Image: Dvora - https://www.dvora.photography/ Grass Coat: Ackroyd & Harvey
Zena has been involved in climate and environmental awareness raising since 2016.
Her poetic advocacy work includes climate and environmental awareness, sustainability, well being and regeneration. Her writing and performance pedagogy is rooted in identifying the connection to the Earth, the body, human resilience and the imagination which greatly informs her mentorship practice.
Nature Persists her most recent inititiative which uses creativity and somatic principles to view the body as an intelligent vessel that can hold the duality of nature and the man-made environment, and find a wholistic balance of comfort and well being between the two.
Examples of Climate and Environmental Curatorial and Facilitator Collaborations Poetry and Spoken Word Commissions and Contributions
Weather Fronts Realistic Utopias - A collection of poems and stories by writers responding personally and creatively to the scientific and emotional realities of climate change - Cambria Books, Llandeilo, Wales, United Kingdom.
Director of Climate of Fear for the Flying Solo Festival 2017 with Contact Young Creatives 2017
Collaborator with May Project Gardens 2016 - 2018: an award-winning, London-based grassroots organisation who value of our relationship to the earths wisdom. They provide practical, affordable, and collective solutions for people to live sustainably nature, food and creative arts.
Lead artist for the launch procession in London for the Culture Declares Emergency with artistic direction by Ackroyd & Harvey, Lucy Neal 2019
Colour Green Podcast The Colour Green is a new podcast from Julie’s Bicycle exploring the links between climate change, race, nature and social justice from the perspectives of people of colour in the UK.
“Building an Inclusive Movement” - Keynote Speechfor Arts Admin and Julies Bicycle ‘Season for Ex-change’ An 8-week programme in April – June 2021 of free online events for artists, arts organisations, cultural practitioners, producers, curators and anyone who wants to learn about, share knowledge or get ideas and inspiration on embedding climate action and climate justice in their artistic and creative work.
Culture Declares Emergency - Guest speaker The Offer:Reimagining the City 2 2020 - an online cultural response to the climate and ecological emergency.
Judging panelist for the the Tune Into Nature Music 2021 originated by Professor Miles Richardson from the Nature Connectedness Research Group at the University of Derby and supported by Selfridges, Tileyard London and Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
Artistic Director for Apples and Snakes Music and Spoken Word Show Cece’s Speakeasy 2021.
Hot Poets - Commissioned poem Mothers of the Forest Paired with the charity Word Forest and Tracy and Simon West to acclimatise themselves to the field of funding for environmental work to support tree nurseries and tree planting and for the education and entrepreneurship of women and girls in Kenya. Zena is now a Patron of Word Forest.
Culture: The Missing Link - Julie's Bicycle Conference and Discussion Seminar at COP26 2022 as poet in residence
"Mosi’s Mothers" - a Poem included in Wilder Journeys - Environmental writer Laurie King and internationally bestselling author Miriam Lancewood a collection of narrative non-fiction stories and poems on the human connection with nature. Watkins Publishing
Arvon at Home Series 2023 - Eco-Poetry Masterclass From The Pastoral To Dystopia And Back Again
~Z~