Creatives and Art Professionals–Gain Essential Ecoliteracy in just 7 weeks

through the popular, self-paced, fully guided HAUMEA ECOLITERACY ONLINE course. Led by ecological (ecosocial) artist Dr. Cathy Fitzgerald (Ireland) along with ecophilosopher Dr. Nikos Patedakis (California) you will learn why ecoliteracy and ecophilosophy can assist arts practitioners and professionals in developing impactful: creative practices, exhibitions, events, community art programs, art courses, or help you deliver insightful cultural leadership policy for these urgent times. Each week participants will have access to video lessons that can be engaged independently. There will be weekly group meetings via Zoom for valuable peer learning and networking with other creative workers across the world.

Addressing an urgent new priority for the creative sector, this empowering introduction to ecological literacy – ecoliteracy –

is delivered as a supportive, SELF-PACED in-depth online course over a 7-week period. Guided by ecological artist Cathy Fitzgerald, Phd (Ireland) and philosopher Nikos Patedakis, Phd (California) with a small cohort (max. 20 participants) you can learn from home in your own time.

We are in the midst of a profound cultural catastrophe. We need to urgently foster an enormous paradigm shift to a life-sustaining and just culture. To do this, we need to learn to live well with the Earth and all its inhabitants - and we can contribute to this through informing our cultural practices and communications. Gaining confidence of expansive integrated concepts, words and practices from ecological philosophy and ethics, Indigenous worldviews, environmental science, sustainability policy and new ecosocial economics, and others' ecological creative practices– are crucial to overcome the misperception currently guiding modern culture toward disaster that humanity is separate from the wellbeing of the wider community of life.
Cathy Fitzgerald and Nikos Patedakis

WHY ARE ECOLOGICAL INSIGHTS CHALLENGING FOR THE CREATIVE SECTOR?

Ecoliteracy is a big topic! It encompasses ecologically expansive values and knowledge, not currently prioritised in the creative sector, but which are needed to help modern society toward sustainable and equitable living. Informed creativity can contribute to a more beautiful, just and sustainable culture. So, if you join the Haumea Essential Ecoliteracy course you can:

  • position your work in the creative sector at the forefront of this crucial cultural shift 

  • understand why and how new expansive words, concepts and practices from– ecological philosophy and ethics, ecological art practice, environmental science, sustainability policy and ecological economics–are vital to communicate and advance a life-sustaining culture and must be factored into everything we write, create and do

  • understand why ecoliteracy is essential for creative practitioners and why these urgent times invites all in the creative sector to consider creativity anew–as an expanded, ecosocial, co-authored adventure with human and nonhuman others, for enduring Earthly wellbeing

  • help you identify how the dominant culture has historically misperceived our place on Earth for so long; and why modern society's future lies in an alternative worldview, where society understands its future is ultimately connected  with healthy ecosystems

  • help you, when you may find yourself collaborating and co-creating with with others not in the artworld (scientists, environmental experts, teachers and local knowledge holders) and

  • consider how to give voice to the wider community of life

Who is this course for?

This course is for creative practitioners and art professionals who are seeking a comprehensive foundation in ecological knowledge for their work. The course

  • is suitable for workers in any creative field: visual arts, music, poetry and literature, filmmakers, community artists, social art practitioners, dance/bodyworkers, curators, art educators and administrators 

  • best suits mid-career creative workers who are looking to bring a deeper understanding of ecoliteracy into their work
    • experienced creative practitioners, art educators, community artists, those with degree and postgraduate art qualifications - we have had doctoral level arts practitioners who have benefitted from this course
    • please see the Haumea course testimonial page to gauge others' opinions of this course

Please note: this course is NOT for experienced ecological art practitioners who will already be familiar with introductory ecoliteracy course material.  

This course is also not a course about making an environmental-themed artwork, NOR is it a course that reviews others' ecoart work in depth.

Instead, the primary focus is to offer you accessible knowledge and resources to enable you to confidently frame and communicate your creative work in a ecological context that is relevant to your situation and place.

Course Details

Our instructors offer a diverse set of perspectives that will empower your understanding of creativity for these urgent times. We share ecological perspectives from leading voices in ecophilosophy and ethics, environmental science, economics and activism, and from the world's wisdom traditions. We introduce you to the UN Sustainability Development Goals and the Earth Charter and share why these matter in the creative sector too.

COURSE OUTLINE AND DATES: TBC

Duration: 7 weeks. Time Commitment: 2-6 hours/week. The Heart of the Course is joining in with others in Weekly Online Group Meetings on Date tbc. You are, however, also very welcome to take this course, without joining the weekly live meetings. When the course starts you will gain access to the WELCOME ORIENTATION MODULE. Each week a module is released on DATE tbc.

