Green Academy Seminar Series – Episode 8: What can culture do for nature conservation?

🌱After seven online events, we held our first in-person Green Academy at the Interpret Europe 2026 conference! As always, the host was ecologist, philosopher, and writer Philipp P. Thapa, who spoke with two local experts: Cristina Veiga-Pires, executive director of the Centro Ciência Viva do Algarve, and Gonçalo Ferreira de Carvalho, Executive Coordinator at Sciaena , our partner in #TheBigGreen project and host of the conference.

🌱Sciaena is a Portuguese non-governmental organisation working to promote a healthy marine environment through sustainable practices, public engagement, and political intervention. Yet alongside scientific advocacy and policy work Sciaena has increasingly turned to arts and culture as tools for advancing their cause — from community events to international creative collaborations.

🌱Drawing on conversations with the team and their involvement in projects like The Big Green, we reflect on what the arts can offer that science communication alone cannot: emotional connection, broadened imagination, and active social engagement.

🌱This session is part of the Green Academy, Pro Progressione’s learning programme offering an open platform for the cultural and creative sectors to engage with sustainability and critical environmental issue.

🌱Philipp P. Thapa is an ecologist, philosopher, and writer who is training to become a heritage interpreter. As a researcher with the Sustainable Europe Research Institute SERI Germany under the The Big Green, he currently focuses on understanding the relationship between arts, culture, and sustainable development.

🌱The Green Academies are organized by Pro Progressione in collaboration with the Sustainable Europe Research Institute (SERI.de) in Germany and co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the EU.

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🌱About Green Academy🌱

Pro Progressione’s Green Pillar emphasizes the integration of artistic practices with the more-than-human environment. We lead and collaborate on various projects, focusing on sustainability and connecting artists with critical environmental issues.
Although these events are directly linked to projects such as The Big Green, we aim to provide an open platform for the cultural and creative sectors, inviting our partners to join the Academy. Following our 2024 pilot phase, we plan to organize five more lectures next year. These events are open to registered participants and offer not only learning experiences but also the opportunity to form a community of professionals dedicated to environmentally conscious art.

You can read more about the Green Academy here: www.proprogressione.com/en/projects/green-academy

The Big Green project behind Green Academy is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.