Re-watch: Conversations on Creative Climate Leadership Launch Events

To celebrate the release of ‘Conversations On Creative Climate Leadership’ – our new podcast series exploring what type of leadership is needed to creatively bring about the transformative change that we need – we hosted two online conversations with some of the inspiring and committed creative climate leaders and activists in JB’s community to speak about their work and explore what it means to take action with impact, creativity, and resilience.

Conversations on Creative Climate Leadership Launch Event # 1

With speakers: artist and musician Donna Grantis, (CCL Canada 2022) and Michael Soro, Native Events (CCL Wales 2017).

Chaired by Chiara Badiali, Music Lead, Julie’s Bicycle.

Conversations on Creative Climate Leadership Launch Event # 2

With speakers: Theatre maker Yves Regenass (CCL Switzerland 2024), designer, maker and creative director Bryony Anderson (CCL Australia 2023) and writer and cultural strategist Fairooz Tamimi (CCL Sweden 2021)

Chaired by Farah Ahmed, Climate Justice Lead, Julie’s Bicycle.

About our Speakers:

Donna Grantis is an acclaimed Canadian artist and musician. She performed and recorded with music icon Prince as the co-lead electric guitarist in his funk-rock trio 3RDEYEGIRL and supergroup New Power Generation, and has shared the stage with artists including Stevie Wonder, Pearl Jam, Kendrick Lamar, and Dave Grohl. Her current creative project exists at the intersection of art and activism, blending music with the words & messages of environmental leaders and the sounds of nature itself. In collaboration with EarthPercent, she participated in the groundbreaking “Earth As Your Co-Writer” initiative in 2023, and more recently participated in the launch of Sounds Right at the United Nations in 2024, a game changing global initiative to establish NATURE as an official artist on streaming platforms.

Michael Soro is an example of leadership in the neurodiversity space. Having come from a challenging upbringing and having failed at University, he went on to weaponise his dyslexia and to embrace self taught auto-didactic learning. With a background in horticulture, permaculture, and systems-thinking research, he has developed a unique perspective on the world. Michael is the founder of and creative lead for Native Events, Ireland’s leading sustainable event production company. Over the years, Native Events has grown and now comprises a dynamic team of smart, hard-working and driven individuals working towards environmental sustainability and circular principles in Ireland’s creative industries. As the environmental movement gathers pace, the organisation works with an expanding community of partners in the sector including events, festivals and cultural organisations but also with the wider network of industry suppliers, ensuring a systems-wide transition to sustainability and regeneration.

Yves Regenass is a freelance theater maker specializing in dramaturgy, direction, and performance, as well as a curator. He is a co-founder of the game theater group machina eX and has collaborated regularly with the Ticino-based collective Trickster-P. An expert in game design for theater and digital dramaturgy, he focuses on integrating new technologies into live arts. Yves is a researcher at metaLAB@Basel, an idea foundry and knowledge-design lab. He has served as artistic director for the Digi Days Festival in Chur (CH) and NEXT LEVEL in Dortmund (D). In addition, he lectures at various universities in Switzerland and internationally.

Bryony Anderson is a first-generation Australian designer, maker, and creative director with a lifelong focus on resource stewardship. She runs an independent practice as Axlebone and works closely with Terrapin Puppet Theatre on their transition to sustainable practice, and to creating work that answers need in the island community of Tasmania. She has been working in puppetry and performance since 1997 with many Australian companies, touring nationally and internationally, with award-winning work appearing in galleries, festivals, theatres, museums, schools and street corners. Her deepening practice in community engagement has been shaped by collaborative projects in rural, desert, coastal and urban communities. Bryony continues to mentor emerging artists and to seek new avenues for applying creativity and imagination to wicked problems.

Fairooz Tamimi is a published author and award winning writer dedicated to social justice and cultural transformation. She is a sustainability expert with over two decades of experience who has served in strategic leadership and executive roles in NGOs, private and public sector organisations in Europe and the Middle East. She has worked on sustainable development at Trans Europe Halles and across cultural policy in Sweden and internationally. Founder of the Immigrants Stand up Comedy Network, The International Artists and Cultural Creators Network in Sweden & The Arabic Writers Network in Sweden.’ Winner of Herbert Felix Institute Award for Openness & Diversity 2016. She is a global expert with ISO on developing a new standard to help organisations contribute to SDGs, and a member of the global ISO committees on Diversity and Gender.

Thank You:

These launch events were held thanks to the funders and partners who have supported the work of the Creative Climate Leadership network and the making of this podcast: Pro Helvetia and Stiftung Mercator Schweiz for CCL Switzerland; as well as the European Cultural Foundation’s Culture of Solidarity Fund, and Porticus. And a special thanks to our Creative Climate Leadership podcast host Louis VI, member of EarthPercent – the music industry’s climate foundation, who support JB’s work on climate action with the music community.