because I’m taking break from the production of this podcast, of its sister French language version, balado conscient as well as my a calm presence Substack for what looks like undetermined period of time. 

I wrote about this in my last Substack posting called pressing pause. 

My plan is to meditate on my next steps in this ongoing learning and unlearning journey and do a bit of self-care as I learned to do during the Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet course last fall.

But before pressing pause, so to speak, I wanted to publish this ENCORE episode because it’s about an issue that we will be talking about increasingly in the months and years to come: which is, how do we, as artists and cultural workers, respond more effectively to emergency situations and to ongoing societal disruption. 

And who better that Jen Rae, a Melbourne, Australia based artist, researcher, facilitator and educator of Canadian Red River Métis and Scottish descent.

And before going any further I want to acknowledge that Jen Rae lives, creates and works on the unceded traditional lands of the Wurundjeri, Boon Wurrung, Woi Wurrung, and Wathaurong people of the Kulin Nation and offers deep respect to their elders - past, present and emerging. 

So, this 47-minute conversation was recorded, remotely, on May 10, 2021. Jen and I talked about a wide range of issues including the intersection between art, emergency preparedness, disaster risk-reduction and resilience. 

Here are some of the questions that were raised: 

• How do we embrace an emergency preparedness mindset? 
• What do we increase our focus on community resilience?
• How can we challenge Western-centric narratives? 
• How can we further value inclusivity? 
• How can art and speculative fiction in particular, help free our minds and inspire action?

You’ll find some answers, also more questions, at the The Centre for Reworlding in Australia, where Jen is the creative research lead. 

I’m also publishing this ENCORE episode to listen back to conversations recorded during the COVID pandemic. 

For artists, in particular, it was a tough time. For a few of us it created opportunities for new forms of digital engagement but for most artists it was a nightmare of lost income, isolation and disconnection. 

COVID, difficult as it was, can be thought of as a kind of test run for larger scale emergencies that will come as the climate crisis and related disasters unfold. So I’m grateful that artists like Jen Rae and The Centre for Reworlding are proactively are working, and this is a quote from their web site, to ‘advocate for the mainstream integration of culture & the arts in climate action and disaster management discourses, policy frameworks and all-years education’.

So let’s go back to 2021. And, as I did with all of my episodes at that time, you’ll hear excerpts from previous episodes that try to connect the thinking of my guests with some previous guests and that’s a lot of fun. It was a lot or work but then I had a lot of time on my hands. 

So without further ado, episode 41 ENCORE. Warm thanks to Jen for this 2021 conversation and hopefully we’ll talk again if and when I come back to producing this podcast. 

For more information on Jen’s work, see https://www.jenraeis.com, http://www.fairsharefare.com/ and The Centre for Reworlding.

Links to a selection of Jen’s work mentioned in this episode:

• REFUGIUM: film premiering 27 April 2021 (online and in real life - in collaboration with Claire G. Coleman)
• Who needs artists in a climate crisis?: Raising the Bar, 13 November 2019
• Refuge Talk Series: Preparing for a pandemic (21 May - 1:01:35-1:08:08), Living in a pandemic (27 May) and Recovering from a pandemic (4 June)

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

here are some uplifting words for the new year drawn from 9 episodes of conscient podcast et 3 extraits du balado conscient

This posting of a calm presence was designed as an audio listening experience though it also exists in written form, here.

Ceci est un episode bilingue. Afin de faciliter la compréhension des extraits en anglais, j’ai ajouté une transcription de l’épisode en français dans les notes d’épisode. J’ai aussi ajouté un petit sommaire oral en français à la fin de chacun des épisodes en anglais. Personnellement, je trouve intéressant d'écouter quelqu'un parler dans une autre langue, car je peux me concentrer sur le ton et l'intonation de la voix. 

This is a bilingual episode. For those who do not understand French I have added a transcript in English in the episode notes. I also created a short English language oral summary for each of the French language episodes. Personally, I find it interesting to listen to someone speak in another language because I can focus on the tone and inflection of the voice.

Please note that the pace of my narration is rather slow with the occasional short silence.

This is how I like to listen to narrations, with lots of space to ponder what is being said but also to consider what might lie in between the words and in the timbre of the voice. I’m also recording this reading in one take, flubs and all, similar to a late night radio monologue where it’s ok to be imperfect and where time is suspended. 

Finally, a reminder that I now publish a calm presence postings one  at a time, for a few weeks and then replace it with a new one and so on. In other words, what you’re listening to now, recorded on January 1, 2026 at 8.51 am it will be erased sometime in February 2026, never to be published again but I hope it might be retained in memory for those who  need it, which is why I created this Substack in the first place, for those in need of a calm presence.

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

Hello conscient podcast listeners,

Many of us do international travel, probably a bit too much. 

When I travel, I consider it a privilege that comes with responsibilities. 

For example, whenever we can we try to give back by donating to local charities in the region where I’m visiting or maybe making sure that we tip appropriately and that the people we am with get a fare wage. We also try to by buy credible carbon offsets. That kind of thing. 

You might recall e235 lallan – art from the soil, which I recorded while in the Tirthan Valley in Northern India :

• My advice to artists would be drop every garb that you have, drop every piece of knowledge that you think you have. Head to the jungles, head to the rural places. We are living in a time of crisis.

You might also recall e236 keiko torigoe – the power of listening, which was recorded in Tokyo, Japan:  

• The environmental issues currently at hand, including global warming, are related, but I believe that at their root lies the decline of our listening ability and the power of listening as humanity.

Both episodes were recorded quite spontaneously on my iphone. I hadn’t planned to record these interviews, but as I listened to some of the stories around me and I thought it could be a gesture of reciprocity to make these voices available on this podcast to help raise awareness about activities in that country but also to point out commonalities between us all in the world. 

So, what you’re about to hear is my third conversation in this series, this time with Francisco Rodriguez, a Chilean born banker, who with his wife Sylvia, manage the Anaconda Lodge on the shores of the Napo River near Tena, in Ecuador, where my wife Sabrina and daughter Clara were doing some eco-tourism. 

So we had the pleasure of staying there and meeting Francisco and others from the region. 

I sat down with Francisco – you’ll hear some birds and insects in the background - about his relationship with the Amazon forest as a living entity as well as their collaborations with the Kichwa indigenous people who are the traditional custodians of these lands and waters. 

You’ll hear some beautiful sounds and good stories about the Amazon, which I found uplifting but you’ll also hear about some of the very serious challenges that they currently face, which call upon increased solidarity from the rest of the world, given that the Amazon is the lung of the earth. 

You’ll notice this episode is a bit more than 15 minutes. I added some soundscapes that makes it a bit longer than usual, which I hope you’ll enjoy.

Warm thanks Francisco, Sylvia, all the guides and staff at Anaconda Lodge for their kindness and hospitality. 

Episodes notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Key Takeaways:

• Support Indigenous communities by living alongside them and understanding their challenges, rather than offering temporary aid.
• Learn about the Amazon’s diverse cultures and ecological fragility through reading and authentic resources.
• Reduce your carbon footprint by making small, conscious changes in daily habits to support global environmental efforts.
• Recognize the Amazon as a single, interconnected entity, not divided by national borders, but by Indigenous territories.
• Understand the impact of Western influences, such as processed food and consumer goods, on uncontacted tribes and their traditional way of life.

Story Preview

Discover the journey of Francisco Rodriguez, who left the banking world to dedicate his life to protecting the Amazon and working its Indigenous peoples. Hear how he and his wife Sylvia created Anaconda Lodge as a bridge between cultures, fostering understanding and solidarity for the ‘lung of Mother Earth.’ 

Chapter Summary

00:00 Introduction to Amazon and Indigenous Voices
02:44 From Banker to Amazon Advocate
05:50 Living with Indigenous Communities
09:58 Ecotourism and Amazonian Consciousness
14:25 Understanding the Amazon from Afar
20:00 Sustainable Living and Jungle Communication

Featured Quotes

• We always hope that when they go back home, they use less fossil fuel.
• You have to think one thing, these people have been beating up by our, by we Western people for over 500 years.
• Our main goal is to make our guests to understand where they are.

Behind the Story

Claude  shares his third recording from international travel, this time from the Anaconda Lodge near Tena, in Ecuador. He, his wife Sabrina, and daughter Clara experienced ecotourism firsthand which led to this conversation with Francisco Rodriguez. The episode highlights the value of reciprocity when traveling and making voices from different regions accessible to a global audience.

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

Yes, to doing things differently. 

Yes, to more evocative, emotionally resonant art.

Yes, to dissolving boundaries.

