• In a time when it's easy to become defeated, when one can succumb to despair and negativity, a question I use when I reflect on the state of the world right now is what gives me energy, what animates my imagination, and what do I need to defend in that context? So many, many questions. A lot of self-reflection, but then reaching out, looking for colleagues, for spiritual strengthening, for courage.

This is my second conversation with arts producer, choreographer, teacher and mentor Judith Marcuse, who among other things is the founder of Judith Marcuse Projects and the International Centre of Art for Social Change. Marcuse learned about community engaged arts practices by following/assisting experienced practitioners at work and also doing extensive reading. Many resources are currently available at https://icasc.ca including about Futures forward,  a national mentorship program that partnered with over 20 environmental NGO’s; the results of a six-year national ASC research project, and a diverse range of videos and texts exploring this work in Canada and abroad. Our first exchange was on October 24th, 2021, e73 judith marcuse – finding the energy to keep moving. You’ll hear a lot of passion and energy in Judith’s voice and words, and I wouldn’t be the first to call her a force of nature, in the best sense of the term. We spoke at her home in West Vancouver. 

Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AI:

Action points

• Recognize the value of imagination as a vital resource alongside environmental, political, and economic resources.
• Give permission to explore and share ideas through art to reveal innate creativity.
• Reflect on personal connections to the environment and larger world issues to inform artistic expression.
• Connect with non-arts organizations and networks to integrate arts-based approaches into change work.
• Challenge the hierarchy in the arts and celebrate the power of community engagement.

Story Preview

Feeling lost in a world of negativity? Discover how art can reignite your imagination and connect you with your community. Explore the transformative power of creative expression and its role in shaping a better future.

Chapter Summary

00:00 Finding Energy in Despair
01:12 Introducing Judith Marcuse
02:36 The Innate Artist in Everyone
04:40 Art as a Reflective Process
05:41 Reimagining Art and Its Hierarchies
06:49 The Power of Imagination
07:36 Defining Community Engaged Arts
10:07 Creative Publics: A Case Study
12:11 Creating Safe Spaces for Expression

Featured Quotes

• Everyone is an artist. Only they don’t know it.
• We have enormous power and the power we have is of the imagination.
• In a time of individualism, art for social change encourages people to be in the same room together, to talk to each other.

Behind the Story

• Judith Marcuse shares her insights on community-engaged arts, drawing from decades of experience. She emphasizes the importance of art as a tool for dialogue, reflection, and social change, highlighting projects like Creative Publics. Her work demonstrates how simple artistic processes can inspire action and foster understanding.

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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.

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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