Storytelling for Impact
Each of these projects, working in diverse storytelling forms, has been strategically rendered to address critical issues facing society and the planet.
Climate Narratives Prize
The Inaugural Climate Narratives Prize celebrated three master storytellers who were selected by graduate students enrolled in the “Climate Narratives, Apocalypse and Social Change” course at ASU. The awards event was hosted at ASU during Earth Week, 2022 in partnership with the Global Futures Laboratory and the Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict. Read more in Times Higher Education: “Scholars Need to Act with Greater Urgency.”
Voices from the Future
Stories from dozens of survivors of extreme weather events crafted for multiple platforms, including print, digital, video and theater. These stories aim to increase public discourse about climate change and the growing number and intensity of extreme weather events now and in the decades ahead. Read from the collection of over 30 stories on the Global Futures Laboratory site or the digital package published by The New Republic.
Weathering the Storm
A theater production based on the real-life experiences of individuals impacted by extreme weather events on five continents. This production, planned for live theater and filmed for PBS, seeks to provoke necessary conversations about climate change and extreme weather events globally.
Planet Forward—Peril & Promise
Video series on PBS’ WNET in New York, featuring in-depth conversations about climate change issues and solutions with experts and innovators that are working to bring hope to the climate crisis. Planet Forward is hosted by Emmy award-winning journalist Frank Sesno and made in partnership with the Narrative Storytelling Initiative and the Global Futures Laboratory.
Water Narratives and Societal Change
The Water Narratives and Societal Change course, situated at the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory (CGF) and the School of Sustainability (SOS), focuses on water narratives and storytelling, specifically exploring impactful narratives. Throughout the course, students acquire storytelling and narrative writing skills, along with comprehensive knowledge about critical water issues from scientific, political, economic, Indigenous, and aesthetic perspectives. We also recorded guest lectures from esteemed water experts to create a valuable database.
Climate Action Theater
This international event includes readings and performances of short plays about human-caused shifts in the environment. The upcoming event will feature Anthropocene – a live theater performance examining how human progress has led to a new and dangerous geological age – directed in partnership with Rachel Bowditch and scheduled for release at the Galvin theater in the Fall of 2023.