On day 8 of the Festival we were joined by Alexandra Strelcova (Sash) from https://www.haenke.cz/ – she spoke about her collaborations that work to raise awareness of biodiversity for medicine and    health of people and    the planet. She spoke about the complexity of developing relationships that were respectful of all involved, including plants and    the planet, and    how her work included public space art installations, forums for debate, workshops, education and    combined traditional plant knowledge with evidence-based research and    innovation. The work she and    her partner Julian do in using arts, design and    creative expression as a way of interpreting and    communicating complex messages and    as a vehicle for social change is incredibly impressive.

Sash gave insight in to the fragility of their business model, and   how they continuously reviewed whether their business model met their values and worked to find a way in their cultural context to ensure a thriving and    anti-fragile model.

Guy Baron – Semiprecious – spoke of his work in founding a record label and    creating his own music. He talked of his aesthetic of the work having a “bedroom production” feel, and that this together with his collaborators’ in the label Squareglass values and    aesthetic led to the business model for the label. One focus for their label was how to create supportive opportunities for artists who were either marginalised because of their approach to music or their protected characteristics. Finding ways to support artists in a sector that is often brutal and    pushes artists is rare. Guy spoke about how he had worked to find his place in performance, collaborating with museums and    Queer artists to create the best space for his live work.

Both of the talks gave insights in to interdisciplinary work, and    how to look for new opportunities rather than be nostalgic for a past that perhaps didn’t exist.