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Onions Talk: Change making through social engagement

Onions Talk: Change making through social engagement

By Fié Neo

Changemaking work is tough. Sometimes it feels like all the odds are against you and it's a constant upward battle. Onions Talk is here to support you. Be inspired, be touched, be motivated. This podcast keeps you going when times are tough and we crystallise learning that you can apply on your impact work to save you unnecessary struggles.

The #Changemakers series interviews various people who are working on the ground to create change.

The #conversations series open up difficult but important social discourse.

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www.patreon.com/fieneo
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Indigenous wisdom with Chantal Stormsong Chagnon

Onions Talk: Change making through social engagementOct 02, 2022

00:00
34:40
Books, activism and community with 5ever Books
Mar 18, 202435:05
Economics and the arts with Debbie Fish

Economics and the arts with Debbie Fish

Debbie Fish is a set designer, installation artist and performer, and co-director of GoldFish Creative. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Victoria University and a Graduate Diploma in Economics from Massey University. Her theatre, performance, and set design background feeds into her practice as an installation artist, unfolding the enduring drama of social and biological life and the often-messy collisions between the two. Fish is an alumnus of the Keelung National Museum of Marine Science and Technology International Environmental Art Residency in Taiwan (2017), for which she made a site-specific artwork connecting marine science and contemporary art. Her work is also included in several public and private collections, including the Arts House Trust.

In this episode we talk about:

  • Ways of being creative with getting income for the arts and not being afraid to ask for money
  • Intention of the art and its relevance in time of crises
  • The intricacies of working cross sector as an artist
  • Bringing out quieter voices in economics
  • Being a translator in between spaces and introducing the artistic process of creative inquiry and interrogation

https://www.goldfishcreative.co.nz/

@debbiefish_art


References in episode:

13:22 - East Coast Exchange [https://eastcoastexchange.toha.nz/]

24:10 - Report: Arts Funding, Value & Tech [https://www.goldfishcreative.co.nz/resources]

Also referred to:
Daniel Kahneman, Thinking Fast & Slow - [https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/11468377]

Kate Raworth, Doughnut Economics - [https://www.kateraworth.com/]

Ecological Economics - [https://www.isecoeco.org/]

Christiana Figuerez & Krista Tippet, Ecological Hope & Spiritual Revolution - [https://onbeing.org/programs/christiana-figueres-ecological-hope-and-spiritual-evolution/]

Donella Meadows, Systems Thinking - [https://donellameadows.org/]

Deirdre Kent - Healthy Money, Healthy Planet - [https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/4505519]

B-Corps - [https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/]

ArtsPay - [https://artspay.com/]

Max Haiven - Art After Money, Money After Art - [https://maxhaiven.com/aammaa/#INTRO]

Mar 10, 202447:32
Everybody Cool Lives Here
Mar 03, 202454:52
Holding space for hope and creativity in the justice system with Home Ground

Holding space for hope and creativity in the justice system with Home Ground

Jacqui Moyes is the creative director of Home Ground, a collaborative creativity and wellbeing initiative for women in the justice system. Home Ground creates space for women to pause, nurture hope, activate social change and create better lives for themselves and future generations. On a Home Ground project, artists (inside and outside of prison) make creative works using dance, performance, photography, writing, painting and music to address the issues women and whānau face in the justice system. In this episode, we talk about: - Making it work when traversing between the justice system, arts and community spaces - Different financial models that could support art projects in the justice system like Homeground - The impact of Home ground Learn more: https://www.homegroundnz.com This podcast season is supported by Singapore National Art Council.


Feb 26, 202436:20
Bowling clubs, institutions and arts infrastructure in Aotearoa with Jo Randerson
Feb 12, 202436:54
Cooking up arts-based narrative change with ArtsWok
Sep 08, 202359:16
Complicité connection and belonging with Massive Theatre
Feb 01, 202301:00:24
Signals for the future with Leila Hoballah

Signals for the future with Leila Hoballah

Leila Hoballah is an entrepreneur, a community builder, a facilitator, an activist and a coach.
She co-founded
makesense.org in 2010 (left the organisation in 2018), thence led a collaborative action-research program, Boundless Roots, that looked at the conditions needed for radically transforming ways of living.
In this episode, we talked about approaching climate action from a holistic systems view. Leila shared the signals picked up in their Boundless Roots report - key points of actions they identified that could create systems change:

Youths
Trauma
Power
Capacity building and burnout
Arts and narrative

Links to check out: makesense.org
Boundless root report: boundless-roots.springly.org/page/1401491-our-report
Get in touch with Leila @leila.hoballah@gmail.com
Oct 21, 202229:57
Indigenous wisdom with Chantal Stormsong Chagnon

