Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • Meet the TikTok stars using viral videos to save the planet

    The growing account known as “EcoTok” on the social media app TikTok is working to expose more people to data about the climate crisis and tackle scientific misinformation. With more than 80,000 followers and 1.2 million likes, the account features short videos with scientists, students, and activists highlighting ways that young people can be more sustainable. Their ability to engage people in environmental and scientific issues has led to partnerships with TED Countdown and the UN Environment Programme.

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  • They lost their brothers to addiction. Now they're tackling deadly stigmas head on, with humor

    Two women who lost their brothers to heroin overdoses launched the podcast "Last Day" to address death – by drugs and, in season two, by suicide – with a mix of humor, unsettling candor, and conventional-wisdom-busting storytelling. At first a modest startup, their production company now employs 17, topped the podcast charts with almost 4 million downloads, and has rolled out other programs on such topics as body image, bullying, the pandemic, policing, and loneliness. Many of the topics were proposed by listeners to "Last Day," who wanted their problems or questions to get the same treatment.

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  • Crazy Mascots Flooded Japan. Can This Grouchy Boar Survive?

    Kumamon, a black bear with rosy cheeks, is a mascot for a Japanese town who helped sell millions in merchandise, drive up tourism, and increase tax revenue because citizens can direct some of their income taxes to the locality of their choice. As a result, hundreds of towns rushed to create mascots to cash in on the approach to enticing visitors and investment. Towns spent a lot of money on these oftentimes whacky characters, however there has been no evidence that the vast majority of characters deliver any economic benefits, and therefore most are quietly being discontinued.

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  • Rome's ‘invisible' immigrants offer an alternative view of the Eternal City

    Guide Invisibili is an audio storytelling initiative by Laboratorio 53 that increases understanding of Rome’s refugee and immigrant communities. 40 young people, who left their home countries due to conflicts and instability, record their perceptions of the city and point out similarities between life in their home cities and Rome. The free audio tours include moderated discussions with the storytellers and are opportunities to break down barriers, especially with anti-immigrant sentiments and racially motivated attacks increasing. Despite not being well known, 2,500 people have participated.

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  • Rewriting the narrative

    At the Motus Theater, formerly incarcerated individuals participate in JustUs – a performative program that gives them the space to share their stories. The Boulder-based program aims to complicate the narrative of those that commit crimes, surfacing the systemic, punitive nature of criminal justice. For those that participate, it provides them a literal platform to share their pain, trauma, and growth.

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  • Art, theatre and clowns: creative cures for dementia

    Connecting with art enriches the lives of patients struggling with dementia and Alzheimers. Across Germany, several programs are using art to stimulate the minds of an aging population. At the Lehmbruck Museum in Duisburg, seniors meet to discuss art pieces that affect them. Elsewhere, in Bonn, the Demezionen theater ensemble performs for retirement homes. And even clowns can bring a positive atmosphere to seniors struggling with dementia!

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  • Art Helps Returning Citizens ‘Cross the Threshold'

    Performance art provides a healing outlet for formerly incarcerated individuals. In New York City, the Ritual4Return program encourages participants to express the transition in their lives through art. Using an artistic expression helps individuals cope with the experience of incarceration and encourages them to reflect on crossing the threshold into the next stage of life. The program operates with the support of grants from universities, foundations, and private donations through a Kickstarter campaign.

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  • How to Save a Dying Language

    Experiential and immersive learning preserves indigenous cultures and languages. After nearly being lost by the mid-twentieth century, the Hawaiian language has seen a resurgence thanks to the culture-based educational methods promoted by Pūana Leo preschools. The Pūana Leo schools, along with other K-12 immersive programs incorporate Hawaiian mo’olelo story-telling techniques that infuse cultural identity into education.

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  • The Art of Surviving

    Producing art restores dignity and a sense of purpose to victims of violence who suffer from disability and chronic pain. In New York City, the Open Doors collective empowers patients at hospitals like the Coler Specialty Health Center on Roosevelt Island, encouraging them too engage in community theater, poetry, music, graphic design, and other projects. The approach of contemplative care aims to help the shooting survivors cope with their pain through artistic expression.

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  • Poetic justice: The creative space offering new hope to Johannesburg youth

    Creative expression builds community and helps promote mental wellbeing. In Johannesburg, South Africa, 94 Colours, part of the Maker’s Valley Partnership, focuses on community wellbeing by empowering youth through its World of Words poetry sessions. With the support of a British Council DICE Collaboration Grant, the arts collective leverages partnerships and encourages resilience among its members.

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