(Background sound from Jubilee Queen Cruise Ship in podcast)

When I got an invitation from Jana Macalik, Director of the Global Centre for Climate Action at OCAD University to participate on a panel about art and climate - one of my passions - I was excited and honoured to accept. 

This panel was part of an event called Dissolving Boundaries that took place on October 4, 2025, as part of Nuit Blanche Toronto, which of course went on all night. It featured the premiere of a large scale, beautiful large-scale art projection by Alessandro Gisendi and Marco Noviello of the OOOPStudio in Italy. Their work was projected onto the massive Canada Malting Silos on the shores of Lake Ontario in Tkaronto. 

Dissolving Boundaries was co-presented by the Global Centre for Climate Action at OCAD University and the European Union (EU), through its Delegation to Canada. I want to thank them for their hospitality and congratulate them their vision in collaborating, partnering and bringing this work and this conversation to us. 

The timing was good for me. I was wrapping up season 6 of my conscient podcast / balado conscient after some 350 episodes since I started it in 2020 and I was about to take a break, but then I got a call to talk about how arts and culture can help move audiences from awareness to action and I could not refuse that. I felt good about speaking freely and really listening to the different points of view. 

We were on a ship called the Jubilee Queen Cruise Ship so it quite moving, literally, to be on a boat looking out onto the projection and talking about art, culture and climate. 

Here’s Ana Serrano, OCAD University’s President and Vice-Chancellor explaining what the event was about: 

• But we can't stop, really. We don't really have much of a choice. So, convening like this, trying to figure out ways to create evocative, emotionally resonant works that will catalyze people into thinking about their relationship with the land, with water, with climate and their daily actions is what tonight is all about.

First you’ll hear Ana Serrano shares some inspiring opening remarks, followed by an engaging speech by the Ambassador of the EU to Canada, Geneviève Tuts. You’ll then hear panelists, with Ana as facilitator, speak one by one. First Alessandro Gisendi, Akash Rastogi (Chief Capital Strategy Officer at Canada’s Ocean Supercluster) myself, Juan Erazo (Culturans) and Alice Xu (Director of Policy, Planning and Program Enablement; Environment, Climate and Forestry Division at the City of Toronto).  

At the end of the recording you’ll hear a question from an audience member, who happens to be a friend of mine, Coman Poon (e202 coman poon - what are you doing with your life ?) ask about ‘extraction for the sake of economic autonomy’, which we all commented upon. The conversation continued until it was time to view the art projection!

I want to express my warmest thanks to the organizers, fellow panelists, audience members and in particular to OCAD sound technician Omar Qureshi, who recorded this session for me.

Enjoy. It’s good to talk about these things with creative energy. 

May the conversations continue.

*

Episodes notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Key Takeaways:

• Activate community creativity through art to design future cities and foster positive change.
• Bridge the gap between rational climate data and emotional engagement to motivate action.
• Reassess economic models to prioritize natural assets and foster international cooperation for scalable solutions.
• Integrate nature-based solutions into urban planning and daily life, celebrating local initiatives.
• Leverage cross-sector collaboration, including Indigenous wisdom, to address complex climate challenges with accountability and compassion.

Story Preview

In a world grappling with urgent climate pressures, this episode reveals how art can ignite powerful emotions, transforming passive observers into active contributors. Hear how artists, scientists, and policymakers converge to create evocative experiences that inspire hope and drive tangible solutions for a sustainable future.

Chapter Summary

00:00 Art’s Transformative Power in Climate Action
05:42 OCAD U’s Vision for Climate Action
12:55 EU’s Commitment to Sustainable Future
18:11 Dissolving Boundaries: Art Installation
23:02 Oceans, Innovation, and Emotional Triggers
27:44 Art as a Tool for Community Creativity
33:14 Nature-Based Solutions and Urban Greenery
37:26 Reconnecting with Nature
39:55 Cross-Sectoral Collaboration for Future Cities
42:44 International Cooperation for Ocean Climate Solutions
45:26 Art’s Role in Changing Habits
47:40 Building Connections for Climate Action
49:16 Addressing Societal Values and Economic Flaws
52:05 Indigenous Wisdom and Future Paths
53:41 Closing Remarks and Art Installation Details

Featured Quotes

• In an era where pressures on climate and environments grow even stronger, we should not underestimate the transformative power of art. (Ambassador of the European Union to Canada Geneviève Tuts)
• When you do the trigger, the emotional part, you can go down hope and fear both, both lead to action, but ultimately, we need to transform being passive into really active contributors to solving this. And what a better way than art? (Akash Rastogi, Chief Capital Strategy Officer at Canada’s Ocean Supercluster)
• We know that when we work with green spaces, we work with life, we work with art, we can rebuild, we can regenerate, but we must do it differently. (Claude Schryer)

Behind the Story

This panel discussion, “Dissolving Boundaries,” was recorded on October 4, 2025 on the Jubilee Queen cruise ship during Nuit Blanche Toronto. It featured the premiere of a large-scale art projection by Alessandro Gisendi and Marco Noviello of Oops Studio, projected onto the Canada Malting Silos. Co-presented by OCAD University’s Global Center for Climate Action and the European Union, the event brought together diverse art and climate experts to explore the role of art and collaboration in addressing climate change.

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

My second conversation with writer, facilitator and consultant Adam Kahane (the first was episode e219) and with the audience at the Ottawa launch of Everyday Habits for Transforming Systems, the Catalytic Power of Radical Engagement at Perfect Books on July 2, 2025. This episode is part of my roundtable series, open-ended conversations about what a group of citizens are passionate about. And passionate they were! 

I started by asking Adam why he wrote the book and why does he think it’s relevant today, in particular here in the nation’s capital at a time when there are great tensions with our neighbours to the south and when Canadians are talking to each other more than ever about our shared values, and the challenges that we face such as the ecological crisis and climate emergency, which sadly seems to have temporarily fallen off our collective radar. 

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Action points

• Embrace radical engagement: Lean into understanding diverse perspectives and actively seek common ground.
• Recognize the power of everyday habits: Focus on daily actions to create lasting systemic change.
• Navigate complexity: Balance working towards a larger goal with acknowledging individual interests and power dynamics.
• Collaborate across differences: Seek opportunities to work with those who hold different views to achieve meaningful progress.
• Act responsibly: Consider the broader impact of your actions on all living beings.

Story Preview

What if the key to changing the world lies not in grand gestures, but in the small, often overlooked habits of our daily lives? Adam Kahane shares his journey from facilitating transformative dialogues in South Africa to uncovering the power of radical engagement, inviting us to rethink how we contribute to a better future. 

Chapter Summary

00:00 The Collective Task of Transformation
01:19 Introducing Adam Kahane
04:01 Setting the Stage for Discussion
09:40 The Motivation Behind the Book
15:42 Everyday Habits for Transformation
22:39 Exploring the Seven Habits
29:12 The Slippery Slope of Disagreement and The Challenge of Acting Responsibly
35:20 Power Dynamics in Collaboration
39:40 Trust and Collaboration
44:00 Balancing Urgency and Everyday Habits
54:25 Art, Culture, and Collaboration
56:13 Radical Engagement in Action
01:00:05 Navigating Power Dynamics and The Importance of Agency
01:12:51 Redefining Power and Responsibility
01:17:04 Risks and Realities of Engagement
01:23:13 The Complexity of Multiple Systems

Featured Quotes

• Transforming the system is not an individual task. It’s a collective activity.
• Radical engagement is the opposite of standing back with your arms crossed saying, take it or leave it.
• Ring the bells you still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in. (quoting Leonard Cohen)

Behind the Story

Adam Kahane’s latest book, ‘Everyday Habits for Transforming Systems,’ stems from a moment of confusion during an interview with South African leader Trevor Manuel. This experience led Kahane to explore what it means to contribute to systemic change, focusing on the everyday actions that shape our world. This episode explores themes of power, collaboration, and social responsibility and how the arts weave their way through all of this. 

Credit: cover photo by Conyer Clayton

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

My conversation with Claudia Salguero, a Colombian Canadian community engaged artist based in Ottawa, where I live on the unceded lands of the Algonquin-Anishinaabe people. Claudia is well known for her vibrant and expressive murals. They are literally all over Ottawa and explore themes of identity, culture and social justice. You'll hear the color and the energy in her voice. I asked Claudia to give an example of one of her projects. She spoke about The Wisdom Mural, which is inspired by the teachings of Ottawa based knowledge keepers. I love the way Claudia identifies three key elements of… community, beauty, nature. 

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Action points

• Recognize the vital role of community, beauty, and nature in art creation and appreciation.
• Explore the Wisdom Mural project and its inspiration from diverse knowledge keepers.
• Understand how art can facilitate healing and connection, especially in times of crisis.
• Value the importance of listening and understanding different perspectives to foster communication.
• Support community-engaged art as a means of giving voice to marginalized communities.

