Stories from the Hearth Stories from the Hearth

Hearth Summit Athens Session Featuring:

Becky Young

Head of Ops & Community, Earth Percent
🌍 London, England

Vickie Amiralis

Label Development Manager, In Place of War / EarthSonic
🌍 London, England

Tori Tsui

Climate justice activist, organiser, writer, consultant & speaker
🌍 Bristol, England

Misia Furtak

Musician, Music Declares Emergency
🌍 Poznań, Poland

In Athens, a co-created agenda with arts group Act in Synch invited changemakers to reflect on social change through an artistic lens. In the music industry, different musicians, producers, organizers, and non-profits have been taking a step outside their bubble to drive change in both environmental and social justice arenas. Hear from four different examples of this innovative approach bridging arts for positive change with:

  • Becky Young, Head of Ops & Community, EarthPercent. EarthPercent invites artists and the music industry at large to donate a small percentage of their income, making change through organisations that meaningfully address the climate and nature crises. Over 250 artists and companies have already pledged their support.
  • Vickie Amiralis, Label Development Manager, In Place of War, and EarthSonic. In Place of War is a global organisation that uses artistic creativity in places impacted by conflict and climate change as a tool for positive change. It enables grassroots changemakers in music, theatre and across the arts to transform cultures of violence and suffering into hope, opportunity and freedom. EarthSonic is a global project telling the story of climate change through music, working with indigenous communities, musicians, cultural organisers, scientists and climate activists and experts.
  • Tori Tsui, climate justice activist, organiser, writer, consultant & speaker; and
  • Misia Furtak, musician, Music Declares Emergency. Music Declares Emergency brings together artists, music industry professionals and music fans to call for an immediate governmental response to the climate change emergency to protect all life on Earth.

Act in Synch ‍brings together leaders from across industries to confront climate change. Its mission is to inspire action by addressing our relationship with the planet and the choices we make.

Watch the session (in English).

EXPLORE THE REGIONAL SUMMITS FURTHER EXPLORE THE REGIONAL SUMMITS FURTHER

Dive Into Stories From Around the World

Discover Wellbeing and the Arts Discover Wellbeing and the Arts

Meet and hear stories from the changemakers championing wellbeing in the arts.

Not a Goddess, Not a Little Woman: Poetry From Shamim AzadNot a Goddess, Not a Little Woman: Poetry From Shamim Azad

Stories from the Hearth

The Wellbeing Summit Dhaka Artistic Experience With:

Shamim Azad

Poet
🌍 London, England

British-born Bangladeshi poet, Shamim Azad, joined the first regional summit in Bangladesh in March 2024, bringing with her a beautiful poem to inaugurate the Summit, which also took place on International Women’s Day. Her new poem, entitled “Debi nohi… nohi shamanyo meye” (“Not a Goddess.. Not a Little Woman!”) shares a conversation between a mother and her daughter, providing an intergenerational reflection on feminism and gender roles in Bangladesh.

Shamim Azad is one of Bangladesh’s most prolific contemporary bilingual poets. In 2023, she wone the Bangla Academy Literary Award in the poetry category.

Watch the recording below.

EXPLORE THE REGIONAL SUMMITS FURTHEREXPLORE THE REGIONAL SUMMITS FURTHER

Dive Into Stories From Around the World

Discover the Wellbeing Movement in AsiaDiscover the Wellbeing Movement in Asia

Meet, hear stories, and learn from the changemakers championing the wellbeing movement in Asia.

Healing Trauma Through MusicHealing Trauma Through Music

Stories from the Hearth

The Wellbeing Summit Dhaka Session With:

Asif Iqbal

Musician and activist
🌍 Dhaka, Bangladesh

Asif Iqbal, the front-man of the music band Kaaktal, joined the first regional summit in Bangladesh in March 2024 to share the story of his life and how he overcame struggles through leaning into his music as a part of the Summit’s central conversation on Intergenerational Trauma. Listen to his story and music to be part of the journey from struggles to strengths. Watch the recording below.

EXPLORE THE REGIONAL SUMMITS FURTHEREXPLORE THE REGIONAL SUMMITS FURTHER

Dive Into Stories From Around the World

Discover the Wellbeing Movement in AsiaDiscover the Wellbeing Movement in Asia

Meet, hear stories, and learn from the changemakers championing the wellbeing movement in Asia.