  • ZOOM MEETING DATES: We offer weekly Online Group Meetings (via ZOOM) on DATE TIME tbc: pm Irish / UK time as follows: Date tbc (WELCOME MEETING), Date tbc (WE DISCUSS MODULE 1); Date tbc (MODULE 2); Date tbc (MODULE 3); Date tbc (MODULE 4); Date tbc (MODULE 5); Date tbc (MODULE 6); Date tbc (WEEK 7: FINAL SHARING/FAREWELL MEETING)

  • – The first 'Getting to you know you' Live Group Meetings is at 7 pm Irish / UK time ON ZOOM.

  • MODULE 1 RELEASED: UNDERSTANDING 'THE BIG PICTURE' - WHY EVERYTHING HAS TO CHANGE AND WHY CREATIVITY CAN HELP (ZOOM MEETING FOR MODULE 1 IS ON Date tbc)

  • Date tbc – MODULE 2 RELEASED: PSYCHOSOCIAL & PHYSICAL SUPPORTS & PRACTICES (LEARN WAYS TO DEAL WITH OVERWHELM, AVOID BURNOUT AND MAINTAIN YOUR SENSE OF HUMOUR) (ZOOM MEETING FOR MODULE 2 IS ON Date tbc)

  • Date tbc – MODULE 3 RELEASED: NAVIGATING ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE WITH EASE, UNDERSTAND ANTHROPOCENE & SYMBIOCENE FRAMEWORKS, and WHY & HOW TO EMPLOY THE UN SDGs (ZOOM MEETING FOR MODULE 3 IS ON Date tbc)

  • Date tbc– MODULE 4 RELEASED: EXPANDED EARTH ETHICS – DEVELOP MORAL REASONING TO GUIDE YOUR WORK; UNDERSTAND THE EARTH CHARTER, & DEVELOPING ECOCIDE LAW (ZOOM MEETING FOR MODULE 4 IS ON Date tbc)Date tbc

  • THURS. MAY. 27 – MODULE 5 RELEASED: EXPLORING HOW OTHERS’ DEVELOP EXPANDED ECOLOGICAL ART PRACTISES (ZOOM MEETING FOR MODULE 5 IS ON Date tbc)

  • Date tbc– MODULE 6 RELEASED: BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER. APPLYING YOUR ECOLITERACY LEARNING TO TELL YOUR STORY (ZOOM MEETING FOR MODULE 6 IS ON Date tbc)

  • FINAL GROUP MEETING Date tbc. WEEK 7. A TIME TO SHARE WORK, REFLECT AND SAY FAREWELL

What people say

about learning with Cathy and Nikos

“I am quite amazed at how much I loved the Haumea course. I didn’t believe that an online course could have such an impact on my life and art. I felt like I landed in ‘my tribe’…ecosocial artists engaging with creativity and climate action with compassion, kindness and commitment. I loved the weekly sessions and looked forward to going through the amazing material Cathy sent us every week. I was so impressed at how she and Nikos engaged and gave feedback. I am so impressed with Cathy’s integrity, focus and commitment to this amazing planet, with which we live. I walk the land where we live with a renewed sense of purpose. I have just finished the course and miss it. I feel that Cathy and Nikos walk the talk and have so much to share. I am very grateful for the experience.”

Lisa Fingleton: artist, filmmaker, grower, Co. Kerry, Ireland

“The Haumea online ecoliteracy course provides participants with an essential toolkit to help them assemble a framework, within which to situate and develop their own eco-creative practices. Students are introduced to a wonderfully diverse range of perspectives, ranging from the philosophical to the psychological, from the sociological to the scientific, and how these distinct fields all intersect, impact and impinge upon current ecological concerns as well as exploring the ways in which they can help inform art practices. All this material, which may seem daunting at first, is presented in an easy-to-follow format, making it both accessible and engaging. Cathy is a compassionate and accomplished guide, leading her students through eco-literary forests of thought with both clarity and deftness. The weekly online discussions were also something to look forward to. They were hugely helpful and cordial, fostering a warm and intimate sense of community among the participants. It made the course much more participatory, engaging, and, most importantly, enjoyable. I have really missed these group discussions since completing the course. I heartily recommend this course to anyone interested in learning more about the relationships between art and ecology.”

Fearghal Duffy, writer, Ireland

“It is easy to recommend Cathy’s own work, and her education. Her knowledge on disparate topics, and her willingness to share this knowledge, are tremendous. Every participant brought something different: writers, artists, philosophers all shared their perspectives as part of the course. Cathy’s way is to connect the people and the ideas. Just as in her own art, where she is growing a forest, in her teaching she draws together the disparate roots, branches, leaves, seeds and flowers, leaving a healthy forest to flourish for itself. I am very grateful.”

