ARTIVISM           ARTIVISM           ARTIVISM           




Right at this moment there are many people, all around the world, talking about the climate crisis. Scientists, Activists, Lawyers, Academics, Teachers, Big Tech are all using their voices to educate, build awareness and inspire action.

And this is great news because Climate Change is a very complex problem that will need a complex response: the more people and the more minds working on this issue together, the further we will get.

Sometimes however, the issue can become confusing for those of us who are not scientists! Climate Change language is often technical and all the information out there can feel overwhelming, especially for those meeting the issue for the first time.


Some common responses from people learning about the climate crisis sound like this:

︎ What does climate change have to do with me?

︎ Climate change doesn’t affect me or my life.

︎ The climate is changing all the time - it's natural!

︎ The problem is too big, there is nothing I can do to stop it...

︎ It is not individuals that are the problem anyway!
Corporations/Governments/rich people/older generations caused this problem so they should have to fix it.

︎ There are so many other problems facing society right now, climate change is just one of them and not the most important one.
These are all perfectly valid responses when confronted with a global problem that some have called ‘the greatest threat humanity has ever faced’.

How are we supposed to begin to unpack what that statement means? How are we supposed to talk about our own extinction? There are too many thoughts, too many questions, too many feelings…

Enter... ART!


Whether theatre, music, dance, poetry or the visual arts: artistic expression has always been our way, as humans, of trying to make sense of the world around us. The climate crisis is no different.

ART HAS THE POTENTIAL TO:



AND CAN HELP US TO:


Okay then, let’s fast forward and imagine this...


You have recently learned about Climate Change. You feel passionately about Climate Justice. You want to tell everyone you know how important this is. You want to be part of the solution. And you want others to feel the same! You want to see System Change, not Climate Change, where you live, in your lifetime…

BUT


You don’t want to lecture people with fancy words that they may not understand. You don’t want people to feel excluded or…worse…bored! You want people to feel excited, curious, MOVED by what you are sharing. So how do we start?


TAH DAH! Introducing...



The Well Worn Theatre Company MINI-GUIDE* to getting your Climate Justice Artivism piece off the ground!


* These are some pointers we wanted to share with you taken from 10 years of our own experience of making eco-theatre. This mini-guide is by no means the gospel-truth and there are lots of other cool resources out there to use including this amazing one from the Tshisimani ‘Imagining Otherwise’ project.



1. Start with something that moves you


This could be a picture, a song, a poem, a quote, a news headline, a slogan. What have you seen in the world lately that has moved you to think about climate change/climate justice? Choose something that has real meaning for you, that has affected you and makes you feel something whether that is angry or scared or excited or defiant. Art is better when it comes from a personal place of truth.


2. Start a gang ;)


Earth-Saving Missions are so much more fun with friends. The climate crisis can be a heavy topic. Talking about it can help as you try and unpack all the details. When it comes to making theatre, for example, the best ideas are often those that come from a group working together to find the most creative and interesting ways to say things.


3. Find a space


Don’t overthink this part, any space will do: a classroom, a church hall, the bottom of a field under a tree, your Gogo’s lounge. Just as long as there is some space to move and where you can work pretty much undisturbed, you are good. The most important thing about finding a suitable space is that everyone can access it easily and that you are all punctual when you meet there, so you can use your time together in the best way possible.


4. What are you good at?


There might be lots of mad skills in your group and this is a good thing. Making art is a social project – not everyone can be or wants to be in the limelight. There are so many roles needed to bring a performance / artwork to life. 
For example, you will need:

WRITER

This can be one person or a team of writers. These are the people that are responsible for ‘making the invisible visible’. In other words, getting the ideas from inside your heads and bodies and out into the world. Also, writing does not necessarily mean putting pen to paper. You can write ‘on your feet’. That means playing games, improvising, devising and coming up with content, stories, characters and pictures together are all ‘writing’.

