GoodGeist
A podcast on sustainability, hosted by Damla Özlüer and Steve Connor, brought to you by the DNS Network. Looking at sustainability issues, communications, and featuring global guests from a wide variety of sectors such as business, NGOs and government.
GoodGeist
Playtivism for Good, with Yana Buhrer Tavanier
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.
Follow GoodGeist for more episodes on sustainability, communications and how creativity can help make the world a better place.
Good Geist, a podcast series on sustainability hosted by Damla Özler and Steve Connor, brought to you by the DNS Network.
Speaker 2:Hello, hello everyone, you are listening to Good Guys, the message on sustainability which is brought to you by the DNS Network, the global network of agencies dedicated to making the world a better place. This is Damla from Mira Agency, istanbul, and.
Speaker 3:This is Steve from Creative Concern in Manchester. This podcast series explores global sustainability issues, how they're communicated and what creativity can do to make positive change happen.
Speaker 2:So in this episode, I think we're going to really really answer this question, Steve, because we're going to talk to Yana Burart-Avaniye, who is the co-founder and executive director of Fine Acts, a global non-profit creative studio for social impact. As a creative activist and social entrepreneur with a background in investigative journalism, she explores human rights innovation at the intersections of activism, art, tech and behavioral science. Goodness me, Yana, brace yourself. I'm going to carry on.
Speaker 3:There's more behavioral science. Goodness me, jana, brace yourself, I'm going to carry on. There's more. She's a co-founder of timeheroesorg, largest volunteer platform in Bulgaria. We can get into that. You have a BA in communication, ma in political science from Sophia University, along with executive education at Harvard, yale, oxford University and NTU, singapore, blimey. You've been everywhere Head, senior fellow, fulbright Scholar, wuf Young Global Leader, fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts and named one of 50 people who will change the world in Wired. Jana, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to Danla and myself.
Speaker 4:Thank you so much for having me, Danla. It's an absolute joy to be here.
Speaker 2:It's great to have you with us today, Jana. Let's start with your own journey from investigative journalism to creative activism. How did this happen?
Speaker 4:Well, it's a long story and I know that we have kind of half an hour, so I'll give you some highlights. So I used to be an investigative journalist specifically covering human rights issues for over 10 years, and I can give you an example of one of the topics that was a focus of mine, which was the situation in institutions for people with intellectual and mental health disabilities across Eastern Europe. So I would go to these places undercover and I would report on the inhuman and degrading treatment that was happening there. But my main goal would be not just to report but to close down these places. And for all these years I think I've been to over 50 institutions across five countries I was able to close down just one, and even though I got all the awards and all the pats on the back from colleagues, I was able to close down just one. And even though I got, you know, all the awards and all the pats on the back from colleagues, I felt like a complete and total and utter failure. And this sense of frustration led me to activism, because I really wanted to be able to drive meaningful change in the way that I saw meaningful change looking like.
Speaker 4:But when I moved to activism. I was invited to establish the Campaigns and Communications Department of the leading human rights nonprofit in Bulgaria back then. This was 2009. I was not anticipating to see that actually activism was still being done with tools and tactics that were very much belonging to the past, like press conferences and reports and heavy worded statements, but really stuff that was very important, very crucial, but also incredibly boring and the way that I didn't know also like moving from journalism to activism to campaigning. Back then only I had zero idea how to do this work. What I did was to buy a bunch of books from Amazon and kind of like start my journey there, but some of these books talked about collaboration and I decided to start experimenting with people from different fields and I won't be able to give all the details of this one first campaign that I did, but basically I was able to collaborate with an artist around the situation of institutions for, specifically, kids in Bulgaria 25 institutions where we uncovered evidence of 238 kids who died from malnutrition, from abuse, from cold.
Speaker 4:And this artist I collaborated with named Tasek Koleva.
Speaker 4:I just briefed her and she delivered such an incredible, outstanding, graphic, a visualization, but at the same time very subversive, and this is something that really wrapped people by the throat.
Speaker 4:We put it on these kind of free cards that were very popular in different establishments like restaurants and movie cinemas and so on, and the graphic looked very cute from afar like a cute children's drawing, but when you put it in your hands you actually understand that this is a visualization of what is going on in children's institutions, and it was an invitation for people to just put a stamp and mail this to the Council of Ministers, and thousands of people did that, and actually this was a part of a much larger campaign that in the end closed down all 25 institutions in the country. So this is my first actual steps in campaigning, but also these were my first moments of understanding what a powerful thing collaborating with others is and specifically collaborating with artists is, as art really has this incredible capacity to translate very complex issues into a language that makes people understand and compels them to care and to act so, yeah, no, that's quite genuine, and obviously I think we've.