From Fire to Flow: Hip Hop’s Power to TransformFrom Fire to Flow: Hip Hop’s Power to Transform

Stories from the Hearth

Hearth Summit Philippines Webinar Featuring:

Bambu

Beatrock Music Artist, father, Emcee, and Organizer
🌍 Oakland, USA

Marikit Satura

Hip Hop Artist and Activist
🌍 Amsterdam, Netherlands

Ever since hip hop as an art form emerged as a vehicle for social justice and cultural empowerment, Filipinos have been among the most active participants in DJing, breakdancing, graffiti and MCing. Filipinos have been part of the music scene since the 1960s, but in the 1980s, hip hop became even more a form of self-expression. Many Filipinos were able to create a sense of selfhood that might have otherwise felt trampled on or neglected by previous generations and institutional ideologies.

Ahead of Hearth Summit Philippines, the Filipino community has been gathering to explore key topics before reuniting on Siquijor island. In this webinar, explore the unique connection between the Filipino diaspora, hip hop music, and social change.

Featured Filipino artists Bambu and Mirikit discuss how they have used their artistry and music to create change and also work for peace. They share how the hip hop industry has impacted them, how they use it to impact others, how artists practice wellbeing, and what impact their music has had on the community.

Watch the webinar below.

EXPLORE THE REGIONAL SUMMITS FURTHEREXPLORE THE REGIONAL SUMMITS FURTHER

Dive Into Stories From Around the World

Discover Wellbeing and the ArtsDiscover Wellbeing and the Arts

Meet and hear stories from the changemakers championing wellbeing in music, dance and the arts.

Music Creatives for ChangeMusic Creatives for Change

Stories from the Hearth

Hearth Summit Athens Session Featuring:

Becky Young

Head of Ops & Community, Earth Percent
🌍 London, England

Vickie Amiralis

Label Development Manager, In Place of War / EarthSonic
🌍 London, England

Tori Tsui

Climate justice activist, organiser, writer, consultant & speaker
🌍 Bristol, England

Misia Furtak

Musician, Music Declares Emergency
🌍 Poznań, Poland

In Athens, a co-created agenda with arts group Act in Synch invited changemakers to reflect on social change through an artistic lens. In the music industry, different musicians, producers, organizers, and non-profits have been taking a step outside their bubble to drive change in both environmental and social justice arenas. Hear from four different examples of this innovative approach bridging arts for positive change with:

Becky Young, Head of Ops & Community, EarthPercent. EarthPercent invites artists and the music industry at large to donate a small percentage of their income, making change through organisations that meaningfully address the climate and nature crises. Over 250 artists and companies have already pledged their support.

Vickie Amiralis, Label Development Manager, In Place of War, and EarthSonic. In Place of War is a global organisation that uses artistic creativity in places impacted by conflict and climate change as a tool for positive change. It enables grassroots changemakers in music, theatre and across the arts to transform cultures of violence and suffering into hope, opportunity and freedom. EarthSonic is a global project telling the story of climate change through music, working with indigenous communities, musicians, cultural organisers, scientists and climate activists and experts.

Tori Tsui, climate justice activist, organiser, writer, consultant & speaker; and

Misia Furtak, musician, Music Declares Emergency. Music Declares Emergency brings together artists, music industry professionals and music fans to call for an immediate governmental response to the climate change emergency to protect all life on Earth.

Act in Synch ‍brings together leaders from across industries to confront climate change. Its mission is to inspire action by addressing our relationship with the planet and the choices we make.

Watch the session (in English).

EXPLORE THE REGIONAL SUMMITS FURTHEREXPLORE THE REGIONAL SUMMITS FURTHER

Dive Into Stories From Around the World

Discover Wellbeing and the ArtsDiscover Wellbeing and the Arts

Meet and hear stories from the changemakers championing wellbeing in the arts.

Interconnected Healing From Intergenerational Trauma Interconnected Healing From Intergenerational Trauma

Healing x Regional Hearth Summits

With a growing collective consciousness about the impacts of intergenerational trauma, the regional Hearth Summits are a space for changemakers to explore those impacts in the social change sector. In social change work, trauma can be found at the roots of the biggest challenges facing the world today—and in the lives of the people working to address them. Trauma-informed approaches to social change have the power to help unlock healing, wellbeing, and social transformation for all. The regional Hearth Summits offer an invitation for local communities of changemakers to explore this power, contributing to our global call to move from cycles of trauma to journeys of wellbeing.