Story Preview

Discover the story behind Ottawa’s vibrant murals and the artist who uses art to connect communities and heal hearts. From a vision inspired by nature to a powerful encounter with a grieving stranger, explore the transformative power of community-engaged art.

Chapter Summary

00:00 The Essence of Community, Beauty, and Nature
00:56 Meet Claudia Salguero
01:37 The Wisdom Mural: A Dream Project
03:51 Engaging with Knowledge Keepers
05:30 Symbolism and Meaning in the Mural
08:02 Community Engagement Through Art
11:54 Art as a Healing Tool

Featured Quotes

• To me, there’s three key things and it’s community, beauty and nature.
• The important part of this community mural creations is not the mural itself. It’s all that happens around it or before or behind the mural.
• We need to learn to listen, to understand why somebody think the way they think. Because it’s not for free. You have reasons to be who you are and to act in the way you act.

Behind the Story

Claudia Salguero shares the inspiration behind her Wisdom Mural, a project that brought together ten knowledge keepers from around the world to explore the unifying power of nature. The mural, a towering piece of public art in Ottawa, has become a symbol of connection and healing, especially poignant during the pandemic and the discovery of unmarked graves at indigenous residential schools. One moving story highlights how the mural helped a grieving man find solace after years of pain.

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

Futurist Jesse Hirsh, June 9, 2025

This is a special edition of a conscient podcast roundtable - my long form episode series - presented by the Public Imagination Network in collaboration with Mass Culture – Mobilisation culturelle. 

June 9th, 2025 was a lot of fun. I recorded two roundtables that day, e238 with the sonic research group on low technology and the one you’re about to hear, which is the second in a series of conversations by the Public Imagination Network called Imagining in Public (the first one was e183 imagining in public - cultural leadership in a changing world). 

This second iteration is called imagining in public e2 - artist perspectives on social impact, in other words, how artists shape social change beyond traditional definitions of impact but also how the evaluation of artistic contributions can shape public life. You’ll hear a panel formed of Public Imagination Network Fellows: Shary Boyle, Kevin Loring, Shannon Litzenberger, Kevin Ormsby and Evalyn Parry as well special guest, futurist Jesse Hirsh (you can read more about his work on his Substack, Metaviews: Future of Authority).

To help guide your listening here are the framing questions that the organisers developed for the event: 

• What does social impact truly mean in the context of artistic practice?
• If artists are catalysts for new imaginaries and drivers of transformation, how can their impacts be amplified outside of the arts and culture sectors?
• What systems and practices are necessary to sustain and amplify the relational work of artists?

The recording is in 5 parts (each section separated by a musical drone):

1. a quote from Jesse Hirsh and my introduction
2. opening thoughts by the panel
3. breakout group on stories
4. breakout group on structures
5. closing thoughts by the panel

To see an image created by Robin Sokoloski of participants responses to the question : 'What does "arts impact" mean to you?' please see this link. 

Warm thanks to the Public Imagination Network and their special guest Jesse Hirsh as well as Robin Sokoloski at Mass Culture as well as all participants for allowing their voices to be shared in this way. 

À la prochaine.

Note: a link to this gatherings’ chat storms (audience responses to a question) and a resource list (mentioned during the episode) will be provided at a later time.

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

1. How can we continue our work in acoustic ecology in a world with less energy and in perpetual crisis, including the climate emergency, the depletion of non-renewable resources, loss of biodiversity and so on ?
2. What role can artistic practice in acoustic ecology play in the transition towards sustainability? 
3. What steps can we take now to prepare a better future for generations of acoustic ecologists to come? 

The group shared some convincing answers and some new questions. You’ll find a set of resource links in the episode now (below). 

Resource List

• AI's impact on energy and water usage
• Alexis Zeigler –  Living Without Fossil Fuels: How Living Energy Farm Created a Comfortable Off-Grid Lifestyle
• climate amnesia : canada’s cultural moment and the climate emergency are one and the same
• Decomposed : The Political Ecology of Music
• How to Build a Low-tech Internet
• Music, Soundscape and Acoustic Sustainability
• Peter Strack – 2000-Watt Society: The Realities of Living a Lower Energy Lifestyle
• Regenerative Energy Communities
• Sun Thinking
• Trapped by Industrialism: Civilization's Daily Resource Demands

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

My conversation with interdisciplinary artist, researcher and consultant Helen Yung who leads the Laboratory for Artistic Intelligence, an artist-driven transdisciplinary research group that specializes in reimagining how things work in the world. Led by artists, this Lab collaborates with people in community, culture, astronomy, physics, psychology, medicine, immigration, mental health, information sciences, education, and more. Helen is a sparkplug of creativity and innovation. I had the pleasure of attending a presentation by Helen about her work at the Worldmaking as Creative Practice gathering in Tkaronto on May 29 and 30, 2025 which was hosted by the Creative Communities Commons at University of Toronto's School of Cities and led by Artist-Researcher-in-Residence Shannon Litzenberger. You’ll hear Helen and I refer to this Worldmaking gathering throughout our conversation, for example, when I ask Helen about art as refuge. At the end of the episode Helen invite listeners to join the to the Forum for Artistic Intelligence (ART/INForum). 

A note of thanks to EM Luka, a good friend and collaborator of Helen's, who participated in the conversation but was not included in the final edit due to time constraints. 

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Action points

• Recognize art as a refuge for spirituality, soulfulness, and cultural preservation in times of conflict.
• Explore your roots and kinship to tap into reservoirs of knowledge and wisdom.
• Understand the continuum between art for art’s sake and applied arts, and how they intertwine.
• Embrace the concept of pluriversalism to appreciate diverse perspectives and imaginations.
• Join the Forum for Artistic Intelligence to connect with like-minded individuals.

Story Preview

Imagine a world where art safeguards culture, bridges divides, and sparks imagination. Helen Yung shares her vision of art as a sanctuary and a catalyst for understanding our pluriversal world, challenging us to reconsider the role of creativity in society.

Chapter Summary

00:00 The Value of Cultural Practices
01:24 Introducing Helen Yung
03:42 Pluriversalism and Artistic Practice
07:05 Art as a Refuge
11:14 Roots and Artistic Identity

Featured Quotes

• Artists have this like hoarding tendency sometimes… we look for, for these neglected things, the things that people don’t care about so much. We make special or we keep special.
• Art has been a sort of holding space or a placeholder for many other things that humanity craves and needs.
• I believe very much in the role of the artist is to do our best to exhibit in our subjectivity in society… So to bring our artistic practice and our artistic being in relation to the rest of the world, to whatever extent you’re able to…

Behind the Story

Helen Yung discusses her work with the Laboratory for Artistic Intelligence, emphasizing the importance of bringing artistic methods into various societal sectors. The episode touches on the Worldmaking as Creative Practice gathering, where ideas of art as refuge were explored. Helen advocates for pluriversalism, highlighting the need to appreciate and integrate diverse perspectives in a global context.

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

My conversation with Japanese musicologist and soundscape researcher Keiko Torigoe at her home in Tokyo on May 21, 2025. Keiko is retired from her position as professor at Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo and is currently President of the Soundscape Association of Japan. Keiko is a long-time friend and colleague in the international acoustic ecology community who has done important research on soundscapes in Canada and Japan. 

Keiko answered the two following questions in Japanese: first, ‘what is role of arts and culture is in times of crisis, collapse and renewal’ followed by ‘what about your current activities as a researcher and producer of community arts projects and what action points do you recommend’). I loved how her answers included the more-than-human world and locally rooted ways of listening. You can also listen to the original Japanese version of our conversation here. 

この対談のオリジナル日本語版はこちらでも聴くことができる。

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Action points

• Recognize the decline of listening ability in modern society and its connection to environmental issues.
• Broaden the concept of music to include communication with the natural realm.
• Deepen your connection with the land and local communities through artistic activities.
• Engage in collaborative projects that promote understanding and respect for diverse perspectives.
• Consider the impact of your actions on those around you, fostering intergenerational connections.

Story Preview

Imagine strolling around a tranquil pond in Japan, guided by a soundscape researcher who unveils the hidden stories of the land through music and conversation. This episode explores the power of listening, the interconnectedness of humans and nature, and the transformative potential of community art. 

