Announcing limited 1-to-1 Mentoring opportunities for mid-career creative and cultural professionals for all art fields, online or in-person, including art researchers and cultural policy-writers.
Since 2019, Haumea Ecoversity has evolved as an innovative and supportive independent artist-philosopher led ecoliteracy (ecological literacy ) provider for 250+ Irish and international creative and cultural professionals.
Why does the creative sector need ecoliteracy courses?
Initially, I was keen to develop comprehensive essential ecoliteracy courses as I knew this topic was largely absent in adult arts and humanities education in Ireland and abroad.
After an R & D phase in which I surveyed creative professionals about their key concerns, my philosopher collaborator Dr Nikos Patedakis and I developed the 7-week Essential Ecoliteracy course. This course provided an overview of ecological philosophy and the expanded thinking and integrated environmental and social values-based learning which is essential to cultivate an ecological worldview for systemic change. With both of us having a background in scientific thinking, we critiqued and shared ways to navigate environmental science and understand sustainability language and frameworks with more ease. For this immense cultural shift, I especially wanted our course participants to know key ecological thinkers as great resources for their continued learning and share best practice examples from the emergent ecological art practice field. It was also crucial, and a deeply felt responsibility that we offer our Essential Ecoliteracy, and our 2nd Earth Charter values courses with practices to maintain course participants’ wellbeing for this often confronting and overwhelming topic (this is in line with the UN aims of transformative learning in Education for Sustainability).
I have found the response to Haumea Ecoversity courses beyond my expectations. There is such a great hunger for those in the creative sector to come together, to learn, share and support each other when we are witnessing accelerating ecological breakdown and mounting social injustices across the world.
Ecoliteracy is a lifelong endeavour for all of us in dominant culture
As I tell all of our course participants, even though our courses are comprehensive, we cannot overcome our profound eco illiteracy, the human-centeredness of our thinking and actions in just 7 weeks. We are all facing an enormous cultural shift and require much practice in new ecological values and language to overcome how over millennia the dominant culture has prioritised human privilege above the wellbeing of the wider Earth community. Ecoliteracy, as our learners come to appreciate, is especially difficult to maintain when the narratives of growth , convenience and individualism dominates so much of our media, politics, economics and culture, and especially when peer networks, as yet, are few.
Mentoring: one-to-one tailored ecoliteracy support
In the last 18 months, I’ve noticed past Haumea Ecoversity learners contacting me for private 1-to-1 mentoring. Some past course participants also took the initiative to include follow-on mentoring with me in their art grant applications.
Previously, I have suggested to newcomers to the topic, that people will save money, if they do one of our comprehensive introductory courses first. Group learning has incredible benefits too: our learning is always faster and deeper. Course participants can connect with like minded peers who can support each other over the long term. Doing our courses, you can get to know if my teaching style suits you too.
Arranging Mentoring with Cathy Fitzgerald
As more creative people develop ecoliteracy and as I particularly enjoy mentoring, I am now announcing that I’m available for limited private 1-to-1 mentoring, depending on my availability.
I’ve added more details and testimonials on the Haumea Ecoversity Mentoring page and a sliding fee scale for people with different means.
If you or someone you know might be interested, please click the button below.
On this page you can read testimonials and also book a FREE 15 min chat to discuss your needs with me.
Haumea Ecoversity Mentoring is for:
emergent and mid-career creative and cultural professionals who have developed a body of creative work and are self-motivated and keen to new absorb new ideas, concepts and practices or for those who require expert advice on sustainability developments for the creative sector.
I am also very happy to advise people new to applying ecological insights for their art education theses and research, from undergraduate to doctoral and post-doctoral levels.
Hello! Kia Ora! My name
is Cathy Fitzgerald.
I’m a New
Zealander, living in rural
Ireland, the home of my ancestors, these past 25 years. Since 2019, I have offered ecoliteracy training to 250+ creative professionals in Ireland and internationally.
“In these urgent times, I’m passionate
about bringing ecoliteracy including
new ecological thinking, values,
language and head-heart-body
practices in empowering
transformative learning
to the creative and wider cultural
sector. Creative and cultural sector
professionals have a crucial
leadership role if informed and
supported. They can employ their
social inclusivity and creativity skills
to inspire diverse communities to
envision and embrace new
understandings, values and actions
for a more beautiful and just world.
Dr Cathy Fitzgerald
Ecological artist for the ongoing Hollywood Forest Story (begun 2008), Advisor for Creative Drummin Carlow Bog project, Accredited ESD* Earth Charter educator | researcher | advisor & mentor.
In 2022, Cathy was nominated by Earth Charter International, UNESCO Chair for ESD as Earth Charter Focal Point Communicator for Ireland.
*ESD is the UN-mandated shift in global formal and lifelong learning toward Education for Sustainable Development
