Conscient Podcast: e90 shannon litzenberger – state of emergence : why we need artists right now

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shannon Litzenberger, Greg Frankson, Susie Burpee, Anita La Selva and Irma Villafuerte at State of Emergence: Why We Need Artists Right Now panel at the Gathering Divergence Multi-Arts Festival & Conference Fall 2021 | Art in the Time of Healing: The Importance of IBPOC Arts in Planetary Renewal, December 8, 2021, Aki Studio, Toronto.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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About the Concient Podcast from Claude Schryer

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

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

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

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

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

my professional services

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

acknowledgement of eco-responsibility

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

a word about privilege and bias

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

Go to conscient.ca

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