The Last Hurrah (and The Long Haul): co-creation of theatre as climate change education

Law, M ORCID: 0000-0002-6127-5353, Corbin, S, Wilkins, M, Harris, V, Martin, G and Lowe, R (2021) 'The Last Hurrah (and The Long Haul): co-creation of theatre as climate change education.' Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 45 (4). pp. 549-562.

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Abstract

Meaningful action on climate change requires affective engagement with the human impacts of the problem. The Last Hurrah (and The Long Haul) project was developed using theatrical storytelling as a tool to provoke thought and empathy about the lived experience of climate change. Over a period of three years, a company of Acting students and their lecturer worked with faculty and students from a Geography department to explore climate change stories and the physical and human geographies that shape their impacts. This paper reflects on the process, highlighting opportunities and challenges for Geographers to become involved in interdisciplinary teaching and creative engagement as part of a more holistic approach to wicked problems, and explores the impact of the learning experience with the students involved. We conclude that storytelling is profoundly suited to overcoming the psychological barriers that can stand in the way of appreciating and empathising with the implications for everyday life of an altered climate system. Recommendations are made for future interdisciplinary education projects using creative arts to address global challenges.

Item Type:	Article
Note:	This article was first published online in November 2020 and included in an issue in October 2021.
Keywords:	climate change, theatre, storytelling, interdisciplinarity
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > G Geography (General) L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education
Divisions:	Bath School of Music and Performing Arts School of Sciences
Research Centres and Groups:	Creative Corporealities Research Group Hazard, Risk and Disaster Research Group
Date Deposited:	24 Nov 2020 19:18
Last Modified:	30 Nov 2023 20:08
ISSN:	0309-8265
URI / Page ID:	https://researchspace.bathspa.ac.uk/id/eprint/13602

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