Speaker 3:Oh, you, I have to say you're amongst friends here because we've all felt the urge to make real change happen using creativity. That's what we're all about, so it's wonderful that we've connected. So tell us more about finance and so this global, groundbreaking, non-profit creative studio for social impact. Um, what does your work look like? How does it work?
Speaker 4:thank you so much for calling it groundbreaking. Um we, um. I don't think that we do very meaningful work, um, but it. It was born out of my willingness to kind of uh, bring other activists from around the world in this incredible, you know, knowledge and experience of collaborating with artists. I really wanted to make others understand the power of collaboration with artists and what this can mean to our human rights campaigns. And initially, back in the day, finax was established as an informal group in 2014 and as a formal organization from 2015. But at the very start, we kind of had this very simple idea of a matchmaking organization that would match artists and activists to collaborate on different projects.
Speaker 4:And right now our work has grown immensely and we work into kind of very separate silos, pillars. On the one hand, we work on producing, so we produce different creative campaigns and art actions that either raise awareness or trigger action specifically on human rights and environmental issues. We work around the world and we also work on a variety of creative mediums, so from public art interventions to videos like installations, books, board games and so on and so forth. So this is one. So production of different creative campaigns, either by us or in collaboration with partner organization is one part of our work, but the other one is um capacity building. So we actually work to support and empower organizations again from across the globe, either through tailored trainings, um consulting, open resources, bespoke creative work all that and to give you a sense of scope, each year we commission between 200 and 300 creatives on the different art and creative activations that we do. And yeah, that's pretty much what Fine Acts is all about.
Speaker 2:Well, I'm going to go to another big project of Fine Acts, but I also want to share with our listeners that there is a great, great board game you have created Dictators, Steve Crush, democracy one card at a time. So it's a board game that puts players in the shoes of a dictator so they get to really grasp the tools and tactics of oppression. So that's a huge thing and we're going to look into that later. But I want to come to the greats a free world with carefully curated, socially engaged visual content open to anyone to use or adopt non-commercially. This is a huge project of FineActs, as I said, for good. Can you tell us the effect and reach of the Greats?
Speaker 4:Yes, the Greats started as a project by FineActs, but right now it has grown to be the largest platform for free, socially engaged visual content. It is meant to be used by activists, nonprofits and educators around the world, something that makes the Greats truly unique because, yes, there are other awesome platforms with free social impact art, awesome platforms with free social impact art, but what makes the grades unique is that the work is not only free to use but also to adapt, uh, meaning that you can, as, uh, you know, a non-profit um, you can just download it and then put your own message, change the the message, change the language, put your logo, do whatever you want with the works. The only rule is for this to be for non-commercial use. And something else that is awesome is that actually, on this platform, you don't only get what you see, because you kind of see the poster sizes of the visuals, but actually in the download package you get all. See the poster sizes of the visuals, but actually in the download package you get all kinds of like different sizes for social media, so it's super like designed to be used. Uh, in an easy way, you get the work file so you can get, like all these changes that I mentioned, uh easily.
Speaker 4:And in terms of scope, we have published work by over 2,600 artists right now from over 100 countries. We have about 5,000 registered organizations and activists on the platform. The works come. They're all across you know issues. They're in over 20 categories, from women's rights, lgbti rights, climate, migrant justice, workers' rights and so on and so on and so on, and we have accounted for over 100,000 views, over 3 million views on the works. So it's pretty incredible to see, on the one hand, how much need there is for such kind of work, but also how willing creatives are to actually work openly. We do commission them, but, at the same time, the willingness to open their work to be used and adapted by others in time. This is something very generous and it's really incredible to see.
Speaker 3:Wow, I mean, that's some incredible to see. Wow, those, I mean that's some incredible impact triggers there, jana, as well. And um, uh, sorry, I'm really distracted by the board game as well. Um, just what great work you're doing. But, um, so that's the greats. It sounds phenomenal. Um, should we just take a minute, um, to kind of pull back out and think about the bigger, wider creative industry globally? And we know that more and more creatives are looking for work that's purposeful, meaningful, clean creatives is a thing globally, pushing back against things like fossil fuel advertising, and there is a rising concern about the future of our planet and society for many people who work creatively. So how do you see that wider creative industry? Is it a turning point and do we have the power to change that creative industry through the work that you and our network of agencies are doing?
