TENACT - Theatre for environmental action

"<< Background >>Our primary objective was to tackle the persistent issue of climate change along with the multitude of public and individual confusions and complexities associated with it. Climate change had been classified by scientists as a ""super-wicked"" problem, demanding innovative educational approaches like drama for comprehensive understanding. The project aimed to develop a comprehensive guideline to aid teachers and facilitators in enabling young people to grasp the nuances of climate change and to inspire them to take responsible and reflective action.Throughout the duration of the project our overarching mission was to confront the enduring challenge of climate change, delving into the myriad of public and individual confusions and intricacies that accompanied it. At the heart of our endeavor was the aspiration to craft a comprehensive guideline, meticulously curated to empower educators and facilitators in guiding young minds towards a deeper understanding of climate change, fostering within them a sense of responsibility and an inclination towards reflective action.<< Objectives >>Our primary objective was to produce a comprehensive manual tailored specifically for workshops, equipping teachers and facilitators with the necessary tools to seamlessly integrate innovative educational techniques into their daily practices. By doing so, we aimed to cultivate a transformative learning environment, empowering educators to effectively engage with students on pressing environmental issues.Moreover, our focus extended beyond mere dissemination of information; we endeavored to catalyze profound shifts in the self-reflection and self-efficacy capacities of young individuals concerning environmental themes. Recognizing the pivotal role of self-awareness and empowerment in driving sustainable behavioral change, our objective was to instill within students a deep-seated sense of agency and responsibility towards their ecological footprint.Central to our approach was the utilization of youth theatre as a tool for non-formal education. We firmly believed in its efficacy as a transformative tool, leveraging its unique ability to immerse participants in multifaceted roles, both physically and emotionally, thus fostering empathy, critical thinking, and proactive engagement with environmental narratives.<< Implementation >>Throughout the project, we implemented a variety of activities to achieve our goals. These included organizing transnational meetings where groups from three countries collaborated to develop theatre-technical workshops addressing various aspects of climate change. These meetings served as forums for brainstorming, sharing best practices, and refining workshop content. Additionally, we conducted thorough evaluations, followed up on progress, and strategically planned next steps to ensure the effectiveness and relevance of our interventions.Another key component of our activities was the pilot phase, during which we tested the developed workshops within our organization with young participants. This phase provided invaluable insights into the practical implementation of our educational methods and allowed us to gather feedback from the target audience. Through reflective discussions and evaluations, participants engaged in critical analysis of the introduced techniques, facilitating continuous improvement and adaptation.Furthermore, we organized three multiplier events aimed at disseminating the outcomes of our project to the wider community. These events served as platforms for knowledge exchange, capacity building, and networking among stakeholders interested in environmental education and theatre for social change. By sharing our experiences, insights, and resources, we aimed to inspire and empower others to adopt similar approaches in their respective contexts.In summary, our activities encompassed collaborative workshop development, rigorous evaluation and reflection, practical testing with young participants, and extensive dissemination efforts through multiplier events. These multifaceted initiatives were designed to foster meaningful engagement, knowledge exchange, and sustainable impact within the field of environmental education and advocacy.<< Results >>Result 1: Activities ToolkitThis toolkit offers a diverse range of activities designed to facilitate discussions and exploration of environmental issues through the medium of theatre. The activities are categorized into three types: conversation starters, core activities, and reflection activities, each serving a specific purpose in the learning process.The toolkit is intentionally designed to provide flexibility and adaptability. While we propose various uses for these activities, they are by no means limited to those suggestions.Experienced facilitators are encouraged to unleash their creativity and tailor the activities to suit the specific needs and goals of their participants.In the realm of youth theatre, these activities have been thoughtfully crafted and tested by three youth theatres with regular workshops for young people. Their successful implementation in these settings makes them valuable additions to general youth theatre programs.By integrating these activities, drama facilitators can engage young participants in exploring environmental themes through theatrical expression and creative methodologies.Beyond the realm of youth theatre, these activities have broad applicability in different contexts. For instance, they can serve as icebreakers during environmental conferences, seminars, and events, setting a participatory and engaging tone for discussions on pressing ecological concerns.It is nonetheless designed with the idea of flexibility in mind. In this section we will propose ideas for different uses of these activities, but they are in no way limited to these and can be used in many other ways that any experienced facilitator may think of.Result 2: Devising GuideThis guide to devising is part of the TENACT project. TENACT seeks to explore ways in which theatre can be used to help groups of young people find ways to take action in their communities on the issues of global warming, climate change, climate justice, environmental awareness, global development, and green living. Devising is one of the key strategies in drama work. It helps groups find out what they would like to explore; shows them ways that they can express what they want to say; and provides them with media to share what they want to say. So, it helps to discover, to express and to share their concerns, ideas, opinions and research.Since their concerns and ideas in this project are to do with environmental action the role of devising here is to help groups of young people make theatre that can be performed for the communities in which the young people live. The devised theatre can provoke those communities into changing the way they live in order to mitigate against climate change.This guide aims to lead the practitioner through various techniques which we have used and found effective in working with young people. We describe the process of devising and give examples of how we have used it to create theatre in our communities that stimulates people to reflect and act on pressing environmental issues.Result 3: Training of TrainersWe also created a ToT programme that is documented in a third pdf. With this training programme we aim to improve the ability of youth workers and theatre facilitators to implement activities around environmental issues. While we have produced tools that can support an experienced facilitator (PR1 and PR2), it can be challenging to include them for newcomers. In this sense we identify two target groups that would benefit in participating in this training programme:- Theatre practitioners who have knowledge and experience in the artistic aspect but are less experienced in the facilitating or pedagogic sides.- Youth workers or educators that are skilled in producing educational programmes but have less experience when it comes to using theatre techniques.For both target groups this training would offer support in the following areas:- Experiencing an educational programme based on theatre methodologies to tackle climate change.- Experiencing a devising process.As we are dealing with experiential learning, having experienced yourself such methodologies is key for understanding the key principles and mechanisms behind the specific tools used.After having participated in this training programme, we expect participants to be able to plan and organise theatre activities that promote climate action, to be able to facilitate the devising of a short theatre piece on environmental issues and to transfer these tools, as well as other drama tools, to their daily practice."