Chapter Summary

The Decline of Listening
Introducing Keiko Torigoe
Arts and Culture in Crisis
The Narrowing Concept of Music
Personal Journey and Artistic Exploration
Transformative Power of Art

Featured Quotes

• I believe that at their root lies the decline of our listening ability, the power of listening as humanity.
• We have forgotten the other aspect of music, which is the concept of music that connects not just humans, but also the more than human world, allowing us to communicate with the entire natural realm.
• Art and such activities transform me, and having done it for many years, it gradually affects those around me as well.

Behind the Story

Claude Schryer travels to Tokyo to meet with Keiko Torigoe, a renowned musicologist and soundscape researcher. Keiko shares her passion for reconnecting with the natural world through listening and artistic projects. Her insights are rooted in her research in both Canada and Japan and her personal experiences in her hometown.

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

I met Lallan (Anirudh Lallan Choudhry) at the Sunshine Himalayan Cottage facility in the Tirthan Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India. The managing host of this facility, Panki Sood, introduced us. Lallan, is a multi-disciplinary artist and socially engaged artist who practice is ‘rooted deep in working with the earthen, on a severe lookout for the conditions which enable genuine co-authors within communities, forming narratives through extra-human design and enquiry’. He is the founder of Baadii, a rural art-house in Himachal Pradesh where he currently lives and is also working on community arts projects at Sunshine Himalayan Cottage with Panki and his team, which you’ll hear about in a few minutes. I want to thank Panki for introducing us and Lallan for this first conversation. 

Note: You can hear his latest musical production, Kyun, here). Below is a rough translation of the lyrics :

• Why is the world caught up in making excuses still
• Why are the machines continuously pumping smoke in the air
• By whose permission did we dump all the garbage in the sea 
• And who are the idiots building these dams trying to tie free rivers

• What is all this and why is this even
• What is this world that humans are desiring?

• If everything is one day bound to be left here on the ground
• Then what is the use of constant fighting, over and over again?
• And why is it that we fill bombs and continue to drop them on our very own children? 
• We are intoxicated by the notions of borders and religion
• And continue to revel in the blashpemy of it all

• So why is this even
• That destruction and more destruction is the only thing we want? 

• Those who can be quiet and just listen, where are they?
• Why are my torchbearers full of greed who want to sell the world?
• Those who divide the we into you and me
• Why has everyone chosen them to lead?
• Those who dry down the rivers and erase forests 
• Whar are they doing in everyone's share of the earth
• Why are the deprived, still deprived
• What kind of progress is this? 
• Wherever you see, its filled of smoke
• What kind of a fire of hatred have they fueled 

• Douse it, douse it, douse it
• Let us breathe, of whatever breath is left 
• Whatever little is left of life 

• Might also die, if you do not stop!

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI:

Action points

• Embrace traditional wisdom by learning from rural communities and their sustainable practices.
• Create art that addresses socio-political issues and promotes cultural movements.
• Build community art spaces that foster collaboration between artists, naturalists, and local populations.
• Highlight the cultural importance of ecological regions through art and storytelling.
• Negate purely aesthetic work in favor of art that drives social and ecological change.

Story Preview

Imagine an artist who champions rural wisdom, bridging ancient traditions with contemporary art to spark cultural and ecological movements. Discover how Lalan is building vibrant arts ecosystems in the Himalayas, proving that art can be a powerful catalyst for change.

Chapter Summary

00:00 The Call for Artists
01:29 Setting Up an Arts Ecosystem
03:25 Learning from Rural Communities
06:30 Art as a Medium of Connection
08:06 The Journey of a Self-Taught Artist
10:01 Creating Impact Through Community Art
12:28 Current Projects and Future Aspirations

Featured Quotes

• We need artists more than the scientists. We need artists more than the healers… because arts connect everybody.
• The traditionally arts ecosystem exists like that everywhere in the world…We need to destroy that as artists and we need to head to where our roots are, which is in the soil.
• How can you as an artist live and create work in a rural so called remote setting where nobody even expects a doctor or an engineer to even work. So how can you make art there? 

Behind the Story

Lallan’s journey from documentary filmmaker to socially engaged artist is rooted in a deep connection to rural communities and a desire to address pressing ecological and cultural issues. His work challenges the dominance of Western artistic models, advocating for a return to traditional wisdom and collaborative art practices that empower local voices.

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

My conversation with Emily Marie Séguin, a Franco-Ontarian 2-spirited performer, musician, theatre creator and visual artist of settlers and Anishinabe descent who creates work to recognize those who walked before her, and to support those who will after her. I wanted to speak to Emily because she is member of Éclore, a collective that builds bridges between artistic, environmental and activist communities, bringing people together and building hope for a fairer, more sustainable future. I had already spoken with Léa Vandycke, about Éclore, in episode 164 of balado conscient, and so Emily is about to tell us, in English, the story of Éclore from her point but she will also talk about her own work and vision as an indigenous artist, such as her G’zaagiin maleńki – I promise you a forestproject. I also had a French language conversation with Emily, see balado conscient épisode 168.

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Action points

• Discover the mission of Éclore and how it fosters collaboration between artists, scientists, and activists.
• Explore the role of art in advocating for social causes, environmental protection, and Indigenous sovereignty.
• Learn about Emily’s project, G’zaagiin maleńki – je te promets une forêt and its goal of connecting young people with the sounds and importance of nature.
• Understand the significance of Indigenous voices in land-based solutions for a just and sustainable world.
• Gain actionable steps for artists and cultural workers to engage in advocacy and support grassroots movements.

Story Preview

Imagine a world where art, environmentalism, and activism intertwine, creating a tapestry of hope for a sustainable future. Emily Marie Séguin, a passionate Two-Spirit artist, shares her journey of bridging these worlds through her work with Éclore and her dedication to honouring the land.

Chapter Summary

00:00 The Duality of Art: Accountability and Hope
01:23 Introducing Emily Marie Seguin
03:44 The Birth of Éclore: A Collective for Change
07:15 Art as a Reflection of Nature
11:43 Taking Action: Empowering Artists and Cultural Workers

Featured Quotes

• The act of creating denotes hope, because why would you create something if you didn’t believe that it was going to lead to something?
• I think that the fight towards a more just and sustainable world, especially in a land-based context, needs to include Indigenous voices.
• Without hope, we wouldn’t do anything, we wouldn’t act, we wouldn’t continue to fight.

Behind the Story

Emily’s involvement with Éclore stems from a deep-seated passion for plants, nature, and advocating for social justice. Inspired by the vision of Éclore's founders, she joined the collective to help build a community that serves as a resource for artists and fosters conversations across diverse disciplines, all united by a common goal of protecting the land and promoting sovereignty.

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

My conversation withknowledge producer, artist, facilitator and director of the Artists’ Literacies Institute, Andrew Freiband. Our conversation was recorded, via Zoom, on April 18, 2025. My previous conversation with Andrew was on conscient podcast e13 in 2020 called weaving art into action, when we both participants in the Creative Climate Leadership course USA. Five years later, I was happy to discover that Andrew, informed by the work of British artists and writer  Alana Jelinek, continues to weave art into action, notably with through his Systems Thinking for Socially Engaged Artists project, a seminar and dialogic discussion activity that introduces artists to basic concepts of systems science so we fleshed this out and Andrew and also talked about how the arts can be more useful to the near term and long-term future of our species. 

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Action points

• Recognize the value of artists’ unique knowledge and perspectives beyond just their art.
• Understand artists as systems thinkers who can connect various systems, including economic and power systems.
• Challenge the notion that art should not be useful and embrace its potential for practical application.
• Pay attention to what you pay attention to, cultivating care for surroundings, time, and relationships.
• Consider the long-term cultural impact of artistic practices, which can outlast political and social structures.

Story Preview

Imagine a world grappling with mass grief during a pandemic, where traditional rituals are impossible. Discover how artists stepped up to create new ways to mourn and connect, revealing the profound value of art beyond aesthetics.

Chapter Summary

00:00 The Power of Attention
01:01 Revisiting Conversations
02:50 Art in Crisis: The COVID-19 Response
05:15 Creating the Artist’s Grief Deck
07:16 Rethinking the Role of Artists
10:07 Navigating Systems and Agency
12:21 The Intersection of Art and Activism
13:50 The Slow Work of Culture

Featured Quotes

• If we start to pay attention to what we pay attention to, we start to naturally slow down.
• Artists are valuable not for the art, but valuable for what they know and how they know it.
• Artists attention is enormously valuable…maybe the key currency of being an artist that we pay attention.

Behind the Story

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, disaster relief agencies faced a challenge they weren’t equipped for: mass grief in isolation. Recognizing artists’ historical role in creating rituals, they sought help in developing new tools for mourning. This led to the creation of the Artist’s Grief Deck, a project highlighting the practical and connective power of art.

