first took flight 05.1998
an archive of primary activities 1998 through 2002
the Society for Arts + Ecology in Practice
bringing the power of the arts to sustainability
My experience of the Living City Forum was very positive. It was most interesting to have artists and scientists communicating on the same topic and to experience firsthand the critical relevance to our society of both ways of 'knowing' about and understanding natural phenomena. I was fascinated to see the connections that became evident and learned much from both groups. It was also fascinating to see the mix of expert/professional knowledge and local/community based knowledge.
Freda Pagani, Founding Director, Sustainability, University of British Columbia
Part of the SongBird mandate was to promote an awareness of the urban as situated within an environing world of complex relations - of reciprocities and obligations. We developed a series of events to encourage an awareness of human cultures and habitations as embedded within our environing world - creating and presenting opportunities to turn ideas of human separation and nature-culture division on their heads. The Annual LIVING CITY FORUM was one.
Over a 3-day period each year we brought together a range of city based "experts" from multiple sectors concerned with sustainable futures for conversation with the general public. These were designed as open conversations, question and answer, addressing what those experts had presented, and taking that to another level. This led to open conversation and brainstorming responses and concrete strategies to move forward toward a more sustainable city; also plans for how the public could be better informed and involved over time.