Shane Finan - Visual Artist, Ireland

“In these crucial times in history, this innovative and artistic community is of profound importance. I experience the course to provide both scientific knowledge on the current shape and state of things, and creative inspiration, on how artistry can be used as a strong environmental voice. The course presents a very holistic approach to the processing and set of actions one can take, to help reshape the correlation between us and the natural world. So if you ever get the opportunity to participate in one of her courses, workshops or any kind of collaboration, simply soak up her passion and competence, and know, that you will be enriched!”

Katinka Igelberg - photographer, poet, writer, Sweden

“I had the pleasure and honour of participating in Cathy’s first 6-week Online Ecoliteracy course. I felt immersed in a process that was deeply informed and considered with a group that had a wealth of different experiences. I felt the learning environment was clearly held by Cathy’s inclusive, knowledgable and articulate approach alongside her collaborators. As a dance artist, I feel the course gives me clear guidance as to other areas, for example, science and ethics, that can inform how I articulate my work and its value. I now feel that I will be able to take informed action on climate and biodiversity issues in a way that relates to my values and creative practice. Thanks, Cathy!”

Siobhán Ní Dhuinnín - dance artist, Ireland

“The course opened up my practice to the huge potentials that exist outside the confining definitions of art world art practices. It gave me language and understanding of how to define what work I’d like to do through my practice. It gave me a concise network of information that would have taken me years to amass myself. When I realised that my ‘living life’ is really my art practice.. how to live well in these times and to share this. This thought has allowed me to totally reframe what I hope to do.”

Yvanna Greene: postgrad visual artist | researcher, Dublin

“Cathy is committed to environmental ideals and combines (unusually) a deep feeling for nature with a skilful ability to navigate contemporary digital platforms. Having viewed Cathy’s presentations on various occasions and in different forums, I have no hesitation in recommending her as an inspired and inspiring instructor. Particularly in these times when everything seems (by necessity) to be going digital, Cathy’s input is extremely important – given that, in the long term, environmental degradation is at least as concerning as the present pandemic, and may be intimately connected to it as a causal factor as well, due to (e.g.) agribusiness, factory farming, animal exploitation and, of course, deforestation. Cathy’s work offers a practical antidote to the threat posed by global warming, species extinction and the myriad other examples of humanity’s depredations on nature. I am delighted to see her work flourishing at this time when it is so greatly needed.”

Dr Paul O'Brien, Visual Culture, PhD Supervisor, NCAD, Ireland

FAQ's

answers to your questions below

  • How much time will this take?

    2-6 hours per week. A total of 7 weeks of content, connecting and sharing. It is a self-paced course – you can dive deep or skim the surface and still find great benefit. WEDNESDAYS (7 PM IRISH/UK TIME) are when the course instructors host the live group learning sessions. You will also get so much more out of the course by joining us for the weekly Live Group Meetings—that is when the learning will really come alive, and you will get a chance to meet new friends and colleagues who can expand the ecology of mind, bringing mutual insight and inspiration. We highly recommend setting aside a specific time each week, after new material becomes available each THURSDAY, to go through the weekly module lesson. The course material is also available to access for TWO monthS after the course ends.

  • What if I'm busy?

    You will be notified each week by email when next week's module lesson is available. You will have a week to view videos, read and listen to other resources and time to complete short and simple exercises. That means there is plenty of time to do your homework and to prepare yourself for the Live Group Meetings a week later! The course material is also available to access for TWO months after the course ends.

  • What do I need?

    An Internet connection, and a computer with a camera and audio to join the online (Zoom) meetings and to view the course video material. It is not advised to use a mobile phone to take this course. Also, your presence and commitment. You will gain more if you participate more. The group meetings, where we can listen and hear how others interpret the learnings, are the special magic sauce for appreciating the value of ecoliteracy. We tend to develop an ecology of mind among participants as we move through the weeks. Please note, 'The Essential Ecoliteracy' course can be taken without joining the weekly live Zoom meetings but the experience is somewhat reduced.

  • What technology platforms will we use?

    Each weekly module contains videos, reading resources, practices and occasional, optional written exercises. The weekly LIVE Group meeting will be done over Zoom. A supplementary private Soundcloud playlist complements each week's module for learning on the go. Topic sharing will happen in a private SLACK group that respects your data. A weekly email will sent to keep you up to speed. At the end of the course, you can submit a short piece of writing that incorporates some of the course ideas– either an artist's statement, ideas in process, creative writing etc., and receive written feedback from the course instructors.

  • What if the course doesn't suit me?

    Because we want you to be completely happy with your decision, we will let you test-drive and evaluate the Haumea Essential Ecoliteracy course for 14 days. Enroll today. If the course doesn’t suit, let us know before the 14 days are up and we'll return 100% of your money back—no questions asked (although because this is a unique course, we'd really love feedback).

