conscient podcast

e94 devon hardy – data is a powerful thing

Episode Summary

My conversation with scientist and manager of the Creative Green Tools Adaptation project, Devon Hardy on Dec 10, 2021, at a CPAMO panel about art and climate and walking the back alleys in Montreal on December 16, where Devon talks about the importance of measurement tools for the arts sector in the climate emergency.

Episode Notes

• 'We have a national data set that's about to emerge and that's a really powerful thing. If we can gather data from across the country from arts and culture organizations across the country and build a data set over time, then we'll actually be able to understand what kind of programming we need for environmental sustainability in the arts and culture sector. We can actually do that based on the demonstrated needs of the community.'

I first met Devon when she was working freelance doing environmental assessment for theatre companies in Montreal. I was impressed by her commitment to both the arts and the sciences. Since then, we have had many conversations with Devon about her work with Creative Green tools adaptation project and the importance of measurement tools for the arts sector in the climate emergency. I wanted to share this knowledge with listeners, so I went for a walk with Devon in December 16th 2021 and combined this conversation with her presentation at the CPAMO National Cultural Policy and arts in Response to Climate Change panel on December 10. At the very end of the episode, you hear my phone ring. It was my daughter telling me about a Covid outbreak of the Omicron variant in her university. A sign of the times… 

Devon’s educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences and a master’s degree in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). For the last several years, she has been working to combine her technical knowledge of environmental sciences and impact measurement with her involvement in the arts community by collaborating on various sustainability initiatives in partnership with Ecosceno, the St-Ambroise Montreal FRINGE Festival, the Quebec Drama Federation, the Centre for Sustainable Practice in the Arts and Climatable, among others. She is currently manager of the Creative Green project. 

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

The others are:

• episode 90, my conversation with dance artist, choreographer, director and embodiment facilitator Shannon Litzenberger and reading her State of Emergence: Why We Need Artists Right Now essay
• episode 91, 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, a presentation (including audience questions) by Santee Smith, artistic director of Kaha:wi Dance Theatre from the National Cultural Policy and arts in Response to Climate Change panel
• episode 93, a presentation (including audience questions) by Anthony Garoufalis-Auger from the National Cultural Policy and arts in Response to Climate Change panel
• episode 95, my conversation with CPAMO Executive Director Charles Smithand artistic programmer Kevin Ormsby from a keynote address including excerpts from their conversation about the Living in the Skin I am In: Experiential Learnings, Approaches and Considerations Towards Anti-Black Racism in the Arts publication

Santee Smith, me (from laptop and room camera), Anthony Garoufalis-Auger and Devon Hardy