Dark Times Academy co-founder Mandy Henk says participants will be inspired by and learn from a stellar list of globally renowned guest speakers including international climate activist Bill McKibben, environmental journalist Amy Westervelt, and New Zealand climate scientist James Renwick.

“With the raft of challenging issues impacting the world growing more immediate and personal, we wanted our new courses to focus on how each of us can make a practical difference to those planet-sized problems,” she says.

“We are excited and honoured to be supported in this effort by some of the biggest names and writers in climate change, activism, and socially-aware science fiction today.”

The three courses on offer include:

More than just the climate is changing in the world today. Governments are falling one by one to fascism and far-right political parties. With them comes an institutionalisation of doubt, denial, and a turn away from collective solutions to our shared problems. This class will explore the impacts of that transition and what we can do about it. What can we do to protect our scientists? How can we transform the climate movement into one that can rise to the scale of the needed change. And most of all, what should the climate movement do to fight fascism and ensure a liveable planet for everyone. Guest speakers include Bill McKibben, Amy Westervelt, James Renwick and Ketan Joshi.

For more information and registrations, visit: https://makinghope.lilregie.com

Direct action gets the job done! From climate to immigration, activists have been freeing us all through vigorous challenges to power. This class will bring together activists and experts from across a range of issues to talk about their experiences planning and carrying out a range of actions, from climate action in Aotearoa to nonviolent civil resistance against rising fascism. With a focus on the practical, this class will explore what works, why it works – and how to keep yourself and your community safe when taking direct action. Guest speakers include Spencer Sunshine and Joel Bellman. For more information and registrations, visit: https://directaction.lilregie.com

How can we let go of the world as it is to bring about the world we want? To build the future of our dreams, we must first imagine it. But how can we do the work of letting go of what is to explore what might be? And how can we work together to ensure that others share our vision and that our vision makes space for everyone? This class will bring together some of the best socially-aware science fiction writers of our time to explore how they do the work of imagination and of creating vision. What does it take to be bold and imagine a different kind of future – and how can we all work towards contributing to a powerful vision of a different kind of future? Guest speakers include Annalee Newitz, Charlie Jane Anders, Paolo Bacigalupi, Monica Byrne and Claire Coleman. For more information and registrations, visit: https://imaginingthefuture.lilregie.com

“We’ve been greatly encouraged by the enthusiasm and energy of participants in all our courses this year – one of which was fully booked,” says Mandy.

“People interested in getting involved with Dark Times Academy can register and join a class themselves or sponsor someone else to take a class and so help spread the learning around.”