What happens when art meets activism? Can creativity truly change the world? These questions are all part of our conversation with Yana Buhrer Tavanier, co-founder and executive director of Fine Acts—a groundbreaking global nonprofit creative studio for social impact.
Yana's remarkable journey begins with frustration. Despite a decade as an award-winning investigative journalist exposing human rights abuses across Eastern Europe, she felt powerless to create meaningful change. This led her to activism, where she discovered that traditional advocacy methods weren't engaging the public effectively.
We hear about how Fine Acts has evolved into a creative powerhouse commissioning hundreds of artists annually. Their flagship initiative, The Greats, now stands as the world's largest platform for free, adaptable social impact artwork, featuring contributions from over 2,600 artists.
What makes Jana's approach truly revolutionary is its scientific foundation. Drawing from behavioral science and neuroscience research, Fine Acts designs its creative work around a crucial insight: while many campaigns rely on fear, guilt, or sadness, these emotions often cause audience shutdown. Instead, they focus on hope as the most powerful catalyst for engagement—whether through humour, joy, or providing actionable solutions.
Listen now to discover how creativity, hope, and play can transform how we approach our world's most pressing challenges—and perhaps find your own inspiration to join the movement of creative activists making real change happen.
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