• The arts have that capacity to be powerful broadcasters, conveyors of messages, invitations to celebration, reflection, storytelling, narrative building and so on. There's a vital role here for the arts. But like the rest of society, frankly, whether it's the banking system or government we're simply not doing it well enough that we could say we're satisfied with how much is happening and everything's going to be okay. It's not. If we just stopped now, chaos and worse are due. It's not to say that we can hold up the arts and say, if only you were doing your job, everything would be fine. No, we all have, no matter what sector, so much to do.

This is my second conscient conversation with social innovator and former CEO of McConnell Foundation, Stephen Huddart. The first took place on June 17, 2021 in Montréal, episode 58, and this second took place on September 24th, 2024 in Victoria BC. I’ve condensed all of this rich conversation down to my new format of 15 minutes – not an easy edit - so what you’ll hear highlights from our exchange about the vital role of art, social innovation, relations with indigenous peoples, the panarchy cycle, Stephen’s leadership role with the Victoria Forum (co-hosted with members of the Canadian Senate) and more.

Action points

• Nurture the capacity of art to be powerful broadcasters, conveyors of messages, invitations to celebration, reflection, storytelling, narrative building, etc.
• Increase the vitality and role of art at the local level to contribute to a more dynamic civic culture
• Create more configurations to present, invite, engage, dialogue, contemplate, discuss the arts
  See, hear and deeply hear others perspectives.
• Nurture the power of art to serve as a catalyst for inspiration and community

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI

Story Preview
What if art holds the key to unlocking our collective future? This episode explores the intersection of art, innovation, and societal transformation, revealing how creative expression can guide us through crisis and towards revitalization.

Chapter Summary

00:00 The Power of the Arts
01:07 Revisiting Conversations
02:02 Trust and Community Engagement
04:22 The Victoria Forum Experience
06:10 Navigating Complex Challenges
07:30 Understanding Our Current Cycle
09:21 The Call to Action
11:17 The Role of the Arts in Social Change
13:08 Accelerating Transformation

Featured Quotes

• Her wish (Shannon Waters) was for every child in Canada to learn the indigenous word for water in the territory in which they lived.
• We have the intellectual, the financial, the technological, and one would hope, the human and spiritual resources with which to affect a beautiful transition. Why aren’t we doing it?
• There’s a vital role for the arts at the local level to be contributing to dynamic civic culture.
• William Gibson said 'the future is already here, it's just unevenly distributed'.

Behind the Story

Stephen Huddart revisits the podcast to expand on previous conversations around social innovation, reflecting on the Victoria Forum 2024 and its focus on regenerative economies. The discussion navigates the complex challenges facing humanity, emphasizing the need for inclusivity and systemic change to address growing societal fractures. The power of art as a catalyst for inspiration and community is highlighted.

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END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

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 together

In 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 [email protected] and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.

Share what you like, etc

I 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. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on January 9, 2026