Creativity and Conservation: How art can inspire a movement
Film Screening and Panel Discussion
Sunday, October 29, 2023
Join Contemporary Calgary and Y2Y (Yukon to Yellowstone Conservation Initiative) for a special evening that begins with the screening of the film There Is A Place On Earth by Ellen van den Honert, followed by a panel with guest speakers Harvey Locke, Ellen van den Honert, and a special guest, moderated by Joseph Lougheed. The conversation unfolds around our engagements with nature, and the ways in which art inspires conservation efforts.
Sponsored by Tom Plunkett at Raymond James.
Sunday, October 29, 2023
Doors: 5:00 pm
Screening: 5:15 pm
Runtime: 73m
Panel discussion: 6:30 pm
Tickets: $10, one beverage included with purchase.
Synopsis
There Is A Place On Earth is a feature-length documentary exploring the role of artists in wilderness conservation. Dutch Filmmaker Ellen van den Honert takes us on a beautiful and poetic journey around the world where we meet artists/ conservationists who share extraordinary creative work and a commitment to the environment. In the process, we experience a unique, intuitive connection to the wild – and the necessity to protect it.
Director’s Statement
The seeds for this film started when it really sank in that 60% of the wildlife on earth has disappeared in my lifetime alone! I felt a great sense of sadness and anger, but especially defeat. So, what can one person do?
It was a small painting of a giraffe that first spoke to me, and gave me the courage to get on my way to discover something I could do to help preserve wild lands and animals.
Being a singer and songwriter myself, I turned my attention to art. I got very curious how artists relate to wilderness conservation. But I wanted to look beyond the usual view of artists being inspired by nature in their work. I was curious to find out how artists can create results in conservation through their work.
With that in mind, I set out to profile diverse artist/conservationists around the world - and this turned into a feature-length documentary. In the process, the viewer experiences a unique, intuitive connection to the wild – and the necessity to protect it.
For me, it’s clear we need new solutions to existing problems. In ‘There Is A Place On Earth’ I strive to do more than simply present the case to save wild lands and wild animals, as do most nature documentaries. Instead I wanted to provide viewers with a vehicle to help them evaluate and understand their own relationship to wild nature and wildlife.
Science can help us protect wilderness, yes, but it may fall to artists to help us find the reason why!
Panelists
Ellen van den Honert
Ellen van den Honert holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Amsterdam. She has worked internationally as a music teacher, project manager, and entrepreneur, while also managing a career as a songwriter and performing artist, successfully releasing the critical acclaimed albums, Breath of the Soul (2006), and Hummingville (2010). In 2015, Ellen established the Wild About Music Foundation dedicated to promoting the synergy of art and conservation. This led to the production of her first feature-length documentary, There Is A Place On Earth, exploring the role of artists in wilderness conservation on a beautiful and poetic journey around the world.
Harvey Locke
Harvey is co-founder and Strategic Advisor to the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative. He served as President or Vice President of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society for 17 years and is currently its Senior Advisor, Conservation. He is a member of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas and co-founded the Nature Needs Half movement. A native of the Calgary-Banff area of Canada, Harvey is globally known for his work on wilderness, national parks and large landscape conservation from Yellowstone to Yukon and beyond. Named by Time Magazine as one of Canada’s leaders for the 21st century, he was recently awarded the Fred M. Packard International Parks Merit Award by the IUCN, a prestigious global award that recognizes his extensive conservation work. Harvey has led work on major private lands conservation projects for connectivity, national park creation and management, climate change and nature conservation, and he was a member of the executive committee for the World Wilderness Congress (WILD9) held in Merida, Mexico, in 2009.