Speaker 4:I completely agree with you. We do sense this shift in the diet with you. We too sense this shift in the diet. As I mentioned, I have been completely overwhelmed, in a positive sense, by the generosity and the spirit of the creative community. So, apart from the open license illustrations, we also work with artists on open license blueprints for physical works. We develop, again with artists and you know like with authors, open licensed books and so on and so forth. This is incredible. Only the willingness to work on social issues or to work with social impact, but also this, I think, like openness, is the ultimate impact amplifier but also is the ultimate generosity, because you agree for your work to be, yes, created to you but used in perpetuity by others. And I think this is incredible to see how many artists in our experience are willing more and more to work openly because they see what kind of impact this creates and what kind of ripple effect this creates.
Speaker 4:But specifically around the issue of, let's say, sustainability and climate, we have been collaborating a lot with Countdown. Countdown is the Department of Tech, the conference around ideas. They have a specific department that is dealing with climate change and climate justice and with them we have been collaborating on an initiative called Artists for Climate ever since 2021, I think we started. We started with an open call to creatives for illustrations that resulted in 2,200 submissions or something like that. But ever since then we have been running.
Speaker 4:We do different creative experimental formats and one of them is called Sprints where, very briefly, artists are coming in for, let's say, friday evening. They're being briefed by experts in this case, climate experts and then the artists have two days to deliver a final artwork. So they, on Sunday evening, they show the artwork that they developed together during this two-day boot camp. Then these works are shown locally in exhibitions and finally they're uploaded for free, non-commercial use by organ activists worldwide. And ever since we started this work, we have had 23 sprints the one just wrapped up now, the one in Nairobi, kenya, wrapped up last week. 23 sprints in 20 countries around the world, with hundreds of artists who are like physically joining these events and creating and collaborating together on developing these kind of super powerful, impactful visual works, and I feel it's a movement, it's a rising movement and, yeah, I'm tremendously inspired by what I see.
Speaker 2:Amazing, amazing Sprints is also a very, very interesting project of yours. But looking at your work in Fine Acts and the work released in the Greats, I see a common theme of strong typography and design, wisely put slogans and a binding thread between all of these works that is positive and witty, in some cases humorous, and definitely subtle and almost naive, I can say. Can you tell us a bit about the values and the criteria behind these designs?
Speaker 4:um, absolutely so. I'll take a step back and explain a little bit um about, um, the logic behind the way that we work. And actually it's not only a logic, it's a science. So, um, for a while we have been looking at insights and I know you guys have done similar work, but we have been looking at the insights, um, scientific insights from neuroscience, cognitive science, behavioral science as to what makes people care and what makes people engage emotionally with an issue and what compels them to act, and like, as you know, some of these insights are kind of like obvious, so opinions don't change through more and more information, but through empathy inducing experiences.
Speaker 4:Uh, art, like art, like art can trigger empathy. Personal stories are king and like really, really work. Um, and like visual language, it's like super important and much more effective than dry facts and abstract concepts. But where it gets interesting, to me at least, is that provoking an emotional response, and this is something that I think still so many organizations don't get it right. It should be done incredibly carefully, because people will shut down or not respond if we simply evoke sadness, guilt or fear. And, let's be honest, like, how often do we see um work that actually is aiming to trigger specifically these, these kind of emotions and, in the context of the general desensitization that we see towards social issues, the campaigns that um, drink all uh or inspire hope are the ones that are most effective. So this is why, whenever we any kind of work that we do, whenever we brief artists, we talk to them about the power of hope, and there are different shades of hope also. Shades of hope also like, yes, the um, as um, as you're saying, the, the visuals. They're like really, uh, joyous. I would say that what you are going to see on the crates predominantly super joyous, super, some very often humors.
Speaker 4:But I think that we also work, um, with different shades of hope, if I might say so. We do have works that, let's say, I can't go into details for lack of time, but we have a project around domestic violence that what makes it hopeful is the fact that it's actionable. It talks about the problem but at the end it gives, I would say, a powerful way for people to engage. And I think, think that if it's actionable, it's hopeful, if it's funny, it's hopeful in itself and in our work. So, let's say, last year we produced something that is a very humorous take on what the Earth without humans is going to look like and the project is called. It's Fine and I think it's super hopeful because it's funny. So, yeah, I think that there are different shades of hope in what we do, but it's always there. I always want to make sure that we leave space for hope in whichever approach we decide to take on, whichever issue we decide to tackle wow, yeah, no, well, we, we need a second session with you on hope framing.
Speaker 3:I think we should get into framing, and how you frame, uh, a campaign and activism, um, and use values as part of the creative mix is really interesting as well. And I totally agree with you If you try to trigger a guilt response in your audience, the level at which people just shut down is incredible, super fascinating. So I'm going to go a little bit academic on you now, a little bit intellectual, and talk about intersectionality. On you now, a little bit intellectual, and talk about intersectionality, um. So you kind of wonder at this sort of activism, art, tech and science interests you, doesn't it? And that's part of part of your ted talk, I think was touched on that. So you wander creatively through these intersections and what does that mean for you? How do all those worlds come together to make change happen?
