Quantization

Typocast is a new series from the Quantization podcast, which focuses on the intersection of type and inclusion. Richard Hunt, type designer, typographer and type educator, has joined us for the series. For the first episode of the series, we invited Titus Nemeth to talk about Arabic typography and his practice as a type designer and researcher.

Finally, for the last section of Jutta and Bianca's series on housing and homelessness, we ask them to look at the future and what technology could offer us to pass this time. In the first two episodes, the Fungi Network and Salvage or Demolish, we heard our guests' opinions on the governmental policies, democracy and civil rights, and organizations and institutions, as well as notions like land-trust and displacement.

In the previous episode, which was the first part of the discussion on housing and homelessness, Jutta Treviranus and Bianca Wylie talked about governmental policies, democracy and civil rights, and organizations and institutions. What was each of these players' role in making the issue worse or better, and what they may or can do in the future? This episode is the second of a three-part conversation with more focus on the issue of housing.

Returning to the topic of housing and living places, we invited Bianca Wylie and Jutta Treviranus to talk about housing and homelessness. The subject itself is broad and touches many areas, including government policies and roots and its history. As a result, this conversation will come in two parts; the first part is on the background of the complex issue, and the second one will focus more on homelessness. You can also listen to our previous related episodes or read the full transcripts; Episode 11, Built Environment and Public Health, and Episode 14, Aging, Inclusion, and Homelessness.

Opera is a climax of the Western classical music tradition, in which artists, musicians and singers perform a dramatic piece. We usually describe and remember operas with extensive and fine-tuned productions, which happen mostly in opera houses. Traditionally, all components of any opera should resemble the perfection of a part of the production. But how can we redefine the Opera in the current culturally complex societies? How about accessibility and inclusion? Or how about making, rehearsing and watching an opera in the time of the pandemic?

The Corona Virus pandemic has shown our systems' weaknesses and shortcomings in long-term care and senior housing globally. Homelessness is a growing issue among older adults as their population is rising. Lack of social and financial support are the main drivers of this problem. Social isolation during COVID is only making the situation more complicated.

These shortcomings, the rise of the senior population and the lack of social and financial support reveal the need for public health strategies to address the diversity and wide range of seniors. In this episode, we discuss housing for seniors, income and gender disparity and cognitive difficulties amongst the older population with Dr. Andrea Iaboni and Dr. Michelle Wyndham-West.

Nine years after the fall of Gaddafi’s regime, Libya is an unstable country and dealing with civil war. Regional and global players are influencing the crisis rather than calming the region down. Alongside all social and political issues happening, there are many African migrants trapped in Libya without any hope for a better situation. They can’t move to Europe or going back to their home countries. Our guest, Michelangelo Severgnini, is a filmmaker, musician and radio producer, who spend more than two years to produce a documentary, Exodus – Escape from Libya, of this humanitarian crisis. He is sharing his experience and storytelling approach with us.

This episode is a first of a series of podcasts with the focus on the intersection between art and inclusion. Art is a vast topic on its own, the same as the notion of inclusion. Art could come in many forms, cultures and areas and for a variety of audiences. Speaking of art and inclusion includes and refers to at least three main topics, the artists, the audience and the subjects and mediums. In this series, Quantization teamed up with Colin Clark to focus on different art + inclusion topics. For the first episode, we invited Cyn Rozeboom, the Executive Director of Tangled art + disability and an artist herself.

The definition of home varies in different contexts and times and, at the same time, is shaped by its residents. Same as how we define our homes or living places, we are affected by our lifestyle and where we stay the most.

In events like the current pandemic, the COVID-19, we are not only spending most of our days at home, but many of us should work, study, exercise, entertain kids and pets, and do many other activities while at home. As a result, we face many new challenges every day and many shared experiences that exclude us from social and personal activities.

We should not forget that staying home does not have the same meaning and value for everyone. We have to recognize that people live in a large variety of conditions, being alone, different types of families, sharing places and homelessness, and also people who can't stay at home due to their jobs and responsibilities.

All these points prompted us to think about home, and how can we redefine home for the post-COVID-19 time. Our societies were already at the stage of experiencing many changes in the nature of jobs and living.

How the place of living affects our health and wellbeing, and what needs to be different going forward?

Climate change is one of the most urgent problems of our era. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs report number 152 from 2017 focuses on climate change and social inequality. The report identifies three main channels through which the inequality-aggravating effects of climate change develops,

(a) increase in the exposure of the disadvantaged groups to the adverse effects of climate change;

(b) increase in their susceptibility to damage caused by climate change, and

(c) decrease in their ability to cope and recover from the damage suffered.

The report shows the relation between climate change and marginalized populations.