Indigenous wisdom with Chantal Stormsong Chagnon

Chantal Stormsong Chagnon is an indigenous Cree Métis singer, drummer, artist, storyteller, actor, educator, workshop facilitator, social justice advocate and activist with roots in Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, Saskatchewan (situated in Canada). She creates opportunities for cooperation, education, and empowerment everywhere she can. This episode dives deep into what it means to respect and care for nature and animals through the lens of indigenous culture. It explores how the arts could inspire mindset shift and behaviour change towards a more symbiotic relationship with our natural ecosystem. Listen to the full episode and be blown away by Chantal's incredible voice!
Oct 02, 202234:40
Typhoons, art and community with Ra’z Salvarita
Sep 09, 202227:14
Arts For Transformative Educational Change with Lynn Yau
Aug 19, 202243:18
Applied theatre with Rangbhumi #changemakers

Applied theatre with Rangbhumi #changemakers

Chetnaa Mehrotra is an applied arts practitioner and the founder of Rangbhumi. The company’s vision is to spread joyousness, power of expression, compassion & a sense of equivalence among people through Applied Theatre Based facilitation. The organisation works in the area of Applied Theatre with children, youth and adults. Chetnaa also uses arts-based learning to explore areas such as leadership, communication and conflict management with corporate clients. In this episode we address: Applying arts in corporate settings Theatre of the oppressed and playback theatre to address intergenerational and cultural gaps Forum theatre in addressing challenges of motherhood returning to corporate work Playback theatre with corporate lawyers addressing diversity and inclusion Pioneering applied arts in India Working with vulnerability We end off this episode with an 8 minute womb meditation. Listen to the end to experience it with us! https://www.rangbhumi.org. https://www.facebook.com/Rangbhumi-A-happy-playground-228754897494110/
Jun 17, 202246:27
Catalysing impact across sectors with Raïsa Mirza
May 27, 202247:07
Sustenarts - Atomic Sounds
Mar 16, 202235:18
Russia's war on Ukraine - A Georgian perspective
Mar 06, 202255:26
Sustenarts - How tiny things can save our world.
Feb 07, 202246:20
Sustenarts - Insect Protein Pals
Jan 08, 202250:57
Social innovation in Asia for systems change with Marco Shek #changemakers

Social innovation in Asia for systems change with Marco Shek #changemakers

Marco started his change making journey as a counsellor in Hong Kong. Since then he’s worked in non profit, social enterprise, policy influencing advocacy and social innovation community and capacity building.
Key points in this episode:
What are the gaps in the Asian changemaking ecosystem?
How could transnational exchanges and learning build better social support?
How do we develop alternatives and open more doors for the communities we serve?
Where are the programmes that build capacity of an entrepreneur like mental resiliency?
How much space do we allow a young person to have an experimental mindset?
Marco co-founded Beyond Vision Projects, a social enterprise promoting worldwide accessible and inclusive art and culture for the visually-impaired. He was also engaged in managing innovation challenges (Good Seed) under a HKSAR government initiative (SIE Fund), early-stage innovation/ideation at University level, participatory social design and knowledge exchange across cities (i.e. 5% Design Action). Marco currently works as Asia Lead- Partnerships, Capacity Building and Development at Social Innovation Exchange.
Feel free to connect with him on Linkedin.
Dec 21, 202128:06
Social Entrepreneurship Incubation Program
Oct 04, 202101:02:03
Cereal party, daddy issues at The School of MA Part 2

Cereal party, daddy issues at The School of MA Part 2

Rachel Uwa is the founder of The School of Machines, Making & Make Believe, which provides one-of-a-kind hands-on learning experiences in the areas of art, technology, design, and human connection. Centred around the philosophy of lifelong learning, they are on a mission to nurture critically-minded individuals to be more deeply engaged with their surroundings and with themselves. 

Tune in to hear how tech and human connection come together in Rachel’s work! 

Check them out: http://schoolofma.org/ 

Key points in part 2: 

Our ideal worlds 

Drones to human experience - beyond borders and politics 

Cereal party, daddy issues and more exciting classes at School of MA 

We all have the capacity to care and act - activism as care - we can all do something 

Support Onions Talk on Patreon: https://patreon.com/fieneo?