Speaker 4:A little bit of a personal note. Several years ago I was hit by burnout and around this time, like I really didn't know what to do, I felt completely paralyzed and meaningless and at the same time, very, very busy. But around this time I discovered the work of Dr Stuart Brown, who is a psychiatrist, who actually came to research play through his research on murderers, after he found a very common thread in killer stories, which is lack of play in childhood. So like I think this is fascinating, but he has a very I found him through his TED talk, but he is actually the founder of the National Institute for Play in the US. He has like a super famous book around play and in his talk he talks about like what play does to the brain and he quotes evidence from neuroscience that nothing lights up the brain like play and also that the opposite of play is not work but depression. And like me being, I think, on the brink of depression at this point, I decided to, to experiment and to actually, like I was really trying back then this was even before Fine Arts to, yeah, to to really design and answer to questions predominantly on my own and to pull myself out of this burnout, I decided to engage in some proper, serious play, and what we ended up doing is in FINAX.
Speaker 4:In the very first years, we came up with the concept of playtivism. That merely refers to creating spaces for cross-disciplinary collaboration, multidisciplinary play in activism. So in Finax, we started building our own playgrounds in the early day, where we started inviting and experimenting with artists and technologists and scientists, and we started developing different experimental formats. Some of these are still alive today. Others died out because they were just not as effective, but I can give you an example. So, for example, we have one format that I love, which is called LOPS, where we bring in artists and technologists, we pair them in two-person teams, act like experts on a specific issue, brief them and then these two-person teams have two days to come up with an idea that either raises awareness or brings a solution to the respective issue, and it needs to lie somewhere at the intersection between art and tech. We have had incredible ideas being born out of this format that I would say not a single activist could come up with this kind of an idea. And actually, looking again like going back to the science of play and going back to our own experience, we have found out that multidisciplinary play absolutely sparks better ideas.
Speaker 4:When we play, others want to join. What does this mean? Like it grows our army stronger. People who are not like us want to work with us. So, for example, if you invite artists or technologists to a roundtable or to a boring conference, it's very unlikely that they're going to come. A roundtable or to a boring conference it's very unlikely that they're going to come. But if you design a playful format where you can engage them meaningfully still to work on human rights or environmental issues, they are going to come. They are going to have fun, they are going to keep on.
Speaker 4:So often we see that people are coming in with curiosity and then they leave as activists because it takes very short time to actually become incredibly passionate about an issue. As I mentioned, play can prevent the very high levels of depression burnout amongst activists and it can give us the super much needed feeling that we got this. But something that I and I'm finishing up here, but something that we need to make clear here is that play is not a rehearsal. It's not like let us play for a bit and then get the creative juices flowing and get to the serious work. No, play is the serious work Play in itself. We see as an active resistance Wow.
Speaker 2:That's my Yana. You're very kind. I really want to go on forever with you because you've given us so much, but I have to wrap it up and go to our final question. But we have to meet again, we have to talk again. So our final question Our network is ironically called Do Not Smile, because we need to make sustainability a subject that brings happiness and play into the world. What object, place or person always makes you smile?
Speaker 4:By the way, I really wanted to compliment you on the name of the network. I really love how it subversively critiques the usual tone of sustainability that is often exactly wrapped in guilt and fear and overwhelm, like we discussed. But to your question, easy, my person and my partner in everything, uh, like from by everything I mean like fine act, the great time heroes pavel, uh, he has been making me not only smile but like belly laugh for over 15 years now, uh, and he has this super human quality to make any situation lighter and I'm, yeah, the luckiest with him oh yeah, that is the most beautiful note to finish on.
Speaker 3:We got a lot of play, hope and love going on in this space. It's been so brilliant talking to you, plativism is going to be my favorite word for ages now, and Damla's right, we do need to. We need to, we need to collaborate. Let's work together on something let's do that.
Speaker 4:Should we do that? Yes, okay, let's have a verbal binding agreement right now.
Speaker 3:Excellent, good, you heard it here. We're going to work together. There you go, brilliant, jana. Thanks so much. Damla, do you want to close us out? Thank?
Speaker 2:you so much. So, thanks to everyone who has listened to our Good Guys podcast, brought to you by the Do Not Smile network of agencies.
Speaker 3:And make sure you listen to future episodes, where we'll be talking to more amazing people about how we can work together to create a more sustainable future. Jana Dam Bye.
