Activism & Visual Testimony - Talk + Q&A with Elven Villecourt

✨ Part of KINDFIRE , the eco-artivist exhibition by GREENy bastARTs during London Climate Action Week 2026.

Join us for a thought-provoking talk and Q&A exploring animal ethics, hidden violence, environmental contamination, and the role of visual testimony in activism.

In this session, Elven Villecourt and CPWF UK reflect on witnessing the Grindadráp in the Faroe Islands, the controversial killing of dolphins and whales that continues today as part of a defended cultural tradition.

Rather than approaching the subject as something distant or isolated, the talk uses the Grindadráp as a mirror to examine broader questions about Europe’s relationship with animals, normalized violence, tradition, and selective moral outrage.

During the talk, we will explore:
🌍 Why some forms of animal suffering provoke shock while others remain socially accepted
🩸 The connections between the Grindadráp and industrialized animal slaughter often hidden from public view
📸 The role of witnessing, imagery, and visual testimony within activism
☣️ Ocean contamination, mercury, and industrial pollution affecting marine ecosystems
❓ Questions of identity, tradition, science, and cultural resistance in the face of environmental realities

The session invites audiences into a deeper reflection on visibility, empathy, ecological collapse, and the stories societies choose to confront or ignore.

The talk will be followed by an audience Q&A and open discussion.

👤 ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Elven Villecourt is the Head of Media for Captain Paul Watson Foundation UK, where he documents and helps amplify urgent environmental and animal protection campaigns around the world.

Through photography, film, and visual storytelling, his work focuses on bearing witness, exposing injustice, and transforming stories into public awareness and action. His experiences alongside activists, scientists, and frontline conservation movements eventually led him to found BIUTOPIC and create Hydronaute , a solar-electric boat laboratory exploring ecological navigation, citizen science, and environmental education.

Self-taught and multidisciplinary in his approach, Elven’s work combines activism, media, experimentation, and ecological storytelling, driven by a belief that creative practice can become a powerful tool for systemic change.

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🔥 ABOUT KINDFIRE

KINDFIRE is a 10-day eco-artivist exhibition and public programme created by GREENy bastARTs as part of London Climate Action Week 2026.

Positioned as an independent artistic hub for climate dialogue and collective action, KINDFIRE brings together artists, activists, researchers, filmmakers, designers, and communities through exhibitions, workshops, talks, screenings, performances, and participatory events.

🗓️ 18–28 June 2026
📍 The Building Centre
🕘 Mon–Fri • 9am–5pm
🎉 Preview Night: 18 June • 5–8pm
🌿 Finissage: 28 June • 4–6pm

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📸 CONTENT NOTICE
Photos and videos may be taken during the event for documentation and communication purposes.

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