Street Work Earth ‘24: Climate experts in creative conversation with artists

Among the ways that we embody anti-bias/pro-Earth systems, we design for a fullness of diversity. As weavers, we love fostering interdisciplinary conversations across topics that don't often share space.

This mindset was rooted in Street Works’ practice design. Artists involved in Street Works were offered the opportunity to voluntarily be connected with a climate expert to engage in conversations that could, if synergy emerged, foster future collaboration. Instead of requiring collaboration, we hoped to build towards enabling collaboration to naturally form through relationship. We also hoped to seed learning across disciplines that aren't always in meaningful dialogue.

6 out of 8 artists expressed interest in being connected with a climate expert. In addition to making connections, we provided them with starter agendas to organize dialogs and were ready to step in to facilitate when needed. Over time, and with funding, we hope to deepen the structure of this program to support proactive facilitation, more group dialogue, and slower conversations on how successful collaborations form — as a stepping stone to collectives like

MJN Spoiler: The best collaborations are built on long term relationships and don't form on-demand.

Climate experts

2024 Goal

To engage in 3 creative conversations in 2024, in search of common ground, collaboration, or new ideas in our respective fields. We invited artists and climate/environmental experts to walk away with synthesis around 2 Qs, whether they discussed as a group or reflected on their own:

1. How can our intersecting movements — art, justice, climate/environment — collaborate in radical ways in support of collective progress?

2. How can we bring our own relationship knitting or collaboration to the street or in spirit with Street Work design principles — like expanding to include passers by, neighbors?

Street Work practice principles