The Ener­gy Mat­ters work­shop series was loca­ted at the inter­sec­tions of inter­dis­ci­pli­na­ry and par­ti­ci­pa­to­ry sound art for cli­mate action and jus­tice, invol­ving sto­ries, sounds, word bubbles, ges­tures, and move­ment. In these work­shops, we co-crea­ted deep lis­te­ning expe­riences and new sound­scape com­po­si­tions based on artis­tic acti­vi­ties faci­li­ta­ted by Shu­mai­la Hema­ni. The content of these work­shops will be adap­ted to tai­lor par­ti­ci­pants’ needs, inter­ests, and assets.

We aimed at crea­ting a safe and inclu­sive space where par­ti­ci­pants can dis­cuss their work on ener­gy pover­ty, what brought them to this work, and how it has impac­ted the ways they unders­tand and engage with the concept of home or dwel­ling. It will give them a space to share how their sub­jec­ti­vi­ty (age, race, gen­der, disa­bi­li­ties, etc.) influences how they approach ener­gy poverty.

We inves­ti­ga­ted the present unders­tan­ding of this sub­ject within Alber­ta and Cana­da, and what kinds of chal­lenges or stig­mas people confront in acces­sing sup­port to ensure ener­gy affor­da­bi­li­ty. To ensure equi­ty, inclu­sion, and fair­ness, we enga­ged the par­ti­ci­pants in a cri­ti­cal­ly self-reflexive dia­logue that ensures crea­ting a space of open­ness and mutual res­pect. One such prac­tice could be gathe­ring par­ti­ci­pants’ pre­cepts around pover­ty and ener­gy consump­tion, ener­gy tran­si­tions, and ener­gy pover­ty through a varie­ty of crea­tive activities.

There are many bene­fits of dee­ply lis­te­ning to the world as it culti­vates empa­thy, trust, inclu­sion, com­pas­sion, and more.

1) Ini­tiate a dia­logue on ener­gy acces­si­bi­li­ty by asking the par­ti­ci­pants to lis­ten to their domes­tic set­tings and how dif­ferent sounds in their spaces make them feel.

Example of a Prompt : How do you lis­ten to the sources of ener­gy and ener­gy consump­tion around you such as the bur­ning of fos­sil fuels through fur­naces, engines, and more ? Can you list the sounds of ener­gy consump­tion in your domes­tic set­tings and how you relate to those sounds ? [See the image below for how par­ti­ci­pants respon­ded on the jam board] [Lis­ten to the atta­ched audio to see how par­ti­ci­pants des­cri­bed the sounds in their domes­tic settings]

2) Ask the par­ti­ci­pants to make any sound recor­dings of the ener­gy end uses in their domes­tic set­tings. Allot 5 minutes for this activity

3) Ask the par­ti­ci­pants to share any sound recor­dings of the ener­gy end uses in their domes­tic set­tings and why did they choose this sound, how do they relate to this sound, and whe­ther are there any memo­ries that this sound brings to their mind ? [Lis­ten to the atta­ched audio for an ite­ra­tion of this activity]

4)    Next, engage the par­ti­ci­pants in a dia­logue about their jour­neys and work on ener­gy acces­si­bi­li­ty. [See the atta­ched video of par­ti­ci­pants tal­king about how they came to this work.

Example of a prompt : How do you relate to the ques­tion of ener­gy inac­ces­si­bi­li­ty in your life ? Reflect on defi­ning moments that ins­pi­red you to become advo­cates, lea­ders, chan­ge­ma­kers, and artists addres­sing ener­gy pover­ty. (Watch the video below for an ite­ra­tion of this activity.)