Watch this episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/P_2qiPObBec

Sep 15, 202153:32
The School of Machines, Making & Make Believe with Rachel Uwa Part 1

The School of Machines, Making & Make Believe with Rachel Uwa Part 1

Moving to Germany and starting The School of MA  A moment for Afghanistan  Processing the traumas of the world  Holding space for human connection and intimacy in our work  Getting students to think about who they are, what they care about and how to put it into the work they are doing  Learning to be whole together, through creativity and technology Rachel Uwa is the founder of The School of Machines, Making & Make Believe, which provides one-of-a-kind hands-on learning experiences in the areas of art, technology, design, and human connection. Centred around the philosophy of lifelong learning, they are on a mission to nurture critically-minded individuals to be more deeply engaged with their surroundings and with themselves.  Tune in to hear how tech and human connection come together in Rachel’s work!   Check them out: http://schoolofma.org/ Support Onions Talk on Patreon: https://patreon.com/fieneo? Watch this episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/P_2qiPObBec
Sep 15, 202152:28
Swapping your mindset with Priyanka Shahra #swapaholic
Sep 08, 202141:28
Funder’s perspective: Firetree philantropy and experimental funding
Aug 25, 202157:25
Understanding the Creative Generation with Jeff M. Poulin #changemakers
Jul 29, 202101:10:02
Public school teacher to entrepreneur: Custom Learning Atelier with Beth Salyers
Jul 07, 202101:32:22
Agribusiness startup in Singapore with Urban Tiller #changemakers
Jun 22, 202152:34
Systems change in action with Laura Francois #changemakers
Jun 07, 202157:26
Scaling impact with Mr Toilet, Jack Sim #changemakers

Scaling impact with Mr Toilet, Jack Sim #changemakers

What happens when a millennial talks to a boomer about change making in the midst of a climate crisis? Jack Sim is a successful entrepreneur and the founder of World Toilet Organisation. He became a milionaire at age 29, then retired from the business world at age 40 and dedicated his life to social impact. WTO supported in implementing 110 million toilets in India and built 13 blocks of Rainbow Schools Toilets in rural China. Its founding day 19 November in 2001 has become World Toilet Day, now celebrated worldwide each year towards improving the state of toilets and sanitation globally. In 2013, all 193 countries of the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted 19 November as the official UN World Toilet Day. Jack has received awards from all over the world, including her majesty queen elizabeth commonwealth points of light award, luxembourg peace prize for activist, reader’s digest asian of the year and hero of the environment by time magazine. Key takeaways of episode: Greenwashing and consumption Tackling the climate crisis through frugality Redefining success Negotiation tips around different agendas Guerrilla marketing Royal Flush: Humour and media P.S. If anyone’s giving drumming lessons in Singapore, get in touch with Jack! https://www.worldtoilet.org  

If you enjoyed this episode, do consider supporting: https://patreon.com/fieneo?

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/…/podca…/onions-talk/id1524118946 Google: https://www.google.com/podcasts… Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SuiC6lBuBvYAaVDjw4KoY

May 24, 202101:11:40
Fore-fronting Art X Science: Trauma-Focused Practice with Laura Fischer #changemakers

Fore-fronting Art X Science: Trauma-Focused Practice with Laura Fischer #changemakers

“I never felt ever that there was a path just right for me... We need more people that create paths because the current paths are not good enough.”

This episode is about not being afraid to cross disciplines and boundaries. There are many opportunities that exist when we create a path across domains.

Key points in this episode:

  • Creative embodied process of co-creating healing
  • Trauma and the need to reconnect with the body in order to heal
  • Paving new paths and connecting with supporters of your mission
  • Believing in yourself when fore-fronting a new vision to bring a value into this world that has yet to be recognised
  • Trauma survivors are immensely powerful and resourceful. Protecting people from violence and abuse and supporting people to survive and live past trauma is everyone’s responsibility.
  • Collective trauma, social political events and individual narratives

Laura Fischer is an interdisciplinary artist, activist and researcher focused on trauma and healing. Her work weaves creative approaches with scientific methods (and vice-versa) and focuses on trauma - often with an activist agenda. She has spoken at conferences and events in the UK and Europe, including several keynotes and TEDx. Laura is an honorary research associate at King's College London and gives regular lectures at Central Saint Martins and University College of London.

https://www.laurafischer-trauma.co.uk

Instagram: @brains_and_brushes


If you enjoyed this episode, do consider supporting: https://www.patreon.com/fieneo

Onions Talk workshops: https://www.eventbrite.sg/o/fie-neo-25166673117

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/…/podca…/onions-talk/id1524118946

Google: https://www.google.com/podcasts…

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SuiC6lBuBvYAaVDjw4KoY


May 10, 202153:47
Who prescribes change? Power and balance. Part 2. #conversations
Apr 27, 202156:09
Get to know your host Fié Neo Part 1

Get to know your host Fié Neo Part 1

Apr 26, 202139:30
Processes for change with The Change Collective UK #changemakers

Processes for change with The Change Collective UK #changemakers

This episode is with Dan Boyden, co-director of The Change Collective, which is a collective of arts practitioners working in complex environments, and non-arts practitioners working across civil society who see the value of an arts-based approach. The Change Collective (TCC) is interested in the next generation of thinking and practice linking creative approaches to current social issues. They have an extensive combined experience in designing and delivering projects and programmes in the UK and Internationally and share a powerful toolkit of skills, knowledge and experience. Dan is a consultant and theatre facilitator for over 17 years - designing and delivering creative projects, often with marginalised groups and communities, in the U.K and Internationally. https://www.thechangecollective.com 

