Political responses to the global crisis

This seminar explores the role of arts-based participatory methods as a decolonial approach to advancing environmental justice, particularly among the marginalised. Drawing on doctoral research conducted in Malawi, the presentation examines a collaborative project involving local communities in the co-creation of a film, theatre performance, and visual arts exhibition. These creative outputs were used to engage policymakers in dialogues aimed at disaster risk reduction.

As climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of natural hazards—such as floods, cyclones, and storms—their impact is exacerbated in countries like Malawi by systemic vulnerabilities. These include unsustainable land use, deforestation, insecure housing, and social inequalities related to age, disability, gender, and poverty (IPCC, 2021; Laska et al.,2007; Von Meding, 2018). This seminar argues that vulnerability—rather than the hazard itself—is often the key driver of disaster and must be addressed through structural change.

The session will highlight how indigenous filmmaking, forum theatre, and visual arts were employed to centre local and indigenous knowledge (epistemic justice); interrogate the unequal distribution of environmental risks and benefits (distributive justice); facilitate meaningful participation in decision-making (procedural justice); and affirm the value of community knowledge in environmental governance (recognition justice). Together, these four dimensions shape a holistic understanding of environmental justice, offering insights into the transformative potential of decolonial, arts-based methodologies in local climate action.

Host or Publisher Reimagine Norwich