Grounds for Goodness is an artful exploration of why and how people—individually and collectively—sometimes choose to act with kindness and courage toward others, in situations from mundane to epic.

The project began with Ruth Howard’s  personal research into countries that protected their Jewish populations during the Holocaust (Denmark, Bulgaria, Albania), and gradually expanded to gather from many people and places a wide range of contemporary and historical stories about “social goodness.” 

Developed over several years, Grounds for Goodness took many forms in collaboration with many artists, participants, and partners. During the Pandemic, the project adapted to remote and virtual formats.

In February 2022,  just as lock-down was lessening, Grounds for Goodness held a two-week residency at the Small Arms Inspection Building in Mississauga, presenting an interactive installation and suite of new performance works, both in-person and live-streamed. 

Next, from November 2023 to January 2025,  as her first independent project upon stepping down from Jumblies’ artistic direction, Ruth undertook a light-weight tour: More Grounds for Goodness, bringing the project to Halifax, Ottawa, Thunder Bay, Haliburton, and Stratford. 

What next? The project has been stored, and future iterations could be possible if there were requests and invitations.

For more info on Grounds for Goodness (art works, artists, partners, galleries, videos, publications), go to www.groundsforgoodness.ca