BlueLightS Conference
- Street Art Museum Amsterdam
- Oct 30, 2025
- 4 min read
The BlueLightS conference took place on October 28 and was organised in collaboration with ALDA and numerous European partners. The conference brought together educational innovators, policymakers, environmental experts, and civil society organizations around a shared mission: integrating "blue education" into the European school and curriculum system. The project aims to connect students with the life and importance of aquatic ecosystems, from rivers and lakes to seas. Through interactive sessions, experiential workshops, and the launch of a toolkit, the conference emphasized that it's not just about transferring knowledge, but about encouraging a broader mindset: students shouldn't just learn about water, but learn through it. This included a focus on sustainability, ecological connectivity, and social engagement.
Parallel to the conference, the BlueLightS Toolkit was presented. This practical tool helps schools, educational institutions, and local communities implement "blue challenges" in the classroom and across the region. This toolkit supports projects where young people actively engage with local water systems, biodiversity, or the blue economy. Schools in Europe can even receive funding to set up their own 'Blue Challenge': a clear step from raising awareness to taking action. Through this combination of a conference, toolkit, and funding opportunities, BlueLightS serves as a catalyst for education and participation in support of the EU mission "Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030."
Anna was a speaker at the conference and spoke on the topic "When City Walls Talk About the Ocean". Below is a short summary of her inspiring story.
When city walls speak of the ocean - by Anna Stolyarova (founder SAMA)
When city walls begin to speak, people listen. At the Street Art Museum Amsterdam (SAMA), we've believed from the very beginning that art is more than simple decoration. Art is the starting point for dialogue. Art is emotion. Art is connection.
In 2010, we started with a simple idea: bring art out of the white museum walls and onto the streets so that everyone has access to it. Fifteen years later, we've created over 300 artworks, welcomed 20,000 visitors, and reached nearly 200,000 people. Not in galleries, but in everyday places: at a bus stop, on the sidewalk, or next to the supermarket. That's street art. And street art belongs to everyone. Street art is for people who might never set foot in a museum. For those who think art is "not for them." And that's where our heart beats: with communities often overlooked by traditional art and education.
When city walls talk about the ocean
Our latest adventure, Blue LightS, asks a vital question:
How can art help us care more deeply about our oceans?
As part of the broader From Sea to Street initiative , supported by the European Union's Horizon Europe program, this project brings together scientists, artists, and citizens in Spain, Latvia, and the Netherlands. Together, we will explore how creativity can inspire awareness, empathy, and action for the blue heart of our planet: the ocean.
We live in an age overflowing with information, yet hungry for emotion. People know about pollution, overfishing, and climate change, but often feel powerless. That's where art comes in. Art translates complexity into emotion.
A mural of a drowning city. A whale entangled in plastic. A child painting a coral reef that no longer exists. You don't need a lecture to understand it, you FEEL it. That feeling becomes the seed of awareness, compassion, and change.
Blue Education: Learning through Art
At SAMA, we call this Blue Education: learning through art. Our murals transform walls into classrooms and streets into open-air museums. No tickets. No barriers. No permission required. Each artwork is an invitation to reflect: What is our relationship with water, with nature, with each other?
The best part is that these murals are created together : by young people, local residents, and scientists. It's not about painting for a community, but with it. When people create together, art becomes a collective act of learning and empowerment.
From “Tolerance” to “New Amsterdam Rising”
We've seen this magic happen time and again. From Alaniz's Tolerance (2012), to Bastardilla's Ecology (2018), to today's Beazarility's New Amsterdam Rising , each mural sparks conversation. They spark curiosity. They connect generations: children, parents, artists, and scientists. They remind us that science and emotion aren't opposites; they complement each other.
That's why our partnership with ALDA and the Blue LightS project is so crucial. We share the same mission: raising awareness, engaging communities, and connecting local stories with global challenges.
A small neighborhood in Amsterdam can speak to a fishing village in Spain or a coastal town in Latvia. Climate change doesn't stop at borders, and neither does creativity.
From Blue Lights to STRAATWIJS
Building on this experience, our next project, STRAATWIJS , will continue to use street art as a bridge between art, science, and community. Together with residents, artists, and researchers, we will create works that address local societal themes: from a healthy living environment to the energy transition.
Through co-creation, we make complex scientific ideas tangible, emotional, and shared. Because when people paint together, they make the story their own.
A voice for our planet
What does all this mean? That every wall can become a voice. A voice for the planet. A voice for the ocean. A voice for those who aren't always heard.
Street art isn't a trend, it's a movement. A language of inclusion, participation, and hope. With projects like Blue LightS, we continue to prove that creative, community-focused approaches aren't just beautiful; they're powerful tools for climate education and social change. Art may not save the world, but it can make us fall in love with it again. And people protect what they love. So let's keep painting, connecting, and listening to what our city walls have to say.
