Ep 5 - My Year as an Activist by Olivia Sweeney - The Art of Resistance Podcast Series produced by Miranda Rae - Sound Women SW aka Sound Women Bristol CIC
Olivia Sweeney is a lifetime environmentalist and a former Black and Green Ambassador. As part of this, she and two other ambassadors were invited to share the outcomes of their work in the Blue Zone at COP 26.
Olivia was named one of the Top 100 most Influential Women in Engineering by FT in 2019 and one of Rife M...
Ep 5 - My Year as an Activist by Olivia Sweeney - The Art of Resistance Podcast Series produced by Miranda Rae - Sound Women SW aka Sound Women Bristol CIC
Olivia Sweeney is a lifetime environmentalist and a former Black and Green Ambassador. As part of this, she and two other ambassadors were invited to share the outcomes of their work in the Blue Zone at COP 26.
Olivia was named one of the Top 100 most Influential Women in Engineering by FT in 2019 and one of Rife Magazine’s 30 under 30 in 2022. She is an advocate for equity and justice in all forms.
Olivia is a relatively new Bristolian having moved to the city in March 2020, and though it has been a very strange time to move to a new city.
She has always been interested and passionate about ‘sustainability’ or being ‘green’.
Olivia says: “Only as I have grown up have I felt comfortable and confident challenging and discussing the role which race plays in all things, but specifically climate change and justice. I am passionate about equity in all forms, working with the Royal Academy of Engineering to increase diversity in the Engineering sector.
As an engineer, I am excited to be part of building a better future for everyone, and I know the value in using science and data to drive for change. But I also know the importance of humanity and stories, giving space to all voices.
Beyond that you might find me attempting to grow my own vegetables, being as close to or in bodies of water as much as possible, cycling slowly up a hill, enjoying some music or too many sweet treats, getting annoyed with people for just saying and not doing, or being amazed by all the people in Bristol and beyond doing so much more than me to make changes that are better for people and planet.”
Olivia jumped on the course to replace a drop out and we suggested that she share her incredible experience as a year as Black & Green Ambassador. The Black & Green Project is about connecting, empowering and celebrating diverse leadership and community action on environmental issues in Bristol and beyond; challenging perceptions, creating new opportunities and working towards ensuring the environmental movement is inclusive and representative of all communities.
Before this Olivia had never thought of herself as an activist and has understood the stereotypes around being an activist but she explains why she does now see herself as an activist.
Olivia says: “Being an activist is about being truthful, being honest and imagining a different future and putting community first and working for radical change in the environment and climate change. Imagining and acting to make a different world. Trying to influence systematic change”.
This podcast features music by EKT01 and used with his permission.
Please note that all the music featured throughout the series has been made by the people featured in the podcasts and with the full permission to use.
The toppling of the Colston statue has put Bristol under the global spotlight.
This, along with the wider Black Lives Matter movement, has led to an outpouring of creative responses - from poetry, to illustration to performance. But this is by no means a new occurrence in Bristol, which has been a city noted of radical art and activism for decades.
Capturing that spirit, The Trinity Centre in Bristol launched the Art of Resistance project which included the Art of Resistance free Intergenerational podcast course to learn how to capture oral histories and tell the stories of creative activism in Bristol. This project was produced by leading community journalist, broadcaster & producer Miranda Rae from Sound Women SW. The free course was aimed at participants of all ages and interest in activism. The successful applicants have received as much group and 1:1 training from Miranda that they needed to enable them to produce their own podcasts, we are proud to announce the launch of the series made by the 9 successful applicants.
Most of the participants discovered that there are so many people battling injustices and fighting against social injustices and yet so often don’t see themselves as an activist.
The series was about exploring 100 years of social activism, protest and civil disobedience in Bristol and the art that underpinned each movement.
We researched and documented just some of the lived stories of inner-city Bristolians and, explored the city's history of grass-roots artistic, community and cultural movements.
About: Miranda Rae
Miranda is currently the Station Manager at Ujima Radio in Bristol and founder of the support and media group Sound Women South West aka Sound Women Bristol CIC.
Miranda is a full-time multi award winning podcast & radio producer and also teaches people of all ages in a variety of radio/podcast & media skills.
About: Sound Women SW aka Sound Women Bristol CIC
The mission of Sound Women SW is to address the lack of gender and racial diversity in the media, radio and audio industries, to provide a safe space for women and girls of all ages to learn. Our key mission is to empower and create confidence and addressing some of the many barriers that we, the founders have faced. Sound Women is about giving a voice to the voiceless and reaching out to marginalised groups particularly from the global majority communities providing a safe space for women to learn and thrive as well as providing training for the private and third sector. Sound Women SW aka Sound Women Bristol CIC is committed to empowering women of all ages and giving a voice to the voiceless.
For information:
https://soundwomensw.com/