Discover how the Hearth Summits’ deep conversations, moving art performances, and embodied workshops create a platform for us to encourage healing and wellbeing for everyone—everywhere.

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Want to get involved with the Hearth Summits?

Members of our global network are co-creating regional wellbeing for social change movements around the world.

Express your interest in getting involved and we’ll share your information with them.

COLLECTIVE HEALING FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGE COLLECTIVE HEALING FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGE

“It’s when we start working together that the real healing takes place.”

David Hume

Opening a Dialogue on Intergenerational Trauma

Research From the Being and Transforming Think Tank

In Brussels, The Wellbeing Project launched the first part of “Cycles of Trauma and Journeys of Wellbeing: A Framework for Trauma-Informed Practices and Positive Social Change” — the first co-creation from the Being and Transforming Think Tank’s 3-year exploration of intergenerational trauma and social change. The research was published on the Think Tank’s brand-new hub for research, stories, tools, and other resources about IGT and trauma-informed social change work. Changemakers are invited to explore the database of resources and add to it.

Intergenerational Trauma, Ancestry, and Race  |  Trauma Intergeracional, Ancestralidade e Raça

Session From Hearth Summit São Paulo

In São Paulo, Raquel Barros, Coordinator, Emotional Collaboration Laboratory (ENLACE) and the Possible Worlds Community Extension Program, FACENS University, and Isabel Santos Mayer, Coordinator, Brazilian Institute of Studies and Community Support (IBEAC), joined in a conversation on intergenerational trauma, ancestry, and race in Brazil. Watch the session (in Portuguese).

Katherine Milligan, Director of the Collective Change Lab, educated changemakers on the basics of trauma’s physiological effects on the body, including how the central nervous system initiates the fight-flight-freeze response, and leading changemakers in embodied practices.

Shawan Mahmud, daughter of intellectual martyr Altaf Mahmud, touched souls with her tale of healing from intergenerational trauma in the aftermath of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, calling for accessible mental health services to support all who struggle with the ongoing impacts of the war.

Human rights activist and political refugee Marguerite Barankitse shared her inner and outer journey of peacebuilding after surviving ethnic cleansing campaigns in her home country of Burundi and starting an organization, Maison Shalom, to care for orphaned children.

Psychologist Edgar Gonzalez-Hernandez hosted a workshop on Compassion-Based Cognitive Therapy for participants in Bogotá in a session on how to recognize and start healing from trauma through an evidence-based approach.

Wellbeing Is Community, Resilience, and Inclusion

Interview With Okong’o Kinyanjui

In this interview at the first regional Hearth Summit in Nairobi, meet Okong’o Kinyanjui, Founder and Executive Director of the Queer African Network, as he shares how wellbeing inspires welldoing in his work to support the queer Pan-African community, whose wellbeing continues to be impacted by colonial-era penal codes across Africa.

Mapping the Impacts of Colonialism in Latin America

Workshop with Dr. Laura Calderon de la Barca 

In Bogotá, psychotherapist Dr. Laura Calderon de la Barca, a specialist in collective trauma and senior associate of the Collective Change Lab, led changemakers in a reflection mapping the ongoing impacts of colonial history in Latin America and the Caribbean. Changemakers identified the parts of society where the trauma of colonialism is still visible as well as where they see opportunities to act for healing. As a group, they saw trauma manifesting the most within gender dynamics, and they saw the biggest window of opportunity for action in the arts.

You can learn more about Dr. de la Barca’s work to raise the collective consciousness around colonial trauma in the region in our recent webinar series with Collective Change Lab on creating healing systems for social change.

Addressing Post-Genocide Trauma in Rwanda

INTERVIEW WITH DR JEAN BOSCO NIYONZIMA

Director and Executive Founder of the Ubuntu Center for Peace, Dr. Jean Bosco Niyonzima, spoke at The Wellbeing Summit Dakar-Thiès about the impact of intergenerational trauma in Rwanda, where more than 50% of genocide survivors live with mental health disorders like depression. Listen to this brief interview with Voice of America to hear about his approach to mobilizing an integrated, scalable, cost-effective, community-based social healing model across Africa.