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

My conversation with Meghan Moe Beitiks, assistant professor in theatre at Concordia University in Montreal. Meghan Moe is an artist and designer working with associations and disassociations of culture, nature and structure. Our mutual friend Ian Garrett thought we might get along. We did. Our conversation focused on Meghan Moe’s Angles of Consequence project, a season of site-specific performances with Canadian performers to create work with reflected sunlight in key sites of climate advocacy and destruction in Québec. Meghan Moe and I had tea in Montreal. It was a very, enlightening, conversation. 

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI:

Action points

• Recognize art’s crucial role in processing emotions and spreading information during crises.
• Explore the use of reflected sunlight in art to highlight climate change issues.
• Support Indigenous resistance against fossil fuel expansion as an effective climate action.
• Consider the impact of positionality (literal and cultural) on our perspectives.
• Utilize resources like Canada Green Tools to calculate and reduce the carbon footprint of events.

Story Preview

Imagine art that dances with the sun, revealing hidden truths about our planet’s climate crisis. Megan Moe’s ‘Angles of Consequence’ uses reflected sunlight in powerful performances, sparking dialogue and demanding action.

Chapter Summary

00:00 The Power of Empathy
01:05 Introducing Megan Moe
01:31 Angles of Consequence
03:08 Art as a Tool for Understanding
04:35 Reflected Sunlight and Climate Change
07:09 Indigenous Resistance and Environmental Impact
09:49 Collaborating with Nature

Featured Quotes

• We also need moments of digestion…to absorb and understand what we’ve experienced and what we’ve learned.
• The sun is not going to show up on your time. It doesn’t care whether you’re giving a performance.
• Being able to witness that up close and consider what that human is doing in relationship to your own humanness, I feel like makes us all clearer, more grounded and better.

Behind the Story

Megan Moe’s project, ‘Angles of Consequence’, emerged from pandemic isolation and a fascination with reflected sunlight. It evolved into a series of site-specific performances addressing climate change in Québec, highlighting both the destructive forces of fossil fuels and the powerful resistance of Indigenous communities. The project aims to create an open-access guide, encouraging global engagement with sunlight performance art.

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

My conversation with consultant and strategist in public policy, arts, culture and creative industries, Kelly Wilhelm, who currently leads the Cultural Policy Hub at OCAD University in Tkaronto. Kelly is a long-time friend and colleague with whom I have had many passionate conversations about art, culture, leadership, life and how to have fun through it all. This conversation was no exception.  We talked a lot about precarity in the arts sector but also its resilience. You’ll hear me refer to Kelly’s A New Project on Precarity and Sustainability article in the recording.  I love the way Kelly always finds a way to ask good and timely questions.

Episode notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Action points

• Challenge traditional leadership models in arts organizations to foster inclusivity and relevance.
• Advocate for the arts and culture in broader public policy discussions, including areas like AI.
• Examine the financial conditions and precarity affecting individual artists and creators.
• Re-evaluate the not-for-profit model in the arts to identify sustainable governance structures.
• Promote collaboration between arts organizations and other sectors to contribute to democratic processes and public good.

Story Preview

What if the arts aren’t in crisis, but are actually a crucial part of the solution to global challenges? Kelly Wilhelm challenges conventional thinking and inspires us to reimagine the role of cultural institutions in today’s world. This episode dives into leadership, equity, and the resilience of the arts sector. 

Chapter Summary

00:00 The Role of Arts in Crisis
01:16 A Conversation with Kelly Wilhelm
02:25 Connecting Cultural Institutions to Communities
04:53 The Changing Role of Cultural Institutions
06:08 Rethinking Leadership in the Arts
08:51 The Cultural Policy Hub at OCAD University
10:51 Addressing Precarity in the Arts Sector

Featured Quotes

• The arts themselves have a lot to contribute to these moments in terms of meaning, belonging, helping us to process those crises.
• We need to be much more flexible in how we think about structure and how we think about how we deliver that meaning.
• How do we ensure that these institutions are led, that they… are reflective and meaningful to the people that they are there to serve.

Behind the Story

Kelly Wilhelm’s journey began with a concern about the disconnect between cultural institutions and the communities they serve. Beginning her career in Toronto in the late 1990s, Kelly saw the contrast between the work show and stories told in public art galleries and museums, and the diverse communities outside their doors. She became determined to bridge this gap. Her work at the Cultural Policy Hub at OCAD University is an example of her commitment to equity, relevance, and the power of the arts to create meaningful change.

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

Sarah Peebles is a Toronto-based installation artist, composer and music improvisor. Much of her work explores digitally manipulated found sound and unconventional methods of amplification. She has also collaborated with artists, technicians and bee biologists on a series of projects addressing pollination ecology and biodiversity, entitled ‘Resonating Bodies’ since 2008. I loved her ideas on reciprocity, which, indirectly, is what this podcast tries to do by sharing the work of ecological artists like Sarah and their vision of a world where we can peacefully cohabitate with the more-than-human world. 

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Action points

• Observe the natural world closely to understand its intricate feedback loops.
• Support native bee populations by considering land management practices and avoiding harmful pesticides.
• Explore art as a medium for understanding and engaging with ecological issues.
• Question conventional agricultural practices and advocate for sustainable alternatives.
• Recognize the impact of individual choices on the broader ecosystem and strive for reciprocity.

Story Preview

Imagine stepping into a world where the secret lives of native, wild bees are amplified, revealing a symphony of tiny movements and vital connections. Sarah Peebles’ art invites us to observe and listen closely to nature’s diverse, essential players and reconsider our role in its delicate dance. 

Chapter Summary

00:00 The Concept of Reciprocity
01:00 Meet Sarah Peebles
02:24 Engaging with Biodiversity
05:24 Art as a Medium for Science
10:14 The Role of Art in Healing

Featured Quotes

• How can we reciprocate since the world keeps us alive?
• They (bees) don’t care about me at all. They’re doing what they do. I’m helping to provide places in which they can forage and nest which we can visually and sonically access.
• It’s a little bit easier to just allow people to have a sense of wonder and go from there.

Behind the Story

Sarah Peebles’ journey exploring art and biodiversity began with a concern: despite years of recording natural sounds, she saw no real change in environmental awareness. This led her to collaborate with wild bee biologist Professor Lawrence Packer, sparking a passion for native bees and a desire to make biodiversity tangible through art. Her ‘Deluxe Log’ and other "Resonating Bodies" installations are a testament to this dedication, offering a unique window into the hidden world of these essential pollinators and the habitat that supports them.

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

Don Hill is a sound designer, immersive & multimedia artist, science journalist, broadcaster & public speaker. Don and I were both raised in Northern Ontario and are both sound based artists with a keen interest in technology and spirituality. I’ve have had long series of email exchanges over the years with Don about this podcast and my a calm presence Substack about some my doomist tendencies where Don often helped me considered more balanced points of view. We don’t always agree on all the issues but that’s part of the fun of art and listening. 

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Action points

• Amplify marginalized voices within the art world and beyond to foster inclusivity and understanding.
• Challenge the commodification of fear and cortisol in media by promoting empathy and collective experiences.
• Embrace a slower, more contemplative approach to art and technology to counteract the accelerating nature of modern life.
• Recognize the limitations of hyper-individualized art and strive for collective, grounded emotional connections.
• Consider the future of humanity in the context of space exploration, incorporating elements of spirituality and acknowledging physiological limitations.

Story Preview

Can art save us from our hyper-accelerated, fear-driven world? Journey with Don Hill as he explores how slowing down, listening deeply, and amplifying unheard voices can create collective empathy and a hopeful vision for the future.

Chapter Summary

00:00 Amplifying Voices in the Art World
01:06 The Shift in Artistic Values
03:06 Navigating Personal and Collective Grief
05:01 Commodifying Fear in Art and Media
07:19 The Evolution of Story Trees
09:30 Slowing Down in a Fast-Paced World
12:47 Future Visions and the Role of Art

Featured Quotes

• We’re just talking at people, we’re not listening to them.
• The art world as I understand it, is more about real estate, you know, perceived value and hoarding.
• We’ve commodified fear, we’ve commodified cortisol, and that seems to be the ingredient that makes social media so attractive.

Behind the Story

The episode delves into the state of the modern art world, critiquing its focus on real estate, perceived value, and the commodification of fear. It contrasts this with a call for art that fosters collective empathy and addresses societal challenges. The discussion highlights the importance of slowing down in a technologically accelerated world, drawing on personal anecdotes and experiences to illustrate the transformative power of mindful engagement with art.

