• We have become a bit disconnected after COVID but at the same time we are emerging more consciously while we were more complacent before. I hold hope about an inherent belief that collective liberation is a planetary right. I think we should all be always learning to reach that goal.

semzyiri is a multimedia storyteller who blends surrealism, existentialism, cosmic wonder, and inner worlds with the lived reality of a neuroqueer cultural nomad. 

Navigating the crossroads of a world in poly-crisis and of nature divorced from human experience, semzyiri's work captures the intricate dance between the internal and external, offering a unique lens on our interconnected existence.

I first met semzyiri at an ‘Ideas, Welcome’ Session hosted by the Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre meeting about social infrastructure and third places, organised by Luc Lalande and colleagues (see an upcoming episode about him) at the Rideau Community Hub, in Ottawa.

We met again by chance at a local eco fair on June 1 2024 where we talked about our common interest in community engaged arts, art and ecology and in social collapse awareness and acceptance. 

One of the topics that struck me in my conversation was the notion of ‘numbness’, which is coming back again and again this  5th season of the podcast, notably in e171 kimberly skye richards - dept of utopian arts & letters (‘one of the roles that artists play within the poly crisis is supporting us through processes of unnumbing’). semzyiri reminds us that : 

• Art is something that really bypasses our walls, our numbness and our overstimulation.

After our conversation semzyiri told me more about a new organization of which they are a co-founder called Collaborative Movements, a multimedia amplifier that centres community initiatives through a documentary series, a podcast, a website hub, and community events and that this initiative highlights and supports a network of third spaces, community centres, social enterprises, non-profit organizations, social innovation labs, and more. The idea is to address a diverse range of themes including local arts, sciences, sustainability, community mental health, social housing, food insecurity, IBPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+, and immigrant stories.

This is a welcome development in the Ottawa arts and media community, and I hope other communities are creating their own collaborative movements.

semzyiri recommends the following publications:

• Modern Monetary Theory by John Verdon (not yet in print)
• Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein
• Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness by Peter Godfrey-Smith
• The One by Heinrich Päs
• When Animals Dream by David Peña-Guzmán

Note: Link to semzyiri's Substack. 

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END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES

Hey conscient listeners, 

Thanks for your presence. Season 5 of this podcast is now completed. I'll be back with season 6 on art and culture in times of crisis and collapse (see trailer for details) sometime in 2025. 

Background on the conscient podcast 

I’ve been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020 on un-ceded Anishinaabe Algonquin territory (Ottawa). It’s my way to give back and be present.

In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and it's francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I publish a Substack newsletter called ‘a calm presence' which are 'short, practical essays about collapse acceptance, adaptation, response and art’. To subscribe (free of charge) see https://acalmpresence.substack.com. You'll also find a podcast version of each a calm presence posting on Substack or one your favorite podcast player.

Also, please note that a complete transcript of most conscient podcast and balado conscient episodes from season 1 to 5 is available on the web version of this site (not available on podcast apps) here: https://conscient-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes.

Your feedback is always welcome at claude@conscient.ca and/or on conscient podcast social media: Facebook, X, Instagram or Linkedin. 

I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. 

Claude Schryer

Latest update on November 6, 2024