Sonja Schenkel

Sonja Schenkel studied at London Film School (2001) and obtained a degree in Sustainable Textiles at the Swiss Textile College (2022). She also earned a Masters in Social Anthropology (2006) from University of Zurich and UNAM, Mexico with summa cum laude. Through a growing interest in peace process, she later did a PhD at the Graduate Institute of International Relations and Development (2014) exploring the role of art and creativity in conflicts.

Finding her role as an artist, researcher and curator, she was named a fellow at the Research Center for Leadership in Action at New York University in 2012 to explore the relationship between leadership, social change and creativity in theoretical and artistic terms. She also led teams of scientists in visualizing their data in over 26 countries on behalf of the Swiss National Science Foundation and has been teaching on “Bridging Art and Science” at ETH Zurich.

During a one-year assignment at Wyss Academy for Nature, she created the “Science Kitchen”, which brought science, art and entrepreneurs to the same table through an interactive experience. Since 2023, she curated a year-long art project called “Library for a Happy Future” at Climate Pavillon Zurich which gained international attention. Part of this experience inspired a publication entitled “Creativity for a Regenerative Tomorrow”.

Academics

Filmmaking at New York Film Academy and London Film School / MA in Social Anthropology

PhD in Sustainable Development / Licensed in Sustainable Textile Strategy and Green Filmmaking

Awards

Nominated “Zurich Climate Hero 2023”, By Züri Awards “The Library for a Happy Future”