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

Rafael Zen is a queer Latinx video and sound artist and performer, currently living in the land of the Coast Salish peoples, otherwise known as Vancouver. We were both part of an event at Emily Carr University of Art and Design called Listening in Relationthat expanded upon listening practices and ecological art by exploring decolonization through thought and practices of IBPoC artists. I asked Rafael about their work in new media, performance art, and in particular their understanding of decolonization and decolonial resistance. 

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Action points

• Embrace the role of an artist as a dreamer, shaping and reshaping narratives of the past, present, and future.
• Investigate the impact of colonial capitalism and its effect on our ability to envision solutions and equitable futures.
• Utilize sound and immersive installations to raise awareness of presence and challenge dominant structures.
• Trust your artistic vision and use storytelling to foster dialogue and connection within local communities.
• Identify your non-negotiables to guide your art and activism toward decolonization and meaningful change.

Story Preview

What if art could awaken us from our colonial capitalist slumber? Rafael Zen, a visionary artist, invites us to dream of radical futures through sound, performance, and unwavering conviction. This episode explores how art can provoke dialogue, challenge ideologies, and pave the way for meaningful change, one non-negotiable at a time.

Chapter Summary

00:00 The Dreaming Role of Artists
01:10 Exploring Decolonization in Art
03:01 Hauntology and Futurity
05:06 The Malfunctioning Cyborg
06:44 Listening as a Tool for Awareness
08:52 Art as a Catalyst for Change

Featured Quotes

• The role of artists is the role of dreaming.
• How can we, as a community, dream of…queer futurities, but it can be radical equality, radical futures, equitable futures.
• Don’t negotiate the non-negotiable. (quoting Lélia Gonzalez)

Behind the Story

Rafael Zen’s work is deeply rooted in cyborg theory, speculative environmental utopias, and Brazilian indigenous theory. Zen draws inspiration from thinkers like Ailton Krenak and Mark Fisher, crafting art that challenges audiences to confront the devastation caused by colonial capitalism. By creating immersive installations and using sound as a democratic medium, Zen aims to provoke dialogue and foster a sense of presence, ultimately inviting listeners to reimagine a world free from oppression and violence.

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

This is my second conversation with arts producer, choreographer, teacher and mentor Judith Marcuse, who among other things is the founder of Judith Marcuse Projects and the International Centre of Art for Social Change. Marcuse learned about community engaged arts practices by following/assisting experienced practitioners at work and also doing extensive reading. Many resources are currently available at https://icasc.ca including about Futures forward,  a national mentorship program that partnered with over 20 environmental NGO’s; the results of a six-year national ASC research project, and a diverse range of videos and texts exploring this work in Canada and abroad. Our first exchange was on October 24th, 2021, e73 judith marcuse – finding the energy to keep moving. You’ll hear a lot of passion and energy in Judith’s voice and words, and I wouldn’t be the first to call her a force of nature, in the best sense of the term. We spoke at her home in West Vancouver. 

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI:

Action points

• Recognize the value of imagination as a vital resource alongside environmental, political, and economic resources.
• Give permission to explore and share ideas through art to reveal innate creativity.
• Reflect on personal connections to the environment and larger world issues to inform artistic expression.
• Connect with non-arts organizations and networks to integrate arts-based approaches into change work.
• Challenge the hierarchy in the arts and celebrate the power of community engagement.

Story Preview

Feeling lost in a world of negativity? Discover how art can reignite your imagination and connect you with your community. Explore the transformative power of creative expression and its role in shaping a better future.

Chapter Summary

00:00 Finding Energy in Despair
01:12 Introducing Judith Marcuse
02:36 The Innate Artist in Everyone
04:40 Art as a Reflective Process
05:41 Reimagining Art and Its Hierarchies
06:49 The Power of Imagination
07:36 Defining Community Engaged Arts
10:07 Creative Publics: A Case Study
12:11 Creating Safe Spaces for Expression

Featured Quotes

• Everyone is an artist. Only they don’t know it.
• We have enormous power and the power we have is of the imagination.
• In a time of individualism, art for social change encourages people to be in the same room together, to talk to each other.

Behind the Story

• Judith Marcuse shares her insights on community-engaged arts, drawing from decades of experience. She emphasizes the importance of art as a tool for dialogue, reflection, and social change, highlighting projects like Creative Publics. Her work demonstrates how simple artistic processes can inspire action and foster understanding.

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END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Action Points

• Explore the role of listening in decolonizing creative practices and challenging colonial narratives.
• Recognize the importance of land acknowledgments as active opportunities to listen to and honor Indigenous requests.
• Integrate personal and ancestral knowledge into artistic processes to foster relationality with the land and more-than-human beings.
• Reflect on the ethical implications of technology use in art, considering environmental impact and responsible creation.
• Embrace silence and slow down to connect with inner wisdom and speak from the heart.

Story Preview

What does it truly mean to listen? Dive into an exploration of decolonization through sound, art, and personal reflections. Hear from artists who are reshaping their creative practices to honor the land, ancestors, and the unseen voices that guide them.

Chapter Summary

00:00 Introduction to Listening in Relation
02:20 Keynote Panel Overview
06:48 Artistic Journeys and Ancestral Connections
29:58 Dream Technology and Cultural Expression
41:27 Identity, Land, and Heritage
50:01 Sonic Memories and Cultural Practices
57:04 Sacred Spaces and Cultural Resilience
01:03:05 Reflections on Cultural Action and Belonging
01:11:09 The Power of Listening and Silence
01:16:10 Technology, Creativity, and Environmental Impact
01:35:20 Closing Thoughts and Community Engagement

Featured Quotes

• Lara Felsing : ‘I think about listening in my practice as being receptive to concerns that are happening on the land.’
• Toni Leah C. Yakes : ‘When you’re asking where you’re from, you’re actually asking: What clay are you made of? or What earth are you made of?’
• Hildegard Westerkamp : ‘Listening was always the base from where I functioned. Listening always brought us back to ground.’

Behind the Story

The ‘Listening in Relation’ event at Emily Carr University of Art and Design brought together artists and thinkers to explore the critical role of listening and decolonization. This episode captures the keynote panel of that event, exploring how artists are actively engaging with sound, memory, and the land to challenge colonial narratives and foster deeper connections. The discussion highlights the delicate balance between technology, creativity, and environmental responsibility, prompting a reflection on our relationship with the world around us.

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

My second conscient conversation with composer and acoustic ecologist Hildegard Westerkamp. The first took place on March 31, 2021 in Vancouver, e22 westerkamp – slowing down through listening, and this second took place on March 17, 2025 in Vancouver BC which is on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.. Hildi is also featured in numerous other episodes of this podcast including 157, 170 and 226. I asked Hildi to focus our conversation on her childhood in post war Germany and how her upbringing has affected her work as an artist and listener. This is especially relevant as authoritarian regimes are unfolding around the world. I think we are well served by listening to our elders who have important stories to tell. 

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Actions

• Acknowledge the importance of slowing down and listening deeply in times of crisis
• Recognize the lasting impact of childhood experiences, particularly in environments of trauma and upheaval
• Seek calm and open spaces to foster creativity and profound change
• Embrace the creative spirit and artistic behavior as essential for survival and resilience
• Connect with others and use intelligence and senses to navigate challenging moments

Story Preview

Hildegard Westerkamp reflects on a childhood shaped by the ruins and lingering fears of post-war Germany, revealing how early exposure to trauma and a deep connection to nature forged her path as an artist and listener. Hear how immigrating to Canada gave her the space to heal and create.

Chapter Summary

00:00 The Activist’s Dilemma
00:47 Childhood Reflections
02:06 The Impact of War
06:05 Rebellion and Reflection
08:05 Finding Creative Freedom
10:01 Art in Times of Crisis
12:50 The Spirit of Resilience

Featured Quotes

• To make change on a more profound level, you have to almost distance yourself from the crisis and be in a place of calm.
• The first thing that comes to mind is my young activist in me that says, of course, let’s just fight.
• In hindsight, it was that connection to the outdoors, to the being in the forest and in the garden, that I think really shaped me.

Behind the Story

Hildegard Westerkamp’s narrative paints a picture of a generation grappling with the unspoken horrors of war and the weight of collective guilt. Her story highlights the importance of acknowledging the past, finding solace in nature, and cultivating inner calm to foster creativity and resilience in the face of ongoing global challenges.

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

My conversation with Sarah Heynen, the executive director of the Canadian Centre for Food & Ecology (CCFE) in Tkaronto. Sarah is a strategic systems-thinker with a warm heart and a generous nature. Sarah introduced me to the Surviving the Future course which you heard about in episode 218. We mostly talked food, about artfulness and what it means to be inspired and inspirited by say a conversation or a meal. She also explained the Anishinaabeg 7th fire prophecy: a time when the light skin race needs to choose between a scorched earth path and a rainbow path leading to flourishing and the 8th fire. 

