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This Spring, in CSTPR’s Inside the Greenhouse ‘creative climate communications’ course we conducted an experiment. We challenged forty senior undergraduate students to come up with a comedy skit or standup routine that drew on issues associated with climate change…a we gave them a mere four weeks from start to finish (the finish being a live comedy show on campus).
Though a bit bewildered at the prospect of such an unusual assignment, every student courageously embarked on the challenge. In groups of four, they quickly got to work on a composition.
While some found quick inspiration, most of the students understandably struggled with various elements of the task at hand. Early comments included, “you’re telling us to take something really serious and make it funny – that is very difficult”, and “I’m just not very funny – why would I want to show that off?”. But to their credit, drawing inspiration from class exercises/activities and visiting speakers (including Prof Max Liboiron [Memorial University of Newfoundland], Prof Peter McGraw [University of Colorado-Boulder], Dave Poulson [Michigan State University], and Josh Rollins) students began to find some traction and satisfaction from their sustained efforts to find the funny in climate change.
As part of the creative process, each group were asked to state what their main communication/climate message(s) is/are.
Here are some examples:
- “Don’t let economic or religious beliefs interfere with environmental priorities”
- “We point out the ridiculousness of climate change and human error while attempting to deliver a message of the need for change”
- “Be aware of your environmental impacts and don’t be hypocritical. If you talk the talk, then walk the walk and know how to do it effectively”
- “Climate change…can be framed as a relatable subject and doesn’t have to be a daunting doomsday problem”
After a month of hard work and rehearsals, it was show time. So on a cold and snowy St Patrick’s Day evening (which we learned was considered as a quasi-religious University student holiday), about seventy-five attendees joined the performers as they packed into the CU-Boulder Atlas Institute Black Box theatre for an experimental evening of ‘Comedy for Climate Change’. Read more …
