e08 johnston – the arts shape our belief systems

I think the arts, and culture more widely, has a huge role to play in shaping our belief systems and values that determine the way that we relate to the environment.Sholeh Johnston, CCL USA, March, 2020(episode 1 of 10 in Creative Climate Leadership USA Series)Creative Climate Leadership USA was developed by Julie’s Bicycle, an international  leader in arts, culture and climate change based in London (led by Alison Tickell) and brought together 25 arts and culture leaders from the US and Canada to Biosphere 2 in Oracle, Arizona from March 8-14, 2020 thanks to a collaboration of EcoArts Connections, the University of Arizona and the Colorado European Union Center of Excellence  (CEUCE) based at the University of Colorado-BoulderSholeh Johnston is an Associate of Julie’s Bicycle, where she was previously Head of Creative Programmes.She has worked with hundreds of organizations across the creative and cultural community to encourage climate action, develop sustainable ways of working and engage with environmental issues creatively in the UK and internationally.With Julie’s Bicycle she has designed and delivered training and events, collaborative projects, research, resources and mentoring for cultural managers and artists across a variety of topics and art forms.Sholeh has co-designed and facilitated Creative Climate Leadership since its inception in 2017. Sholeh is a coach and a Fellow of the Clore Leadership Programme.Previously she worked with Visiting Arts providing professional development training and collaborative labs to foster intercultural dialogue and understanding between artists in the Middle East and the UK.  *END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODESNote : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. Hey conscient listeners, I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020. It’s my way to give back.This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement statement was developed by members of the Algonquin community for my former employer the Canada Council for the Arts. I have adapted slightly to make it my own.I acknowledge that my studio, located in Ottawa, is on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.I recognize the Algonquins as the customary keepers and defenders of the Ottawa River Watershed and its tributaries. I honour their long history of welcoming many Nations to this beautiful territory and uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation.Further, I offer my respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and honour commitments to self-determination and sovereignty that have been made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples.I acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe the Arts contribute to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share togetherIn parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish a free ‘a calm presence' monthly Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.  Your feedback is always welcome at claude [at] conscient [dot] ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.Share what you like, etcI 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. Thanks for listening. Claude SchryerLatest update on March 21, 2026