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Action points

• Recognize culture’s impact on food choices and environmental awareness.
• Understand the vital role of soil health in food quality and carbon sequestration.
• Support regenerative food systems by choosing alternative suppliers.
• Match motivated audiences with existing regenerative food producers.
• Embrace personal conviction and agency in making food-related decisions.

Story Preview

Imagine a world where every meal reconnects you with the earth. Sarah Heynen shares her vision of a regenerative food system, inviting listeners to consider food as a powerful tool for cultural and ecological healing.

Chapter Summary

00:00 The Joy of Food Experience
01:25 Cultural Perspectives on Food
02:43 The Role of Art in Renewal
04:29 Contextualizing Our Location
06:50 Spiritual Connections to Food
08:32 Projects for Cultural Reconnection

Featured Quotes

• Food is a potent invitation into a collective story of reconnection with each other, with the Earth and with ourselves.
• Until someone has experienced the sensory joy of experiencing food in a new way, there’s little interest in understanding the facts or the cognitive issues surrounding our food system.

Behind the Story

Sarah Heynen, drawing from her background in anthropology and her role at the Canadian Centre for Food and Ecology, explores the cultural significance of food and its potential to address environmental challenges. She advocates for a shift in perspective, viewing food as a solution that invites participation in a collective journey towards healing and reconnection.

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

My conversation with an artist who prefers to remain anonymous. We went for a walk under the Gardiner Expressway in Tkaronto on March 11, 2025 to discover or rediscover the downtown critters project, a series of large printed drawings of local animals, birds, insects and amphibians in Southern Ontario. The idea is to create little moments of surprise and joy for pedestrians and motorists around some of the most bleak and industrial stretches of Toronto and Ottawa. The drawings are quite moving and made me want to go back in time…

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Action points

• Recognize the presence of local wildlife in urban environments through art installations.
• Understand the role of art in creating moments of surprise and joy in unexpected places.
• Appreciate the interplay between urban spaces and the natural world.
• Explore the use of graffiti art as a medium for environmental awareness and community engagement.
• Consider the impact of public art on personal well-being and community connection.

Story Preview

Imagine stumbling upon a vibrant drawing of a local animal beneath the cold, concrete of a city expressway. This is the reality created by Downtown Critters, a public art project sparking joy and reflection in Toronto’s urban landscape. Discover the story behind the art, the artist’s motivations, and the unexpected connections it fosters between city dwellers and the natural world.

Chapter Summary

00:00 The Role of Art in Imagination
01:00 Introducing Downtown Critters
02:42 The Inspiration Behind the Critters
04:55 The Emotional Connection to Urban Wildlife
06:31 The Joy of Discovery
09:00 The Ephemeral Nature of Art
10:41 Art as a Reflection of Loss
12:26 Connecting Species and Spaces

Featured Quotes

• So I guess part of it is like, part of it is remembering that the animals are here.
• It’s sort of brutal to think of animals in that situation underneath the gardener. But it’s also us who’s underneath the gardener.
• It makes me so happy when I’m, you know, I go for my jog and it’s like under the traffic… and then you’re like, oh, look, a frog.

Behind the Story

Downtown Critters began with a simple observation: a family of bunnies living under a dumpster in a construction site near Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway. This sparked the artist’s desire to remind people of the animals that still inhabit, or once inhabited, the city. The project uses large-format drawings and wheat paste to create ephemeral art installations in unexpected places, prompting viewers to consider their relationship with the natural world.

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

My conversation with composer, sound healer and performance artist Wendalyn Bartley. I first met Wende when we were both doing a master degree in composition in the 1980’s at McGill University, and I was happy to reconnect with her work that explores the human voice and it’s relation to rituals, the sacred, spirituality, ancestors and so. We went for a walk in High Park in Tkaronto on March 11, 2025. Our conversation focused on her Buried River Soundworlds project – a way to rediscover the natural waterways of Tkaronto - and I was pleased that Wende accepted my request to perform a song in relation to Grenadier Pond in High Park to conclude this episode, which I found enchanting.

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Action points

• Reconnect with nature to address environmental crises
• Explore buried waterways and natural spaces to rediscover natural spaces
• Connect with ancestral spirits through meditation and sounding
• Utilize vocal improvisation to deepen your relationship with nature
• Practice simple vocal exercises to connect with trees and alter your consciousness

Story Preview

Imagine uncovering hidden rivers beneath a bustling city, then giving voice to the forgotten spirits of the land. Explore the transformative power of sound and ancestral connection with Wendalyn Bartley in Tkaronto’s High Park.

Chapter Summary

00:00 Reconnecting with Nature
01:04 Meet Wendalyn Bartley
02:01 The Evolution of Voice Work
03:35 Questioning Ownership of Nature
04:49 Buried Waterways and Ancestral Connections
06:20 The Role of Art in Nature Connection
09:14 Grounding and Ancestral Dialogues
12:18 Sounding by the Water

Featured Quotes

• How can we own the pine trees?
• I wanted to visit places in Europe, in the Mediterranean… to see if I could tap into ancestral memory using my voice (in particular, the ancient cultures in Greece, Crete and Malta)
• I feel like I’ve met the tree and the tree has met me.

Behind the Story

Wendalyn Bartley’s journey started with a curiosity about the buried waterways of Tkaronto and evolved into a profound exploration of ancestral connection through vocal improvisation. This episode highlights her Buried River SoundWorlds project and offers listeners actionable techniques for deepening their own relationship with nature. The conversation took place in High Park next to Grenadier Pond.

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

- annais linares

My conversation with annais linares and Ben Finley, artists, researchers, sound makers, about their performance of Alchemizing Earthfullness a composition that explores self-rootedness, community connectedness and earth intimacy. The concert was as part of a Westben Chalk Talk Concert on November 9, 2024 on the traditional territory of the Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg nation near what is now known as Campbellford, Ontario.This episode is bit unusual because you’ll hear excerpts from the concert combined with a post-concert conversation with annais and Ben about this composition and how it addresses issues of crisis and collapse, renewal and joy. Quite a bit of joy. A reminder that you can learn more about Green Dreamer’s alchemize program in e161 alchemize circle - a conversation with kamea chayne, of this podcast.  

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Action points

• Explore the themes of self-rootedness, community connectedness, and earth intimacy through the arts.
• Understand how the “Alchemize” program influenced the creation of original songs focused on regeneration and healing.
• Recognize the importance of balancing awareness of global crises with moments of grounding and reconnection.
• Consider how artistic expression can foster a sense of belonging and inspire action in the face of collapse.
• Discover the cyclical nature of creation and return, using art as a compost-like process for renewal.

Story Preview

Imagine a world where music heals, communities connect, and the earth feels closer. Join annais linares and Ben Finley as they share their journey of creating “Alchemizing Earthfulness,” a performance born from a desire to reconnect and find joy amidst crisis.

Chapter Summary

00:00 Facing Reality and Finding Grounding
01:34 Introduction to Alchemizing Earthfulness
02:58 The Venue and the Event
04:00 Composing Alchemizing Earthfulness
07:02 Themes of Connection and Healing
10:16 Breathing Through Crisis
12:11 Musical Reflections and Cycles

Featured Quotes

• annais linares : We need to make moments of, you know, of grounding, of rootedness and remembering our real belonging to this earth.
• annais linares : That kind of transformation is deeply important in times of crises.
• Ben Finley : …just being there opens something in us, too.

Behind the Story

annais linares and Ben Finley, inspired by the Green Dreamer’s “alchemize” program, co-composed five thematic songs exploring self-rootedness, community, connectedness, and earth intimacy. Their performance at the Westben Schoolhouse aimed to offer a space for healing and regeneration, a “breath out” from the constant barrage of crisis news. The cyclical nature of their music, beginning and ending with a similar “scaling” motif, symbolized a composting process of renewal.

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

My conversation withcomposer, sound artist, media artist and facilitator Tina Pearson, whose work explores nuanced sonic investigations of perception, presence and place. suggests we slow down and listen, which I often hear artists suggest on this podcast but how does one do that? Well, soundwalking is one way to do, which what Tina and I did during our 90-minute conversation, recorded in September 2024 at PKOLS park, translates to ‘White Head’ or ‘White Rock’ in the SENĆOŦEN language of the W̱SÁNEĆ peoples, also known as Mt. Douglas Park inVictoria, British Columbia. I edited down our long conversation to 15-minutes, which as you will hear is accompanied by rainfall and the magnificent Pacific Ocean. 

