Climate Stories
A new template for engagement between the public and environmental scientists, one that involves working with arts practitioners for whom storytelling and communication lies in their professional DNA.
UK | 01/10/2017 – 30/09/2018
Storytelling is an innate human need. It is how we make sense of our lives and plan out our futures. Yet too often the public is expected to engage with environmental topics like climate change in a way that runs counter to that inner narrative drive. Facts and graphs act as barriers rather than enablers to understanding. The vitally important story of climate change becomes a closed book, giving those with an interest in denying the science and its implications a space to operate unchallenged. Citizens become disillusioned and disenfranchised, unable to grapple with a problem that affects all our futures. To overcome these barriers to mutual understanding and positive engagement The Climate Stories project provides a new model for public engagement that breaks down these barriers to mutual understanding and positive engagement. It brings climate scientists together with arts practitioners for whom story-telling lies in their professional DNA. Working collaboratively with communities and artists in theatre, poetry, music, and printmaking we are unlocking the creative potential of the people involved to elaborate effective and empowering narratives of change and mutual understanding. Our consortium brings together a group of expert practitioners across disciplinary boundaries with a proven track record of creative public engagement and outreach capabilities. We are also gathering the evidence and assessing the capabilities of the new model of engagement that we are co-developing with community groups. While our activities are Devon based, our consortium is well placed through its project partners to develop a wider programme of activities at a national or international level.
More info & Social Media
https://www.climatestories.org.uk/
https://twitter.com/storiesclimate
Editor’s Note: All information published as submitted by the author(s). Minor edits may have been made to increase readability and understanding.
