Session 1: Welcome and Introductions

This is a one-hour-only welcome session. The lecturer will introduce the program and participants will introduce themselves. No prior preparation is necessary.

Session 2: The History and Principles of Art and Ecology

To gain a solid foundation for your practice, we will look at the origins and principles of ecology, as well as the history and current context of environmentally engaged art.

Participants will be invited to share their current or envisioned projects or ideas, as well as questions or concerns they may have.

Session 3: Shifting From Representation Into Action

In this session, we will discuss how art can go beyond simply illustrating ecological issues to affecting change. To align with our projects’ goals, we’ll critically consider who benefits and how to embody the ecological values we are seeking to address.

We will learn strategies from case studies that:

• are situated and place-based
• ethically collaborate across disciplines and cultures, such as science or local communities
• follow nature’s lead through its principles, elements or approaches and have an actual impact on the environment

Session 4: Sharing and Tracing the Life of a Project.

Given the often ephemeral and complex nature of ecologically engaged art projects, we will explore the many formats for presenting them (e.g. podcasts, publications, exhibitions, archives, networks, and more).

Since other disciplines and communities may be involved, we will discuss strategies to ethically close or follow up on the project so that everyone is on the same page.

Session 5: Regeneration, Evaluation, and Feedback.

Much of the work in art, ecology, and activism involves reshaping perceptions, values, and narratives about how we relate with the world. This creates a need to carefully evaluate our own projects and their impacts. In this final session, we will learn the principle of ‘regenerative feedback loops’ to foster a supportive space for participants to share insights and questions in a generative way.