Action points

• Practice deep listening to places and communities to understand their needs 
• Question whether current artistic practices perpetuate harmful systems
• Consider how artistic work can offer service and benefit to a specific place 
• Explore alternative ways of being a sound practitioner beyond traditional concerts and touring
• Pause and reflect on the impact of our actions and practices on the environment

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI:

Story Preview

Imagine walking through a park, not just seeing, but truly listening. What if our art could heal, not harm, the world around us? Join me and Tina Pearson as we explore the profound act of listening to place and the courage it takes to question our creative practices.

Chapter Summary

00:00 Defining Art and Sound Practice
01:06 The Art of Sound Walking
02:16 Reciprocity with Nature
03:49 Untethering from Modernity
05:02 The Gift of Listening
06:36 Rethinking Artistic Practices
09:14 Community-Centric Art Practices
12:19 Listening to Place and Community

Featured Quotes

• I think of myself as a sound practitioner. So what can I offer?
• One of the biggest gifts you can give someone is to really truly, deeply listen to them. And similarly to a place.
• It’s the construct of how we’ve got here that’s the problem. Not the actual things as much.

Behind the Story

This conversation, recorded at PKOLS Park in September 2024, dives into Tina Pearson’s philosophy of sound and place. It challenges the conventional approaches to art and climate action, advocating for a deeper, more reciprocal relationship with the environment. Pearson’s personal background as a first-generation North American informs her perspective on decolonization and untethering from harmful systems.

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

My conversation with writer, facilitator and consultant and many other hats Adam Kahane, which took place on April 8, 2025, on the very day of the launch of his latest book and Everyday Habits for Transforming Systems, the Catalytic Power of Radical Engagement. Adam talks about seven habits that enable ordinary citizens to become extraordinary agents of transformation. We talked about the process of co creating the book with over 300 individuals, including myself, and how these habits can apply to the arts.

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Action points

• Understand the concept of radical engagement and its role in societal change.
• Identify the seven everyday habits for transforming systems: acting responsibly, relating in three dimensions, looking for what’s unseen, working with cracks, experimenting a way forward, collaborating with unlike others, and persevering and resting.
• Recognize that systems are human-made and can be rebuilt through collective action.
• Explore how artists and individuals can apply these habits in their daily lives to contribute to meaningful change.
• Consider the importance of “acting responsibly” as a foundational habit for engaging with complex systems.

Story Preview

Imagine a world where everyday actions can ripple through complex systems, sparking real change. Adam Kahane shares the journey behind his book, revealing how a frustrating interview led to a deep exploration of how ordinary people can transform the world around them.

Chapter Summary

00:00 Radical Engagement: A New Perspective
01:00 The Birth of a Book
03:30 Understanding Systems Change
06:00 The Collective Nature of Transformation
09:00 The Seven Habits of Transformation
12:00 Art and Systems Change

Featured Quotes

• It’s now completely obvious that these systems were largely built by humans and can be rebuilt by humans… This idea that things are just the way they are and they’ll always be the way they are to me is now obviously not true.
• We might think of systems as these solid, immovable things that you can only change them by using a sledgehammer or dynamite, but that’s not true.
• This idea that things are just the way they are and they’ll always be the way they are to me is now obviously not true. They can be transformed. They are being transformed.
• There’s a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” - Leonard Cohen (referenced by Adam Kahane)

Behind the Story

Adam Kahane’s book, ‘Everyday Habits for Transforming Systems,’ emerged from a desire to understand how individuals can contribute to large-scale change. Inspired by a challenging interview and co-created with a community of over 300 people, the book outlines seven practical habits for engaging with complex systems in a meaningful way. The process involved deep exploration, iteration, and a commitment to uncovering the essence of effective systems change.

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

Welcome to the 3rd conscient roundtable. Live radio style again. First take, only take, kind of thing so please bear with me. This is an exciting and unique episode coming up, with an international scope. 

It was recorded on Thursday, March 20, 2025 on Zoom with participants Kashee in India, Shaun and Marcela in Ireland (though Marcela is originally from Venezuela), Greg in the United States and myself in Vancouver. So the five of us chatted for over an hour. 

At the beginning, you’ll hear me acknowledge the original stewards of so-called Vancouver followed by a minute of silent contemplation. 

Normally, conscient roundtables feature a group of artists and cultural workers talking about their passions, fears and dreams and, in fact, we did do this, but this was special roundtable episode about the Surviving the Future 2025 course led by Shaun Chamberlin, who will explain to you what it is all about in just a minute. BTW It’s a course I highly recommend if you’re ready to do a deeper dive into our collective future. 

I asked my fellow learned to share the highlights of their learnings and some of the best stories and they did, including the following questions:

• Which presentations and resources were the most impactful for you?
• How do you plan to apply this knowledge in your day to day life?
• What are some of the outstanding questions that you are still sitting with? (I certainly have a lot)
• What do you think the role of art and culture could be or should be in times of crisis, collapse and renewal could be?

FYI, I’ve already written a couple of posting on my a calm presence Substack for those who want to know more.

And it went very well. I want to thank my colleagues for their generosity, courage and wisdom. Luckily, we will continue to exchange after the course in a digital space providing by Sterling College in Vermont, so big thanks to Shaun, Nakasi, Nicole and all the StF team for their support and generosity. 

And if you want to comment on what you hear please go to conscient.ca and use any of the conscient podcast social media to share your thoughts.

If you like what you hear then I invite you to share it within your networks and-or give conscient podcast a review on Apple podcasts. 

My email is claude@conscient.ca

So, I invite you to sit back, relax – maybe grab a drink - and enjoy e218 roundtable – surviving the future. 

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026

My conversation with interdisciplinary artist-researcher, educator, and community-engaged practitioner Devora Neumark and their 30 + years of contemplative practice most recently as a Forced Migration and Refugee Studies Fellow at the Centre for Human Rights Erlangen-Nürnberg. This conversation was recorded on the unceded lands of the Algonquin-Ainishinaabe nation, in Ottawa, on February 21, 2025, while Devora was on their way back home to Iqaluit, Nunavut and spoke mostly about Displacement Codes, a collaboration with Karina Kesserwan, which centers around 13 prompts, adapted from AI-generated outputs, each designed to inspire reflection and performance-based responses to the lived experiences of displacement. 

Action points

• Acknowledge and sit with difficult emotions to facilitate post-traumatic growth
• Engage in contemplative practices, such as meditation, to regulate emotions
• Collaborate across disciplines to broaden perspectives and create impactful change
• Prioritize understanding the present moment before planning for the future
• Reinforce community connections through dialogue and shared thinking

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Story Preview

Can art help us process the overwhelming grief of climate change and displacement? Devora Neumark shares how their project, Displacement Codes, uses contemplative performance and collaboration to explore these complex emotions. Discover how artists and citizens alike can find solace and action through mindful engagement and cross-disciplinary dialogue.

Chapter Summary

0:00 - The weight of global crises and the need for emotional processing.

0:56 - Introduction to Devora Neumark and the Displacement Codes project.

1:57 - Exploring emotions through performance art and holding space for others.

3:02 - Addressing colonization’s impact and mental health disparities.

3:53 - Art as a tool for acknowledgement, support, and co-creation.

4:44 - The importance of present-moment awareness before future planning.

6:05 - The collaboration with lawyer Karina Kesserwan on Displacement Codes.

7:05 - Newmark’s fellowship in Germany and focus on aesthetics in asylum housing.

7:55 - The process of developing performance prompts related to displacement.

8:32 - Incorporating AI and the dialogic nature of the project with Karina.

9:53 - Finding gestures and enacting responses to prompts.

11:13 - Navigating challenges and the evolving nature of collaboration.

12:31 - The power of cross-disciplinary collaboration, especially with non-artists.

13:08 - Actionable steps: contemplative practices and dialogic communication.

14:19 - Reinforcing community connections and shared thinking.

Featured Quotes

• You can’t get to that post traumatic growth until you actually sit with the emotions, however difficult they are.
• The role of arts, first and foremost, to acknowledge what is happening, to be able to support people to go through their processes and to co-create new possibilities.
• I think we have to step outside of our worlds as artists and collaborate.

Behind the Story

Devora Neumark, an interdisciplinary artist and educator, draws on 30 years of contemplative practice to create Displacement Codes. This project, born from their Forced Migration and Refugee Studies at the Centre for Human Rights Erlangen-Nürnberg fellowship in Germany, addresses the emotional toll of forced migration and climate change. By collaborating with Karina Kesserwan, a lawyer, Neumark bridges the gap between art and law, demonstrating the power of cross-disciplinary dialogue in addressing complex global issues.

*

END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

Hey conscient listeners, 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.

This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.

• I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
• I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.
• Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  

Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Thanks for listening. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026