Is tragedy the true language of science? Unleashing the emotional power of theatrical storytelling for climate change communication

Abstract

Should scientists extend their climate change communication beyond factual reporting? A transdisciplinary and participatory theatre project exemplifies the power of storytelling in climate change communication by eliciting emotional responses.The complex and interconnected nature of current global challenges such as climate change call for new and creative ways of communicating research. To help people make sense of phenomena, improve information acquisition and retention, build collective awareness and public engagement, emotions are often more impactful than factual reporting. In this context, this paper builds on transformative narrative theory to investigate the efficacy of theatrical storytelling in unleashing emotions in relation to climate change. As part of a transdisciplinary and participatory theatre performance combining the arts, science, and activism, a brief questionnaire was administered to the audience to exploratively assess emotional changes before and after the play. Significant emotional changes highlight the potential of participatory theatrical storytelling as a powerful tool for communicating climate change and encourage further exploration of this approach in transdisciplinary (theatrical) projects and science communication efforts.