{"id":4512,"date":"2026-06-01T14:23:48","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T14:23:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/good-practice\/unfreeze-your-brain\/"},"modified":"2026-08-25T10:51:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T10:51:22","slug":"unfreeze-your-brain","status":"publish","type":"goodpractice-projekt","link":"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/en\/good-practice\/unfreeze-your-brain\/","title":{"rendered":"Unfreeze Your Brain"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/10-01-Unfreeze-Your-Brain_Foto-Till-Fischer-01-Unfreeze-Your-Brain_Foto-Till-Fischer-edited.jpeg\" alt=\"Workshop participants are walking across a field with hay in their hands.\" class=\"wp-image-4008\" srcset=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/10-01-Unfreeze-Your-Brain_Foto-Till-Fischer-01-Unfreeze-Your-Brain_Foto-Till-Fischer-edited.jpeg 1280w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/10-01-Unfreeze-Your-Brain_Foto-Till-Fischer-01-Unfreeze-Your-Brain_Foto-Till-Fischer-edited-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/10-01-Unfreeze-Your-Brain_Foto-Till-Fischer-01-Unfreeze-Your-Brain_Foto-Till-Fischer-edited-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/10-01-Unfreeze-Your-Brain_Foto-Till-Fischer-01-Unfreeze-Your-Brain_Foto-Till-Fischer-edited-768x432.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u00a9 Till Fischer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Potential Impacts \u2013 What Makes This Project an Example of Good Practice?<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The potential impacts of <em>\u201cUnfreeze Your Brain\u201d<\/em> were analyzed on April 22, 2024, using the Map\/ing Sustainability method by an interdisciplinary group consisting of artists, geographers, curators, designers, philosophers, and scholars in the fields of sustainability, cultural studies, and economics, as well as individuals from the fields of film, crafts, and cultural management. Two of the festival\u2019s key figures presented the project in person and participated in the discussion. <\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"gp-diagramm-block_e811f213fbecfe2c4edb4d58b5ae700f\" class=\"block-gp-diagramm\" style=\"container-type: inline-size;\">\n    <div class=\"gp-diagramm-grid\">\n        <figure class=\"gp-diagramm-content-figure\">\n            <div class=\"gp-diagramm-content\">\n                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/themes\/transformnrw-theme\/graphics\/Mapping-Sustainability_Grafik_250923.webp\" alt=\"Graphical model of the &quot;Map\/ing Sustainability&quot; method featuring concentric circles and selected SDG icons. It illustrates the Map\/ing Sustainability analytical approach, which visualizes potential sustainability impacts using the interconnected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The concentric circles represent the causal chains of impact resulting from a good practice project: Input, Activities, Outputs, Outcomes, and Impacts. The diagram relies on the Wuppertal Institute&#039;s three-tier model as a framework: individual SDGs are mapped to these tiers, highlighting that sustainability impacts are not viewed in isolation, but through their interdependencies across environmental, social, and economic dimensions. The graphic serves as a reference model for the collaborative analysis of products, business models, infrastructures, performances, or works of art.\" style=\"width:100%; height:100%;\" \/>\n                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/themes\/transformnrw-theme\/graphics\/Mapping-Sustainability_Grafik_250923_EN.svg\" alt=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\" style=\"width:100%; height:100%;\" \/>\n                <div class=\"gp-diagramm-slideshow\" style=\"position:absolute; top:0; left:0; width:100%; height:100%; pointer-events:none;\">\n                                                <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gp-slide\"\n                                src=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Unfreeze-your-Brain-1-1.svg\"\n                                alt=\"\"\n                                style=\"position:absolute; width:100%; height:100%; object-fit:contain; display:block;\" \/>\n                                                <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gp-slide\"\n                                src=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Unfreeze-your-Brain-2-1.svg\"\n                                alt=\"\"\n                                style=\"position:absolute; width:100%; height:100%; object-fit:contain; display:none;\" \/>\n                                                <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gp-slide\"\n                                src=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Unfreeze-your-Brain-3-1.svg\"\n                                alt=\"\"\n                                style=\"position:absolute; width:100%; height:100%; object-fit:contain; display:none;\" \/>\n                                                <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gp-slide\"\n                                src=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Unfreeze-your-Brain-4-1.svg\"\n                                alt=\"\"\n                                style=\"position:absolute; width:100%; height:100%; object-fit:contain; display:none;\" \/>\n                                                <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gp-slide\"\n                                src=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Unfreeze-your-brain-85-1.svg\"\n                                alt=\"\"\n                                style=\"position:absolute; width:100%; height:100%; object-fit:contain; display:none;\" \/>\n                                    <\/div>\n                <button type=\"button\" class=\"gp-diagramm-zoom-button\" aria-label=\"Enlarge graphic\"><\/button>\n\n                <div class=\"gp-diagramm-overlay\" id=\"gp-diagramm-block_e811f213fbecfe2c4edb4d58b5ae700f-overlay\" role=\"dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" aria-labelledby=\"gp-diagramm-block_e811f213fbecfe2c4edb4d58b5ae700f-overlay-title\" hidden>\n                    <div class=\"gp-diagramm-overlay__inner\">\n                        <span id=\"gp-diagramm-block_e811f213fbecfe2c4edb4d58b5ae700f-overlay-title\" class=\"screen-reader-text\">Enlarge graphic<\/span>\n                        <button type=\"button\" class=\"gp-diagramm-overlay__close\" aria-label=\"Close overlay\"><\/button>\n                        <div class=\"gp-diagramm-overlay__viewport\" aria-label=\"Zoomable graphic\">\n                                                        <div class=\"gp-diagramm-image-map\" data-src=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/themes\/transformnrw-theme\/graphics\/Mapping-Sustainability_Grafik_250923.webp\" data-mid-src=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/themes\/transformnrw-theme\/graphics\/Mapping-Sustainability_Grafik_250923_EN.svg\" data-overlay-src=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Unfreeze-your-brain-85-1.svg\" role=\"img\" aria-label=\"Diagram (enlargeable)\"><\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"gp-diagramm-overlay__controls\" aria-label=\"Zoom control\">\n                            <button type=\"button\" class=\"gp-zoom-in\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\">+<\/button>\n                            <button type=\"button\" class=\"gp-zoom-out\" aria-label=\"Minimize\">\u2212<\/button>\n                            <button type=\"button\" class=\"gp-zoom-reset\" aria-label=\"Reset\">\u27f2<\/button>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n            <figcaption class=\"gp-figcaption\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/en\/methode\/map-ing-sustainability\/\">Map\/ing Sustainability<\/a>: Analysis of the impact potential of the project with regard to the SDGs            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/figure>\n        <!-- Die Slideshow-Logik wurde nach src\/js\/div\/div.js ausgelagert und wird in src\/index.js in der Single-Project-View initialisiert. -->\n\n        <figure class=\"d3-netzwerk-mini-wrapper\">\n            <div class=\"d3-netzwerk-mini\" data-svg-alt=\"Graphical three-level model with three stacked, color-highlighted ovals. Bottom: natural resources; middle: provisioning systems; top: well-being. The levels are connected by double arrows; within each level, the corresponding icons of selected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are shown.\">\n                <a class=\"gp-diagramm-mini-fullscreen-button\" href=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/en\/sdg-model\/?id=4512\" aria-label=\"Open in the SDG model\"><\/a>\n            <\/div>\n            <figcaption class=\"gp-figcaption\">\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/en\/sdg-model\/?id=4512\">SDG Model<\/a>: Categorization of the identified sustainability goals into three levels: Natural Resources, Provisioning Systems, and Well-being            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/figure>\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Well-being  <\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The panel discussion viewed Festiva as an open space for sharing experiences, facilitated by artistic performances and co-creative, interactive formats such as workshops and discussion groups. Within this space, existing power relations and knowledge hierarchies\u2014particularly in the tension between urban and rural areas\u2014are scrutinized so that experiential knowledge rooted in rural contexts can gain new significance in sustainability discourses. The associated examination of gender roles\u2014particularly in the realm of care work\u2014could help to foster greater recognition of the knowledge embedded therein and provide new impetus for greater gender equality (SDG 5).  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, it was emphasized that an intersectional perspective on the relationship between urban and rural areas\u2014that is, a perspective that simultaneously takes into account additional dimensions of inequality \u2014 helps to challenge dominant narratives, such as the idea that culture only takes place in cities, and shifts the focus toward inclusive and cooperative spatial development. Such \u201cemancipatory rurality\u201d can foster the self-confidence of local actors (SDG 10). <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through the transdisciplinary entry point of <em>\u201cUnfreeze Your Brain<\/em>,\u201d education can be implemented as a holistic\u2014and also aesthetic\u2014 \u2014process that enables an understanding of the complex social, economic, and infrastructural interconnections between urban and rural areas (SDG 4), which could also contribute to the aforementioned \u201cemancipatory rurality.\u201d Together with other themes of the festival\u2014such as the commons, governance, and decolonialism\u2014this could open up new ways of thinking about more equitable participation, strengthen dialogue between different social groups, and foster a vibrant democratic culture (SDG 16). <\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Provisioning Systems  <\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Throughout the festival program, participants repeatedly found inspiration to critically examine existing consumption and production patterns (SDG 12) and saw in this the potential for developing more sustainable models. For example, knowledge about the environmental impacts of industrial agriculture\u2014such as groundwater pollution\u2014could raise awareness of the need to consume food produced in more sustainable ways (SDG 6, 12). In workshops on fair production, community-based economic models, or solidarity-based supply chains, rural and urban knowledge bases were interwoven. This could highlight perspectives that go beyond purely neoliberal market and labor logic (SDG 8) or that support regional infrastructure and sustainable value creation (SDG 9).     <\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Natural Resources<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Artistic and social reflection on rural traditions with regard to a possible sustainable approach to nature highlights the close interconnection between cultural practices and ecological processes. It can raise awareness of the high value of sustainable landscape management and land-use practices, as well as their impact on biodiversity (SDG 15). Highlighting alternative courses of action in everyday life\u2014such as in relation to diet\u2014could provide motivation for individual and collective climate action (SDG 13). From the participants\u2019 perspective, the festival could thus contribute to a more responsible approach to natural resources.   <\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"682\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"3870\" src=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/02-01-Unfreeze-Your-Brain_Foto-Till-Fischer-682x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"People are sitting at a table and talking to each other. Handwritten notes from their collaborative work can be seen on the tablecloth. \" class=\"wp-image-3870\" srcset=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/02-01-Unfreeze-Your-Brain_Foto-Till-Fischer-682x1024.jpeg 682w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/02-01-Unfreeze-Your-Brain_Foto-Till-Fischer-200x300.jpeg 200w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/02-01-Unfreeze-Your-Brain_Foto-Till-Fischer-768x1152.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/02-01-Unfreeze-Your-Brain_Foto-Till-Fischer.jpeg 853w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u00a9 Till Fischer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"682\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"3872\" src=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/04-01-Unfreeze-Your-Brain_Foto-Till-Fischer-682x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3872\" srcset=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/04-01-Unfreeze-Your-Brain_Foto-Till-Fischer-682x1024.jpeg 682w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/04-01-Unfreeze-Your-Brain_Foto-Till-Fischer-200x300.jpeg 200w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/04-01-Unfreeze-Your-Brain_Foto-Till-Fischer-768x1152.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/04-01-Unfreeze-Your-Brain_Foto-Till-Fischer.jpeg 853w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u00a9 Till Fischer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" data-id=\"3876\" src=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/06-01-Unfreeze-Your-Brain_Foto-Till-Fischer-1024x682.jpeg\" alt=\"Several people are dancing in a courtyard on the Unfreeze Your Brain festival grounds.\" class=\"wp-image-3876\" srcset=\"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/06-01-Unfreeze-Your-Brain_Foto-Till-Fischer-1024x682.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/06-01-Unfreeze-Your-Brain_Foto-Till-Fischer-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/06-01-Unfreeze-Your-Brain_Foto-Till-Fischer-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/transform.nrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/06-01-Unfreeze-Your-Brain_Foto-Till-Fischer.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u00a9 Till Fischer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Potential Impacts \u2013 What Makes This Project an Example of Good Practice? The potential impacts of \u201cUnfreeze Your Brain\u201d were analyzed on April 22, 2024, using the Map\/ing Sustainability method by an interdisciplinary group consisting of artists, geographers, curators, designers, philosophers, and scholars in the fields of sustainability, cultural studies, and economics, as well as [&hellip;]","protected":false},"featured_media":3797,"template":"","wirkmittel":[],"sdg":[42,49,44,202,45,51,52,40,46,185,47],"projekttag":[196,204,189,195,203,207,199],"class_list":["post-4512","goodpractice-projekt","type-goodpractice-projekt","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","sdg-clean-water-and-sanitation","sdg-climate-action","sdg-decent-work-and-economic-growth","sdg-genderequality","sdg-industry-innovation-and-infrastructure","sdg-life-on-land","sdg-peace-justice-and-strong-institutions","sdg-quality-education","sdg-reduced-inequalities","sdg-sustainable-consumption-and-production","sdg-sustainable-cities-and-communities","projekttag-building-and-living","projekttag-communities-and-networks","projekttag-economy-and-business","projekttag-research-and-science","projekttag-solidarity","projekttag-visual-arts","projekttag-workshops-and-events"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/goodpractice-projekt\/4512","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/goodpractice-projekt"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/goodpractice-projekt"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/goodpractice-projekt\/4512\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3797"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"wirkmittel","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wirkmittel?post=4512"},{"taxonomy":"sdg","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sdg?post=4512"},{"taxonomy":"projekttag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/transform.nrw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/projekttag?post=4512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}