If you enjoyed this episode, do consider supporting: https://www.patreon.com/fieneo

Apr 14, 202153:11
French but not French #blm #PFT
Mar 30, 202101:12:43
Making your life as an artist with Andrew Simonet #changemakers
Mar 17, 202101:23:23
Socially Engaged Arts and transformation with Madeleine McGirk, ITAC #conversations
Mar 03, 202101:00:24
The Tale of Twenty Twenty with Orode Faka #changemakers
Feb 18, 202101:20:54
Poetry and social innovation in action: Josiane at SIX #conversations
Jan 12, 202148:06
20 Reflections for 2020
Dec 30, 202012:54
Tap dance, music and social change with Corina Kwami #conversations

Tap dance, music and social change with Corina Kwami #conversations

What do tap dancing, music and social change have in common? How can we create environments where dreams are possible?  Corina Kwami and I talked about learning to listen through songs and tap dancing, about losing the ability to learn together, about what care means during a pandemic.  Corina Kwami is a Renaissance woman whose mission is to celebrate jazz and what it offers innovators on and off stage. On stage as a public speaker, singer or tap dancer, she has  performed in countries across the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia with her own band and as a guest, as a TEDx speaker and in the innovation lab space. She has been recognised for her "impressive grasp of what jazz can teach us about leadership, partnerships, and innovative thinking" at the UNLEASH Innovation Lab. Her work cuts across the arts and sciences, music and dance and recalls the past to inspire future innovation. Based in London, she plays with her band Corina Kwami & the Swing Selection, collaborates in the jazz, tap and swing circuit and continues to explore ways of building linkages between the arts and sciences.  Check out more at: www.corinakwami.com   *Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth (43:25) 🌟This episode features some live singing and tap dancing. This is part of a mini series on wayfinding as I talk to artists I’m working with on this residency. We share our respective wayfinding journeys through the chaos we live in right now, in the hope that we can offer some comfort through our art and music.

If you enjoyed this episode, do consider supporting: https://www.patreon.com/fieneo

“If you love this show, please leave us a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/onionstalk and follow the simple instructions.”

Dec 28, 202051:35
Can plants sing? Plant music with Eily Aurora #conversations

Can plants sing? Plant music with Eily Aurora #conversations

Eily Aurora shares her passion for improvising with nature. Growing up in the countryside, she learned from a young age from local Canadian indigenous people how to listen, learn and communicate with the natural world. To make the song of nature audible, she uses The Music of the Plants device. It's an instrument that can perceive the electromagnetic variations emitted from the surface of plant leaves and the root system and translate them into sound.  Nature is not only alive, but is aware and responds to her surroundings. In fact, trees have up to 20 senses to take in their environment! Wherever you are, may this podcast help you tune-out the noise of the city, and tune-in to the frequency and endless wisdom of nature. Eily is a singer/songwriter, harpist, Harp Faery clown, and social innovation facilitator in Calgary, Canada. She has performed across stages in North America for over a decade and has designed creative and participatory methods for mental wellness at cSPACE King Edward Arts Hub as a member of Alberta Social Innovation Connect’s Community Catalyst Program. As a systemic constellations facilitator, she presents and speaks about her research on the power of soundwork to impact community wisdom internationally. www.eilyaurora.com www.instagram.com/theharpfaery This episode is a part of a mini series on wayfinding as I talk to artists I’m working with on the artist-composer residency with Social Innovation Exchange. We share our respective wayfinding journeys through the chaos we live in right now, in the hope that we can offer some comfort through our art and music.

“If you love this show, please leave us a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/onionstalk and follow the simple instructions.”

If you enjoyed this episode, do consider supporting: https://www.patreon.com/fieneo

Dec 23, 202042:22
Wayfinding with Social Innovation Exchange #changemakers
Dec 14, 202033:17
Alternative Sustainable Development in SEA - The people and land story #changemakers
Nov 19, 202001:33:26
Let’s talk about race #Singapore part 2 #conversations
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Let’s talk about race part 1 #Singapore #conversations
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Humane technology and ethics in interaction design with Pawel Pokutycki #conversations
Oct 28, 202049:24
Mental Health in Ecuador #conversations
Oct 24, 202031:51
Understanding colonisation: Hawaii #conversations
Oct 19, 202001:00:22
Redefining activism: Local connection and community care #changemakers
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Art and Versatility: Laboratory for Artistic Intelligence with Helen Yung
Sep 20, 202050:19
Environmental Emergency, Internet and Futures with IAM #changemakers
Sep 14, 202001:09:34