Climate Change Theater and the Interrelation of Human and the More-Than-Human

Being one of the most pressing issues of our times, climate change threatens the safety of the planet. As of now, however, only a fraction of people is seriously affected by the looming crisis. This paper concerns itself with how climate change theater can help raise awareness of the already existin...

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Main Author: Färber, Andrea
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Graz 2024-03-01
Series:AmLit
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Online Access:http://media.obvsg.at/AC17129205-2001, https://resolver.obvsg.at/urn:nbn:at:at-ubg:4-49517
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author Färber, Andrea
author_facet Färber, Andrea
author_sort Färber, Andrea
collection DOAJ
description Being one of the most pressing issues of our times, climate change threatens the safety of the planet. As of now, however, only a fraction of people is seriously affected by the looming crisis. This paper concerns itself with how climate change theater can help raise awareness of the already existing impacts, both for humans and the more-than-human. Considering the issue of culture/nature dualism and the necessity to recognize the more-than-human as equal in order to bring along change, it is argued that sympathy needs to be elicited from the audience to influence their opinion of the importance to combat climate change. Subsequently, the influence of arts on the general public on the basis of case studies as well as the concept of affective ecology are introduced to showcase how climate change theater can actually make a difference by influencing audiences through embodied simulation. An analysis of the play Sila by Chantal Bilodeau highlights in which ways both foreign cultures and places as well as different species can be utilized to evoke sympathy in the observer. The importance of relationships, shared spaces and shared emotions, as well as the traditional Inuit concept of sila – a component of everything in existence – emphasize the importance of interconnectedness in climate change theater. The play utilizes both humans and the more-than-human to portray the lived experience of climate change in the Arctic to an audience not yet affected by it.
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spelling doaj-art-d7f9d51a04c44f978da4ba2e8c1edd1e2025-08-20T03:29:23ZengUniversity of GrazAmLit2789-889X2024-03-01Jahrgang 4 (2024)Heft 19911410.25364/27.4:2024.1.6AC17129205Climate Change Theater and the Interrelation of Human and the More-Than-HumanFärber, AndreaBeing one of the most pressing issues of our times, climate change threatens the safety of the planet. As of now, however, only a fraction of people is seriously affected by the looming crisis. This paper concerns itself with how climate change theater can help raise awareness of the already existing impacts, both for humans and the more-than-human. Considering the issue of culture/nature dualism and the necessity to recognize the more-than-human as equal in order to bring along change, it is argued that sympathy needs to be elicited from the audience to influence their opinion of the importance to combat climate change. Subsequently, the influence of arts on the general public on the basis of case studies as well as the concept of affective ecology are introduced to showcase how climate change theater can actually make a difference by influencing audiences through embodied simulation. An analysis of the play Sila by Chantal Bilodeau highlights in which ways both foreign cultures and places as well as different species can be utilized to evoke sympathy in the observer. The importance of relationships, shared spaces and shared emotions, as well as the traditional Inuit concept of sila – a component of everything in existence – emphasize the importance of interconnectedness in climate change theater. The play utilizes both humans and the more-than-human to portray the lived experience of climate change in the Arctic to an audience not yet affected by it.http://media.obvsg.at/AC17129205-2001, https://resolver.obvsg.at/urn:nbn:at:at-ubg:4-49517affective ecologyclimate change theaterinterconnectednesslimited
spellingShingle Färber, Andrea
Climate Change Theater and the Interrelation of Human and the More-Than-Human
AmLit
affective ecology
climate change theater
interconnectedness
limited
title Climate Change Theater and the Interrelation of Human and the More-Than-Human
title_full Climate Change Theater and the Interrelation of Human and the More-Than-Human
title_fullStr Climate Change Theater and the Interrelation of Human and the More-Than-Human
title_full_unstemmed Climate Change Theater and the Interrelation of Human and the More-Than-Human
title_short Climate Change Theater and the Interrelation of Human and the More-Than-Human
title_sort climate change theater and the interrelation of human and the more than human
topic affective ecology
climate change theater
interconnectedness
limited
url http://media.obvsg.at/AC17129205-2001, https://resolver.obvsg.at/urn:nbn:at:at-ubg:4-49517
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