ENVS 054. Resisting the Apocalypse: Activism, Theater, and Envisioning a Good Future.

(Cross-listed as THEA 026)
Many of us are just…tired. We’re exhausted, frustrated, or we’ve grown numb to the state of the world. It’s hard to continuously and repeatedly summon the strength and the will to practice optimism. How do we, as artists, as activists, as humans living on this planet, find ways to imagine a future where things work out? Where suffering and disaster aren’t the inevitable end-state?

This course explores how we build emotional, collective resilience in the face of the many crises of our time. Working through the lens of climate crisis, students will engage with: 1) the work of local activists (e.g. The Sunrise Movement, PhillyThrive, the Earth Quaker Action Team), 2) the writings of facilitators/authors working on collective action and building a sustainable future (e.g. Joanna Macy, Adrienne Maree Brown, Robin Wall Kimmerer), and 3) the tools of theater (e.g. vulnerability, creativity, embodiment) to explore: How do we process our intense, exhausted, or numbed feelings? What do we mean by collective power, and how will we fuel movements for the future together? How do we begin to dream of our future with practicality, hope, and even joy?

Prerequisite: No prior experience in activism or theater required.
Humanities.
1.0 credit.
Eligible for ENVS

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