Cultural Compost: Nourishing Places in the Footprints of Toxic History

From the water that we drink to the air that we breathe, we all have experience with the legacies of environmental damage. This hands-on workshop will help you develop personal stories related to places of environmental harm and then use those stories to nourish the ongoing work of environmental justice.

Community members are invited to share stories of experience with environmental damage (including social and physical harm from industrial waste, climate change, pollution, etc.) and then transform those stories into deeper knowledge, empathy, and tools for change. The goal of this workshop is to increase awareness of both common threats and ongoing efforts to create a healthier city, as well as to gather stories from diverse perspectives that will be included in a forthcoming exhibit hosted at Indy Parks sites in 2024. The stories shared and refined during this workshop will add to a broader understanding (and study) of the city’s toxic heritage and will help ensure that lived experience is part of how we document the history and legacy of toxic environments. Out of decay can come new, nourishing life. This workshop plows the contaminated soil of the city to grow new understanding and empathy, and to motivate people to act for a cleaner, healthier, sustainable, and more just future.