DESIGNER

Do you have an eye for beauty? Are you a visual artist? Do you enjoy figuring out how to source things  and then put them together and make objects appear magical? Then you are a designer! This person would be responsible for making sure that your piece is visually interesting and will catch people’s attention.

PERFORMERS

Are you the one/s with the loudest voice? Do you love to move, sing, speak and dance? Do you enjoy telling stories and expressing yourself? Then perhaps you are the person that will be the mouthpiece of your artivist invention. The ones who will capture the imagination of your audience and move them to new and fantastic heights.

DIRECTOR

This person is responsible for bringing all the performance/project elements together and leading the team to a shared vision. They have the ‘outside eye’ because they will see what the audience sees and will be able to direct the group to make sure that you are saying what you think (and hope) you are saying.

BACKSTAGE

This is an often-overlooked but ESSENTIAL part of the creation process. This team is responsible for making sure everything runs according to plan. Things like: opening the rehearsal venue, making sure there is toilet paper, printing the scripts, packing the costumes and props away, buying the paint, keeping the schedule tight - basically, without the backstage crew, none of the art would be able to happen, like, ever.

PRODUCER

Are you super-organised and a people person? Then maybe you will be the one to get this project off the ground: the producer is the person who gets the ball rolling, makes connections and finds opportunities so that the world actually gets to SEE your work. The producing team plays a vital role in looking for ways to get your production out into the public domain whether online, in-person or on stage. This role will probably also include fundraising and social media - the producer makes things happen and gets things done.

* These are just a few of the essential roles needed to put an artwork together. These roles could shift and change according to what you want to make. For example, if you want to make a film, you will need all the above, plus you will also need a camera person and/or a good technical team. If you are writing a story, you will probably only need a writer or two and maybe a bunch of people to bounce ideas off of.

In your climate justice artivist gang, decide who is doing what and then commit to your role wholeheartedly. Not everyone can do everything and in fact they shouldn’t have to. Art is so much more powerful (and also FUN) when it is made by many hands, eyes, hearts and minds.

5. Research


No one expects you to know everything there is to know about the climate crisis - we are not exactly scientists here remember, we are artists! That being said, you should know enough to make your point cleverly, creatively and clearly. In order to do this, you will need to know your subject well. There are SO many great resources on climate change and the climate crisis nowadays, it won’t be hard to find sources - many of them are embedded in the poem on this website so you won’t even need to go far! When you are choosing a source for your research, make sure that the information you are using is from a credible source.

Another thing to remember about your research: you can read forever and ever and still not be able to read ALL the research and ALL the information there is to know about the climate crisis. A better tactic is to find what we call a HOOK or a WAY IN to the issue. Then you can focus your research in a way that is meaningful for your audience and can hook them in (more on that next). For example, many South Africans do not know and may not care that much about the words ‘climate crisis’. However, MOST South Africans will know and do care about LOADSHEDDING. And  load shedding = electricity crisis = fossil fuel crisis = climate crisis. Your WAY IN may be to start by researching ‘loadshedding + climate change’ for example, and to find your hook from there.


6. Who are you making this for?


An important question to ask yourselves while you are making your artwork is ‘Who will be watching this piece?’. How old are they? What language/s do they speak? What are their social/economic/cultural backgrounds? What do they already know about climate change? So, for example, it may not be the greatest idea to make a play that talks about overfishing and the climate crisis when you are planning to perform the play in Gauteng, where people may not have such a strong connection to the sea. If you are in Gauteng, it might be more relevant to your audiences to make a play about mine dumps and air pollution, for example. Remember your HOOK? People will always be more interested in engaging with something that speaks to them and their own lived experiences. Audiences want to be able to recognise themselves in the stories and the characters and the pictures that you show them. Make sure your artwork is relevant for your audience.

7. Practice man, practice.


This is the best part and the part that you will probably spend most of your time on. This is where you take all that research, all that preparation, all that teamwork, and turn it into something beautiful and poetic for all to see.

Here are some quick tips for building a rewarding and effective rehearsal process:

︎ Start every session with a game: games help to warm people up and get the group into a positive mindset, ready for collaboration and imagination.

