Eco Drama and the Power of Environmental Theatre for Children.
Hamish Kale, Unsplash.
Ecodrama is a powerful theatrical form which reimagines performance as a participatory act of ecological consciousness, blending powerful fusions of arts, activism and environmental ethics. By focusing on the interconnectedness of all life forms and the urgent realities of climate change, ecodrama challenges children to be exposed to the ethics of coexistence, sustainability, and survival. As the effects of climate change become more visible and urgent, it is clear that science alone isn’t enough to shift the conversation and awareness. We also need stories - ones that help us feel, understand, and imagine new ways of living. That’s where Ecodrama comes in. As I discussed in a previous blog, the theatre is a powerful place where children can and should attend, as they are naturally imaginative and emotionally responsive, and so storytelling with eco messages are both necessary and appropriate.
Ecodrama puts the environment at the centre of the story, inviting theatre-makers to think deeply about the impact of their productions, using sustainable materials, low-carbon methods, and local resources. But beyond that, it offers audiences a space to reflect on their relationship with the natural world. These performances may address environmental issues directly, like climate disasters, pollution, or extinction, but they can also explore subtler themes like community, belonging, and the importance of place and effect upon mental health. I have previously discussed health and the sense of belonging to a place here. As well as visiting the theatre with children, there are also plays which can be discussed and accessed in the classroom. Depending on the age of the students, time constraints, and the curriculum accessibility to drama classes, there are a variety of plays which can be studied and understood as ecodrama. These include (but are not limited to):
Henrik Ibsen: An Enemy of the People
[A story about how the town’s waters have become terribly polluted and one man’s courageous decision to speak out about it.]
Robert Schenkkan: The Kentucky Cycle
[The epic tale of a land and its people who are Indigenous, European and African, each claiming their identity upon the landscape.]
August Wilson: Two Trains Running
[Set amidst the civil rights movement, the story which highlights the loss of inner-city sustainability.]
Cherríe Moraga: Heroes and Saints
[A tale about the embodied impact of industrial agriculture and the struggle of farm workers during the 1990s.]
Taking part in a live performance about an environmental issue can both inspire action and build awareness for children, showing a reciprocal connection between humans and the more-than-human world. It encompasses not only works that take environmental issues as their topic, hoping to raise consciousness or press for change, but also work that explores the relation of a “sense of place” to identity and community.
In the current time of planetary and climate crisis, ecodrama creates space for collective reflection, resilience, and imagination. It asks not just “What’s happening to the planet?” but “What kind of future do we want to create and how do we start now?” For children, it offers hope, creativity, and a sense of purpose. Through the power of theatre, children don’t just learn about the environment, they also learn to care for it. We are all part of making changes, and the choices we make, on and off stage, matter so that we can build, and teach children to foster a collective sense of hope for our planet.