  • Is remote learning good value?

    Our Haumea Online course tuition fees are much lower than what you would have to pay a traditional educational institute—if you could find such courses elsewhere. Our students have found this material to be both rare and valuable. As with any good educational experience, you will get tremendous benefit from our expertise. Education is not a matter of information exchange. From that more limited perspective, our courses contain a great deal of information that would require a lot of time and many headaches for you to gather alone. But, more than that, we offer experience—not only our experience of working with these ways of knowing, being, living, loving, and creating, but also our experience at fostering insight and inspiration. You will find our courses an empowering investment in yourself and your creative work.

  • I live in a different timezone - advice to join the weekly LIVE group meetings

    Check the time of the Live Group Meeting in your region– see worldtimebuddy.com. Please check to make sure the Live Group Meeting time will work for you, before you book!

Instructor(s)

Living in the home of her Irish ancestors, New Zealander Cathy Fitzgerald is a popular educator offering accessible ecoliteracy and values systems change training.

Pioneering doctoral ecological arts practice and research, Cathy is also an accredited ESD transformative learning Earth Charter educator and an alumnus of Earth Charter International which holds the UNESCO Chair for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

With her arts background and previous careers in research science and professional development, she is passionate about empowering adult learners for this urgent era of sustainable cultural renewal for personal, collective and planetary wellbeing.

dr cathy fitzgerald

ecological artist | educator | researcher and student of forests

Instructor(s)

Nikos is an experienced philosopher and educator whose transdisciplinary work arises at the intersection of Nature and Culture—the sciences, the arts, and the wisdom traditions (particularly the traditions of the Ancient Greek, Roman, and Hellenic periods, Eastern philosophy, and Indigenous traditions).

Nikos left academia to focus on helping professionals of all kinds learn to think the way nature works, by taking advantage of what he sees as the single greatest untapped cultural resource humanity has: The philosophical traditions of the world, and the storehouse of practical wisdom they contain for solving complex personal and global challenges. Nikos sees art as having a special relationship with philosophy. Both philosophy and art seek to see the world with fresh eyes and an awakened heart, and they seek to offer this insight and inspiration to the culture at large, for the benefit of all citizens and the broader community of life. To bring about a more just and thriving culture in the most direct and intelligent manner, we need to empower the arts by making philosophy as a way of life available to artists and to arts education. Nikos offers training to artists that transforms both their experience of life and their practice of creativity and art-making. Learn more about Nikos and his work at www.DangerousWisdom.org

dr nikos patedakis

US philosopher, mentor, artist and student of horses

Hear more from Haumea Ecoliteracy course founder and ecological artist Cathy Fitzgerald

Megan Best, of Dublin City FM's Green Room interviews Cathy Fitzgerald on Why ecoliteracy matters to the Irish Creative sector. Cathy talks about the challenges and rewards of her forest-focussed ecosocial art practice, that inspired her advocacy for new international law against ecocide crime and the Earth Charter and her founding the Haumea Online Ecoliteracy learning platform.


 “Do artists have the right kinds of tools to imagine new ways of living for the earth and its inhabitants?”  Luke Clancy, RTE Lyric FM Culture File, 11 November 2019.

Listen to an interview with Cathy Fitzgerald about her Haumea ecoliteracy course with writer and radio journalist Rachel Andrews, RTE Lyric FM.   


Read more about Cathy's ongoing ecosocial art practice, The Hollywood Forest Story (from 2008) here

 

The Haumea Essential Ecoliteracy course is a unique course developed from many years ecological art-led practice experience and research

A priority at Haumea Online is to give places to those who cannot easily access learning. Also, given the urgency of the ecological emergency, we are also interested in developing relationships with education and cultural institutions where our courses could be implemented in full. Ecoliteracy represents a momentous shift in education priorities and is still little understood - the Haumea curricula is a contribution to the creative sector to advance a life-sustaining cultural shift.

We care deeply about transformative learning through in-depth transdisciplinary and lifeworld experience. Please contact Cathy, if you are interested in this course for your education or cultural institution. The Haumea Essential Ecoliteracy course for Creatives and Art Professionals is registered to the Irish business Haumea Ecoliteracy Services for the Arts – founded by Cathy Fitzgerald, PhD, Dec. 2018

Haumea ecoliteracy course values are inspired by:

Haumea Online Scholarship Donation Fund

Do you want to support the arts? Help creatives in any art discipline become more wise and confident in engaging in the most pressing ecosocial issues of our time? We welcome donations to help creatives in need join our courses. A generous donation of €170 would mean one creative practitioner could take a course although any amount is welcomed. Thank you!



Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash