e160 shannon litzenberger - a culture of collective thriving

• We are in a very unstable environment right now. We don't have to be change makers. Change is happening. It is happening quickly and the pace of change is accelerating. So this ‘plan and execute’ way of engaging with the world is less and less relevant. Building this capacity to play and improvise and allow for emergent possibilities to arise is a kind of new leadership capacity that makes more sense in the context of the world as it is in this moment. 

This is a follow up conversation with Shannon picking up on our exchange on December 8, 2021 in Tkarón:to, e90 shannon litzenberger – state of emergence : why we need artists right now.

Now let’s fast forward 2 and half years for a second conversation with Shannon this time about the impact of the state of emergency essay and an update on Shannon's latest projects. 

You’ll hear that Shannon’s perspectives are decidedly feminist, philosophical and socially conscious and are informed by her roots in Canada’s rural prairies which inspire her connection to land, environment, belonging, identity and place. 

When I sat down with Shannon in her home in Tkarón:to we talked about a new essay she is working on, which I’m excited about, on the theme of leadership at the end of the world but the conversation was not all gloom and doom, in spite of it being the end of the world as we know it. Quite au contraire, Shannon is working on developing a concept called ‘culture of collective thriving’ and she’s walking her talk. I know because I took a workshop with her and she’s integrating art practice in everything she does and so her belief in art is inspiring and I think very effective. 

I ask my guests for reading recommendations. Shannon suggested Embodied Activism : Engaging the Body to Cultivate Liberation, Justice, and Authentic Connection--A Practical Guide for Transformative Social Change by Rae Johnson and Rest is Resistance : a Manifesto by Tricia Hersey. 

Note: I mentioned Shannon’s conversation with Turn Out Radio host Nicole Inica Hamilton during our conversation. Here is the link : http://turnoutradio.com/.

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Note : I'm currently 'pressing pause' and am not producing new content until further notice. 

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

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Claude Schryer

Latest update on March 21, 2026