In Nairobi, co-chair Honorable Justice Martha K. Koome, EGH explored justice as a shared responsibility and lived experience, requiring empowered individuals, accessible courts, and support for the marginalized. Critical issues discussed included addressing the overrepresentation of people with disabilities in prisons, reducing stigma, and decolonizing the justice system to promote restorative justice.

In Senegal, Safe Open Spaces (SOS) hosted small group sessions to promote emotional expression, active listening, and empathy among changemakers. Focusing on youth mental health, the SOS workshop offered practical skills to young changemakers to use for healing and personal growth.

The intergenerational wellbeing panel in Nairobi, chaired and moderated by Edwin Macharia, explored how individuals, families, and communities are interconnected and shape our collective ecosystem. The session explored how traditional methods can address community trauma and bridge generational gaps by preserving cultural knowledge and fostering overall wellbeing.

Healing From Trauma: The Leadership Skill You Didn’t Know You Needed

INTERVIEW WITH BENOIT LEGRAND

Leaders face challenges every day when managing teams and making decisions. But visionary business leader-turned-psychogenealogist Benoît Legrand says the biggest challenge can actually be an internal one. Hear from Benoît, who spoke about the impacts of intergenerational trauma in leadership and organizational wellbeing at The Wellbeing Summit Brussels, reflect on why leaders should prioritize their wellbeing and healing to be a positive presence for themselves, their teams, and their organizations.

PROCESSING TRAUMA AND HEALING THROUGH THE ARTSPROCESSING TRAUMA AND HEALING THROUGH THE ARTS

“At the deepest level, the creative process and the healing process arise from a single source.
When you are an artist, you are a healer.”

Rachel Naomi Remen

“Tears Ain’t Nothing But Liquid Prayers”

Poetry by Hannah L. Drake

Author, poet, and activist Hannah L. Drake stirred the emotions of her audience at The Wellbeing Summit Omega Institute-Harlem Wellness Center with her poem “Home,” a rebuttal to the state song of Kentucky (where she is from), “My Old Kentucky Home.”

Brilliante Aurora

Music by Oro y Platino

The alabaos are traditional Afro-Colombian funeral songs used to express and share grief and mourning that have been passed down generation to generation. Enjoy this song performed by Oro Y Platino, a group from the Condoto Chocó region of Colombia, who also took to the stage at The Wellbeing Summit Bogotá. All alabaos songs help people to say goodbye to their beloved. “Brillante Aurora” is about saying goodbye to a mother — with the song lyrics, they say goodbye to the Virgin Mary.

The Healing Power of MusicThe Healing Power of Music

MUSIC BY ASIF IQBAL AONTU

At The Wellbeing Summit Dhaka, we discovered musician and journalist Asif Iqbal Aontu’s extraordinary journey from imprisonment to musical soul healing. Through his music, he shares how his toughest experiences led him to a new direction, blending music with cosmic thoughts. With each song, he skillfully intertwines life’s tragedies, pains, and afflictions into a harmonious tapestry.

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Dive Into Research, News, and Stories on Intergenerational Trauma

Global Expressions Of The Arts, The Universal Language of Wellbeing Global Expressions Of The Arts, The Universal Language of Wellbeing

Arts x Regional Hearth Summits

As a universal language for human connection, emotion, and experiences, the arts are at the heart of the regional Hearth Summits. They celebrate the diversity of our global network by welcoming local artists, dancers, musicians, performers, and other creatives to encourage us to experience and reflect on wellbeing in unique ways. At these gatherings, the arts invite us to immerse ourselves in the sights and sounds of global cultures while exploring key topics in the wellbeing for social change space.

Discover a mosaic of perspectives on wellbeing through this rich tapestry of artistic expression at these incredible gatherings.

Music & SongMusic & Song

“Where words fail, music speaks.”

Hans Christian Andersen

Colombian singer Fonseca brought a larger-than-life concert to the Wellbeing Summit in his hometown of Bogotá.

Dak’Harmony, a group of music enthusiasts from Dakar, brought upbeat African music and covers of classic songs to the closing celebration of The Wellbeing Summit Dakar-Thiès

Roll The Voice, a collective of multidisciplinary musicians with diverse abilities in Bogotá, invited audiences to explore their perspectives on disabilities through their energizing hip-hop performances.