︎Have a plan for the session: what do you want to achieve in the time you have together?

︎Make notes or record what you do at each meeting so that you can remember it for the next time and build on your last session together.

︎Keep your eye on the prize: there will be times when the work feels hard and you feel stuck. There may even be tension and disagreement arising within the group. This is all very normal. It is important to work through these disagreements respectfully and carefully and keep in mind that you are all on the same side working towards a shared goal.

︎Have fun! Your project should feel exciting, inspiring, challenging, interesting and invigorating. Everyone should look forward to meeting up and working on the project together, in spite of challenges. If it is not fun, you may want to look at how to make your process more engaging and inclusive.


8. Showtime baby!


The moment of truth. The pay off for all your blood, sweat and tears. The truth is, this is also a moment to let go and trust that your work speaks for itself. It is also important to remember that art is never perfect and also never feels ‘finished’. Something that comes from deep inside your imagination is always in process, always growing, always changing. So put it out there and see what comes back.

9. Document and SHARE

In all the excitement of ‘making’, we often forget to save our work for others to share in later. This is especially true if the work is ‘live’ like a performance or an installation. While (we believe!) nothing can beat the experience of watching a live show - we can still try and capture moments or reactions to the piece and share those with a wider (even global?) audience online. Documenting your work is also important for the creators of the piece as it can help your group later on, when eflecting on lessons learned (for next time!) from your process. An added bonus of documenting your work through photos, videos, reports and audience feedback is that it can also help you get credibility and support for your next project such as much-needed funds and publicity.

10. Debrief


This is an often forgotten step of the making process. The more we make theatre about the climate crisis, the more we realise how necessary this step is for success. After the excitement of ‘showtime’, remember to make some time to meet up and reflect on the experience you just had together. This can be as simple as meeting somewhere peaceful, like a park or another neutral space where people feel comfortable. Create a circle and make sure everyone who was involved has an opportunity to speak and share their experience with the group. Try to practise good listening skills and to provide a space of non-judgement and support. Do not force anyone to speak who does not want to. You can provide other ways of sharing such as drawing or writing your feelings.

Creating a culture of care:


Climate Grief and Climate Anxiety are a real thing, especially among young people today. We need to address these feelings and to practise radical self-care if we are to be effective change-makers in the long run.

One thing that art is sure to do, whether creating or watching, is to help people feel vulnerable. Especially with a particularly weighty topic such as the climate crisis which asks that we confront so many difficult issues all at the same time. Painful subjects such as food insecurity, water scarcity, extreme weather events and their toll on humxn and animal life, inequality and racism, the burden on women and children, loss of biodiversity and mass extinction events can leave us feeling despairing and traumatised. It is essential that we show up for ourselves and each other at this time.  Here are some ideas to help you navigate the deep feelings that come from making art about the climate crisis:

︎Talk about it

︎Write about it

︎Go for a walk

︎Rage

︎Breathe

︎Grow something

︎Make something

︎Seek joy

︎Build community: the climate crisis is not one person’s fault and not one person’s responsibility.

︎Rest

If you find yourself reading this, you should know that you are not alone.


You are part of a global movement of millions of young people who care deeply about the climate crisis and our shared Earth and who, like you, want to do things differently.

Please connect with us!


We will do this together, or not at all...





Burning Rebellion was written by Joni Barnard aka Missy Phaya Fly, Lerato Sefoloshe, Sanelisiwe Yekani, Mlindeli Zondi, Jaques de Silva, Kyla Davis. Performed by: Lerato Sefoloshe, Sanelisiwe Yekani, Mlindeli Zondi, Jaques de Silva. Produced by: Well Worn Theatre Company.

This digital/interactive, open-source version of Burning Rebellion was produced by Well Worn Theatre Company in collaboration with the South African Research Chair in Science Communication, based at Stellenbosch University. The SARChI SciCom is funded by the National Research Foundation.
Burning Rebellion is made possible by a generous grant from the National Lotteries Commission.