Episode 13: Poiesis and Keeping Institutions Alive with Steve Levine

Poiesis and Keeping Institutions Alive with Steve LevineIn the thirteenth episode of our 30th-anniversary series, we are deeply honored to speak with Steve Levine, one of the co-founders of the Arts, Health and Society Division at The European Graduate School (EGS). Alongside Paolo Knill, Margo Fuchs Knill, Ellen Levine, and others, Steve was instrumental in shaping the early days of our community.In this brief but powerful interview, listeners will explore:Fond memories of the very first summer school in Saas-Fee, an exhausting but exhilarating experience that culminated in a triumphant celebration by the Roman river.Reflections on the challenge of maintaining the "charismatic quality" of a new institution over time, avoiding the tendency to calcify into mere bureaucracy.A tribute to the leadership and vision of the late Paolo Knill, the leading figure behind the foundation of EGS in Switzerland.The critical need for an "aesthetics of existence"—a theoretical framework indigenous to the arts themselves, asserting that human existence is inherently creative.Why "poiesis" is always possible: The understanding that when the world changes and presents us with complex crises, our survival depends on our capacity to develop new, creative answers.Join us for this foundational conversation about keeping the spirit of creativity alive in our institutions and in ourselves.