Oro y Platino, a group from the Condoto Chocó region of Colombia, shared soulful renditions of alabaos, traditional Afro-Colombian songs of mourning and healing.

Wellbeing of the World, a collaborative project from Tod Machover and the MIT Media Lab, unites the Summits by inviting participants to co-create a symphony of global wellbeing sounds.

French-Israeli singer Yael Naim shared her experience healing with the arts and treated The Wellbeing Summit Brussels to an intimate performance of her soulful music.

Black Keme (Antoine Indega Boubane) embodied the fusion of tradition and modernity in African music by weaving in his cultural Bassari heritage in his performances.

Harpist Alix Collin rang in each new session at The Wellbeing Summit Brussels with the powerful, vibrating sound of the gong.

Bangladeshi mental health activist and musician Farzana Wahid Shayan gifted moving performances of songs dedicated to the themes of forgiveness and self-empowerment.

Local youth performed dances mixing traditional Bangla moves with modern sounds, all set against the musical backdrop of songs that inspired the freedom fighters in Bangladesh’s 1971 independence war.

Tuntun Shah Baul offered the soul-stirring melodies of traditional Baul music, which embodies the inner pursuit of peace preached by the Bengal mystic, Lalon.

Sister Fa (Fatou Diatta), a Senegalese rapper and activist, reflected on her wellbeing journey and social change in Africa with an invigorating hip-hop performance.

Music Creatives for Change

Session at Hearth Summit Athens

In Athens, a co-created agenda with arts group Act in Synch invited changemakers to reflect on social change through an artistic lens. In the music industry, different musicians, producers, organizers, and non-profits have been taking a step outside their bubble to drive change in both environmental and social justice arenas. Hear from four different examples from EarthPercent, EarthSonic, In Place of War, and Music Declares Emergency. Watch the session (in English).

THEATRE THEATRE

“I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.”

Thorton Wilder

“TOM MBOYA”

BY TOO EARLY FOR BIRDS

In Nairobi, changemakers were captivated by stories from Too Early for Birds, a Kenyan theatre show that retells, presents, and narrates the most scintillating parts of Kenyan history that school books failed to mention. The group shared the story of Tom Mboya, one of the country’s most illustrious luminaries, in honour of the 55th anniversary of his death. Through an enchanting, engaging mix of theatrics, they reflected on the life of a man who inspired a new generation of young, brilliant, energized Africans driven to make the best out of freshly independent African nations — and in whose footsteps Kenyan Gen-Z are walking in 2024.

“MONDIAL.E.S”

BY BRRR PRODUCTION

At The Wellbeing Summit Dakar-Thiès, Brrr Production, a Dakar-based theatre company exploring political and social issues, performed MONDIAL.E.S. This piece explores the role of women in Senegal and the wider world through the story of Salimata and Fatoumata, who decide to set up an association to promote gender equality. By questioning our stereotypes of men and women, the show took a humorous, ironic look at the possibilities of fighting for a fairer world.

CO-CREATIONS CO-CREATIONS

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”

Ryūnosuke Satoro

Dabakh (Serigne Abdou Aziz Ndiaye) a young Senegalese graffiti artist and painter, immortalized The Wellbeing Summit Dakar-Thiès by leading participants in co-creating a “wellbeing mural” at Tostan’s Training Centre.

Participants were encouraged to paint together throughout The Wellbeing Summit Bogotá to enjoy the flow of creativity, together, under the guidance of local creator Carlos Eduardo Meneses.

During Omega Institute and the Harlem Wellness Center’s musical performances, cartoonist Liza Donnelly captured the essence of the music with live illustrations.

EXHIBITIONS & ART INSTALLATIONS EXHIBITIONS & ART INSTALLATIONS

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”

Edgar Degas

TheMerode’s curated art exhibition, Shōkakkō, explored happiness in all its forms through works created by 54 artists from around the world placed throughout The Wellbeing Summit Brussels.

In collaboration with the 12th edition of Partcours, Tostan curated a special exhibit about wellbeing with Senegalese artists Fatim Soumaré and Omar Diouf (Yafane) called “Yoonu ci biir (The Inner Pathway)”. 

