AIR Retreat in Zsennye, Hungary 2023

The Big Green partners participated from October 2 to 6 2024 in a creative retreat alongside selected artists, to get to know one another, and attend lectures by several scientists and representatives of the creative industries on climate and environmental topics.

A creative camp, or retreat, is an event equivalent to the annual meetings of partners in international projects. This time, instead of the usual partner meetings, participants focused their efforts during the project on exploring possible forms of coexistence in a multifaceted way, with the help of scientists and artists. Key aspects of this creative camp included limited access to communication networks, overnight stays in sparsely populated areas, and extended time spent in nature together with the other project partners and artists.

During the creative camp, German philosopher Philipp Thappa gave a lecture on the interaction between humans and nature, while Andrea Samu, a Hungarian expert from the World Wildlife Fund, spoke about the rapid decline of species—primarily insects—in Europe. Sciaena team presented on the trend of ocean environmental degradation and its risks worldwide, while Hungarian scientist András Gelencsér gave a lecture on climate change over the past five years and possible solutions. In addition to these events, there were lectures and discussions by several other experts and project partners.

During the rest of the time, the creative camp participants had the opportunity to discuss what they had heard, share their observations and concerns regarding these issues, and plan the next steps for the project. In 2024, the creative camp will take place in Latvia where local scientists and experts can introduce guests to Latvia’s unique context, natural features, and the latest scientific research.