Save the Date! Youth Connects – Why so serious? Climate grief. Emotions & solutions
British Embassy in Warsaw and the British Council, in partnership with Big Book Cafe MDM (‘Kultura nie boli Foundation’) are piloting a new series of events under the title of ‘Youth Connects’ to provide opportunities for the younger generation to discuss global issues.
The aim of Youth Connetcs is to bring together British and Polish influencers, young people, artists and creative activists to network. Each event will focus on a specific topic of mutual concern and take an innovative approach to developing perspectives related to the issues. We want to give voice to young people and create opportunities for them to take part in a change process for the better future.
We would like to invite you to the second Youth Connects event which will take place on the 21 March at the Big Book Café MDM (ul. Koszykowa 34/50 in Warsaw) at 19.00 and will be devoted to the topic ‘Why so serious? Climate grief. Emotions & solutions’.
The speakers for the event ‘Why so serious? Climate grief. Emotions & solutions’ will include Bridget McKenzie – creative activist and researcher, who initiated Climate Museum UK and young Polish climate activists – Jadwiga Klata and Zofia Krajewska, who have both participated in international activist movement and took up the task of creating unique local initiatives. The speakers will provide insight into climate grief and the psychological toll it takes on the young generation. Young activists will share their experience on what it feels like to live in the turbulent times of the environmental crisis, what it means to grow up facing an uncertain future and how they cope with the sense of loss and melancholy. Bridget McKenzie will offer her experience and practice of moving beyond hopelessness, anger, and complacency toward more reparative thinking, using art and activism.
The speakers will provide two perspectives – the one of a young generation of changemakers, who early on have experienced climate grief and burnout, and the one of a solution-oriented Creative Climate Leader, dedicated to Regenerative Culture. After navigating the emotions that arise in the face of climate change, together with the audience we will search for regenerative processes, hoping to break away from the crisis of imagination and start dreaming of a better world again.
A moderated discussion, hosted by Aleksandra Jach will be followed by Q/A session and a glass of wine and nibbles over a DJ Harper set to enable participants to network more informally after the first part of the event.
The event will be livestreamed on Facebook of British Council Poland and Big Book Cafe.
The language of the event: English
The access is free.
This event is dedicated to adults.
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Speakers
Bridget McKenzie — a researcher, creative activist and a consultant dedicated to Regenerative Culture with 30 years of experience in running, developing and evaluating learning and digital programmes in museums, heritage, arts, and science. She has been involved in a number of climate and culture initiatives since 2007, including the Happy Museum Project, Art Not Oil, Culture Unstained, Museums for Future, and Lost Species Day. In 2018, she initiated Climate Museum UK — an experimental museum that curates and gathers responses to the Earth crisis. In 2019, she co-founded the Culture Declares Emergency movement, a growing community of creative practitioners and organisations concerned about the dire state of our living planet. See https://bridgetmckenzie.uk/
Zofia Krajewska — a 23-year-old social activist and a co-founder of the Youth for Climate (Młodzieżowy Strajk Klimatyczny) — a social movement that is part of the global Fridays for Future initiative, created by high school students inspired by Greta Thunberg. She recently started „Poruszenie” — a podcast about living at the end of the world as we know it, focusing on feelings and emotions that might arise in the face of climate change and ecological catastrophe.
Jadwiga Klata - Co-founder of Climate Solidarity Movement (Ruch Solidarności Klimatycznej) and a previous member of the All-Poland Women’s Strike (OSK) Climate Advisory Board. Host of the "Jadwiga Klata's possible podcast” (“Możliwy podcast Jadwigi Klaty”). Together with Piotr Cykowski, she convened Circles of Stories about Change (Kręgi Opowieści o Zmianie). Since 2023, she has been identifying as a lost, "retired" activist, looking for her mission in this beautiful, troubled world. She co-creates the "Movement" ("Poruszenie") podcast, studies theater directing, supports and is supported by Osada.earth.