Introducing our new Anthropocene podcast

Love podcasts? Us, too! Our new exhibition, Anthropocene, sparks a lot of interesting conversations about how humans are changing the planet. That’s why we recently launched Into the Anthropocene: Our Impact on Earth – a seven-episode podcast series where art and science collide. (Download it now from our website, Apple Podcasts, Google Play or wherever you subscribe to podcasts.)

With a new episode released each Tuesday, the series features an exciting line-up of scientists, writers, artists, poets, professors and activists who will tackle critical topics around the significant impact humans are having on the Earth. The podcast, conceived by AGO Interpretive Planners Shiralee Hudson Hill and Nadia Abraham, highlights Indigenous, Canadian and international perspectives on climate change, geoscience, decolonization, biodiversity, and more.

“The podcast is a fantastic way to take visitors deeper into the many conversations surrounding the Anthropocene,” says Shiralee.

“We’ll be talking to guests from around the world, covering everything from geological time to cities as potential sites of positive change,” adds Nadia. The podcast is produced by Shiralee and Nadia, along with the AGO’s media producer, Matthew Scott.

In episode one of the series, you’ll hear from the world-renowned artists behind the exhibition – photographer Edward Burtynsky and filmmakers Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier.

Podcast host Sarain Fox, an Anishinaabe dancer, activist and storyteller, sat down with the artists to talk about their work and explore questions like: how did Edward, Jennifer and Nicholas come to work together and forge their long-term artistic collaboration? For Anthropocene, they travelled to 47 locations in 20 countries on six continents. What big moments stayed with them? What unique challenges did they face? What steps are they taking to reduce their carbon footprint? Listen in to find out what they had to say.

We’ve also released a bonus episode, where we turn the tables and interview the podcast host, Sarain Fox. We ask Sarain about growing up in Barrie, Ont., drawing inspiration from the events at Oka, leaving New York City to join the Idle No More protests and taking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on a tour to experience daily life in Shoal Lake 40 – an isolated First Nations reserve under a boil-water advisory for nearly 20 years.

Check out the exhibition that inspired the podcast. Timed-entry tickets for the Anthropocene exhibition are available now at AGO.ca, in person and by phone.

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast. Download it now from our website, Apple Podcasts, Google Play or wherever you subscribe to podcasts.

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