Uhura Bqueer, Dawit Seto Gobeze, Shruti Patel, Sonja Schenkel, Soya the Cow

Rafa Bqueer aka Uhura Bqueer is a multi-artist. She is one of the pioneers of the Drag Themônia scene in Belém do Pará. Through performance, photography, film and textile art, she produces images, individual and collective actions that deal with concepts of gender, race, LGBTQIA+ activism and a reinterpretation of art history in the Amazon region.

Dawit Seto is an Ethiopian-born choreographer and dancer working at the intersection of movement, ritual, and ecological memory. His practice draws on traditional Ethiopian gestures of endurance and calling, reframing them within contemporary climate discourse. He is the artistic director of The Wind Is Here and has presented work internationally.

Shruti Patel is a Senior Lecturer at NADEL, ETH Zurich's Centre for Global Cooperation and Sustainable Development. She focuses on food and nutrition security as well as on building partnerships for development and behavioural change. Born and raised in Kenya, her interest in agriculture was sparked as a child by the question of why people suffer from hunger in a country rich in arable land. She studied agricultural economics at Nottingham University before returning to Kenya with many new questions. She is a board member of Biovision – Foundation for Ecological Development – committed to strengthening its influence within communities and organizations working for sustainable food systems.

Sonja Schenkel is a filmmaker, textile artist, and sustainability specialist whose work sits at the intersection of culture, science, and transformation. Grounded in impact assessment, life cycle analysis, and systems thinking, she focuses on creating change through joy, connection, and meaning. She facilitates collaboration between the arts, sciences, and the private sector, and holds a PhD on creativity and social change. She is the founder of Storytex and co-initiator of The Library for a Happy Future.