What can I do to support the grieving? There's so much to grieve. Whether we think about the crisis of climate, whether we think about the political crises, the issue of displacement, which is around the world. Forced displacement, such a huge crisis. How do we manifest the kinds of spaces that people need to be able to individually and collectively get in touch with how they're feeling and do it in such a way that opens the possibility for what you're talking about with the renewal, or, you know, a post traumatic growth, if you will. And in my experience, you can't get to that post traumatic growth until you actually sit with the emotions, however difficult they are.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 pointsAcknowledge and sit with difficult emotions to facilitate post-traumatic growthEngage in contemplative practices, such as meditation, to regulate emotionsCollaborate across disciplines to broaden perspectives and create impactful changePrioritize understanding the present moment before planning for the futureReinforce community connections through dialogue and shared thinkingShow notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AIStory PreviewCan 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 Summary0:00 - 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 QuotesYou 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 StoryDevora 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 EPISODESHey conscient listeners, I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020 on un-ceded Anishinaabe Algonquin territory (Ottawa). It’s my way to give back.In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I publish a Substack newsletter called ‘a calm presence' see https://acalmpresence.substack.com. Your feedback is always welcome at
[email protected] and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads or BlueSky.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. Claude SchryerLatest update on March 26, 2025
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