The Omega Institute and Harlem Wellness Center worked with the Rubin Museum to bring the Mandala Lab to a regional Wellbeing Summit, inviting participants to explore their emotions.

At Tostan’s Training Centre, participants contemplated the “Art for Mental Health” exhibition, featuring creations from clients of the Moussa Diap psychiatric clinic’s groundbreaking art therapy programme.

In Dhaka, award-winning photographer Shafiqul Alam Kiron shared images from his 20+ year career documenting acid violence in Bangladesh. The photographs offer an intimate look at acid violence survivors’ experiences in their long journey to recovery, both physically, mentally, and socially.

Reigniting Rituals Through the Arts, the Universal Language of Wellbeing

In an exciting collaboration with Community Arts Network (CAN), we are excited to launch a global initiative around the arts to create a unique and magical vision, along with local communities, around the concept of Ecological Belonging. Seven passionate and dynamic individuals (one for the regional Hearth Summits in Austria, Brazil, Colombia, India, Japan, Senegal, and the US) have taken on the role of Ritual Alchemist. Through the arts, they will delve into a local ritual or practice and engage the community in a journey to renew it for today.

Applications are now closed. Stay tuned to meet the Ritual Alchemists and follow their artistic journey to the Hearth!

EXPLORE ART AND WELLBEING FURTHER EXPLORE ART AND WELLBEING FURTHER

Dive Into Art Stories From Around the World

Wellbeing Of The World Wellbeing Of The World

A Global Symphony

“Wellbeing of the World – A Global Symphony” is an international, collaborative music project by composer/inventor Tod Machover and his team at the MIT Media Lab. Over the next two years, the music project will sample perspectives on inner, organisational, societal and planetary wellbeing at the regional Hearth Summits, as well as more generally, all leading up to the global Hearth Summit in 2025. This uniquely exciting initiative aims at exploring through sounds of all kinds how different cultures and communities explore the journey of wellbeing for individuals, organisations, communities, societies and the planet, for the current moment as well as for the future.

With “Wellbeing of the World — A Global Symphony,” Tod Machover, the MIT Media Lab, The Wellbeing Project, and the regional Hearth Summits are launching a new initiative whose ambition is to collect sounds, voices and music from the different regional and global summit locations to create a true world symphony, the very first of its kind. The project is designed to explore and promote wellbeing by weaving together the unique sounds that the different cultures and places around the world select to explore the journey of wellbeing for individuals, organisations, communities, societies and for the planet.

“Wellbeing of the World — A Global Symphony” will culminate at the 2024 global Hearth Summit, with a headline musical performance that brings together this collective and global artistic expression of wellbeing, and will also be expressed in a first-ever, AI-generated “flowing symphony” that will constantly evolve, inviting sonic input and listener preference far into the future.

Throughout the two-year journey, local communities from all the regional and global Hearth Summit locations will be invited to help create this collective story, using software specially designed at the MIT Media Lab.

Sounds can come from professional musicians and amateurs, from people of all ages and backgrounds, and from anything in the environment (human-created or not) that conveys a vivid sense of place and of purpose.

As the sounds are collected, using research currently underway at the MIT Media Lab and under Tod Machover’s creative supervision, the process will combine, contrast and coordinate them to dramatize individual voices as well as collective harmony. The result will be an ever-changing musical piece: the Wellbeing of the World Symphony, a sonic portrait of wellbeing around the world.

Wellbeing Of The World Wellbeing Of The World

At the Regional Hearth Summits

Meet Tod at The Wellbeing Summit 2022

The City Symphonies Model

The model which brought this highly original initiative to life is to be found in the City Symphonies, a project developed by Machover and the MIT Media Lab since 2013, which invited citizens of a specific city from all ages and backgrounds to work together to create its sonic portrait, constructed from contributed sounds ranging from musical to noise, composed to “found,” and from expert to anything. This project was also brought to Bilbao on the occasion of the 2022 Global Wellbeing Summit for Social Change. City Symphonies have not only resulted in powerfully memorable musical compositions, but also have built extraordinary community and cultivated creativity in radical new ways.

About Tod Machover About Tod Machover

Tod Machover, composer and inventor, is Muriel R. Cooper Professor of Music & Media at the MIT Media Lab, where he is also Director of the Opera of the Future Group and Academic Head.

