Acting on Climate is an ongoing research project and the collaborative efforts of University of Warwick academics, external artist practitioners, educators and young people from schools in Coventry.

Under the guidance of Dr. Rachel Turner-King and Dr. Bobby Smith, our team has received funding to explore how arts-led learning including the use of dance, drama and digital arts can support education in both formal and informal settings to address the global climate crisis. Together with young people, we’ve embarked on a journey of discovery, using playful games, group discussions, and embodied performances to deepen our understanding of climate change.

These performances, along with an array of teaching resources, are shared here to inspire teachers, youth practitioners, and educators who may wish to explore this topic in their own setting. We have developed a unique ‘site-responsive pedagogy,’ which prioritises flexible, responsive and non-linear learning, drawing inspiration from young people’s local contexts. Our findings also indicate that arts-based pedagogies offer a playful, hopeful antidote to eco-anxiety (Turner-King and Smith, forthcoming).

From collaborative projects to engaging communities, Acting on Climate remains committed to reimagining the place for arts-led education when teaching about the climate crisis in our current education landscape. We know that arts-led teaching can be a powerful tool for unpacking and better understanding societal problems and we hope that the work we have done will inform future research, pedagogical advancement, and support other educators when addressing the climate emergency in their practice.