TCX-York Recordings

TCX York Eaters Unite Exploration

Food is more than sustenance — it is a system, a connector, a healer, and a pathway to transformation. In this session, Curtis Ogden (Interaction Institute) and Rebecca Newman (University of York) convened five case studies from the US and UK that show how food system change is being mobilized through networks, partnerships, and collective visioning. From equity-focused regional coalitions to local food policy councils and regenerative planning frameworks, the session traced how values-aligned relationships and cross-sector collaboration can drive ambitious change in food systems.

IPBES Transformative Change Assessment

How can a global science-policy assessment connect to the personal shifts that make collective transformation possible? This session brought together three core authors of the IPBES Transformative Change Assessment — Karen O’Brien, Julia Leventon, and Hannah Gosnell — with Bruce Goldstein to share how the process changed them. Moving beyond a summary of findings, they explored the ethical tensions, worldview clashes, and moments of insight that emerged behind the scenes, and what it means to translate knowledge into action in turbulent times.

Opening Session

Ioan Fazey (University of York) and Bruce Goldstein (Transformations Community) open TCX York by setting the stage for an experimental gathering on sustainability transformations. Framing the event as both a learning journey and a space for co-creation, they invite participants to bring curiosity, courage, and care into the conversations ahead — connecting local action with global transformations.

Zenda Ofir - The (Transformative) Potential of Evaluation for Transformation

Evaluation has long shaped strategy and decision-making, yet it is often misunderstood, misused, or seen too narrowly. In this keynote, Zenda Ofir explores how evaluation can realize its full transformative potential — accelerating progress, mitigating risks, and guiding systemic change across scales. Revisiting past transformations and looking to future challenges, she calls for reimagining evaluation as an essential practice at the nexus of knowledge, values, and action for a thriving world.

Mick Cooper - From Outer Transformations to Inner Transformations and Back: Psychological Growth for a Thriving World

What inner shifts are needed to support global sustainability? In this keynote, Professor Mick Cooper (University of Roehampton) examines the deep connections between inner wellbeing and outer transformation. Building on initiatives like Wellbeing Economics and the Inner Development Goals, and drawing from his book Psychology at the Heart of Social Change, he shows how cultivating psychological growth and emotional competencies is essential for wider societal progress and a thriving world.