He has been called “America’s most wired composer” by The Los Angeles Times, and “a musical visionary” by The New York Times, and is widely celebrated for inventing new technologies that expand music’s potential for emotional expression, for creating community, and for enhancing health and wellbeing.

Tod Machover’s work has been awarded numerous prizes and honors from organizations such as the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Fromm and Koussevitzky music foundations, the National Endowment for the Arts, the German and French ministries of culture, the World Technology Network, and Musical America (that named him Composer of the Year in 2016). He has been commissioned and performed by many of the world’s most prominent cultural organizations, including Yo-Yo Ma, the Pompidou Center (Paris), the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, The Kronos Quartet, and many others. Machover is especially recognized for his groundbreaking operas, including the audience-interactive Brain Opera, the “robotic” Death and the Powers (Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize), and his current opera project, The Overstory, based on Richard Powers’ Pulitzer Prize winning novel about trees and the urgency of recalibrating the relationship between humans and the non-human world.

Birdheart

Theatre Production

Julian Crouch and Saskia Lane’s BIRDHEART – An intimate and stunning chamber piece of animated theatre with a sheet of brown paper and a box of sand. A show about transformation, loneliness, and the urge to fly, BIRDHEART holds a hand-mirror up to humanity and offers it a chair. Through a series of animated images built in front of the audiences’ eyes BIRDHEART creates something achingly beautiful from the humblest of beginnings.

The show tells a story of man’s relationship to the world. An egg lies on the sand, and from the egg is born a large sheet of crumpled brown paper. The sheet of paper pulls elements up out of the sand; different hands, feet, heads. Sometimes the paper opens outwards and shadow images are projected in the heart of the paper figure. The figure dreams of a bird. Eventually, the sheet of paper transforms itself into a large paper bird, lays an egg, and flies off.

The onstage creation of something from nothing is at the very heart of the piece. The brown paper suggests the soul and emotion of the metamorphosing puppet, and the objects that are pulled from the sand give identity and story to the shifting characters. The egg reminds us of where we all come from. The uncontrollable nature of the material means that each show is different and grows organically in the moment.

Birdheart features a recorded soundtrack of double bass and banjo composed and performed by Saskia Lane and Julian Crouch.

Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller

Sound Installation Artists

Canadian artists Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller live and work in British Columbia, Canada. The artists are internationally recognized for their immersive multimedia sound installations and their audio/video walks. They have created recent video walks at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles (2019), and for the Fruitmarket Gallery in Edinburgh (2019). Over the last few years, Janet and George have shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York (2019) Museum of Contemporary Art in Monterrey, Mexico (2019); Oude Kerk, Amsterdam (2018); 21st Century Museum, Kanazawa, Japan (2017); Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris (2017); ARoS Aarhus Art Museum, Denmark (2015); Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid (2015); Menil Collection, Houston (2015); 19th Biennale of Sydney (2014); the Cloisters, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2013); and Documents 13, Kassel (2012). In 2020 they were awarded the Wilhelm Lehmbruck prize for sculpture and in 2011 they received Germany’s Käthe Kollwitz Prize. In 2001, Cardiff and Miller represented Canada at the 49th Venice Biennale , for which they received the Premio Speciale and the Benesse Prize.

Click here to learn more about Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller.

Read on for an exclusive Q&A with Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller ahead of the Summit:

What does wellbeing mean to you?

Well-being is a state of mind that is essential to the healthy functioning of our whole body. I find that my own sense of well being is connected not only with treating my body and mind well but also by the action of creativity. Through playing in the studio I’m able to feel fuller and happier.

Why are you looking forward to being part of The Wellbeing Summit?

When creating monumental sculpture, I consider how our architectural surroundings influence and affect our state of mind.

How does your work connect to wellbeing?

We are creating an artwork that uses the concept of “voice toning”, a therapeutic practice where the natural vibrations of voices help to contribute to healing and well being. Our piece will play back a collection of “voice tones” creating a calming listening environment. Additionally, we will invite audience members to participate in the making of the piece over the course of the conference by adding their own “voice toning” that will then be mixed into the piece. We believe that creating as well as experiencing artworks contributes to wellbeing. In this piece we are excited that each audience member will be able to both experience the therapeutic elements of the artwork but also contribute their own voice to the wellbeing of others in the community.

Connect with Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller on social media :