Since Fall 2022, I have partnered with Alberta Ecotrust as part of my artist residency at the Trico Changemakers Studio, Mount Royal University and the International Center of Arts for Social Change (ICASC) to support their work on energy affordability with Kambo Foundation. I bring in arts-based dialogues through deep listening practices.
In the summer of 2023, we conducted our first successful series of workshops. Helen Corbett from All One Sky wrote to Alberta Ecotrust remarking:
"I was amazed by the series of workshops with Shumaila Hemani. In my 22 years working in the climate field, I have never had the opportunity to combine my background in film/photography/art with climate change. This work Shumaila is doing is incredibly innovative and I think it touched a deep yearning among the participants (three of us!) to seek equity and justice in this world in which we are immersed. This work has so much potential (imagining a sound lab at the Banff Centre) by welcoming the voices and sounds from people marginalized by energy poverty."
The workshops were documented for the Canadian New Music Network's PCM Hub and are available here: https://www.newmusicnetwork.ca/pcm-hub/project-search/
In the Fall of 2023, the Arts for Social Change HUB supported by Calgary Arts Development (CADA) hosted its Annual Congress on Arts for Social Change. Many past artists from the Trico Changemakers Residency presented their work. Amongst them, the work of Skye Louis to create deck cards on Arts for Social Change was highlighted. These deck cards also feature the project on energy affordability and my innovative use of deep listening to bring about a systemic change.