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Topic

Creating Climate Resilience: An Arts-based Approach for Helping Youth Process Climate Anxiety and Generate Active Hope

School of Environmental Studies

Date & location

• Monday, April 14, 2025

• 10:30 A.M.

• David Turpin Building

• Room B255

Reviewers

Supervisory Committee

• Dr. Karena Shaw, School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria (Supervisor)

• Dr. Trudi Lynn Smith, School of Environmental Studies, UVic (Member) 

External Examiner

• Dr. Sarah Marie Wiebe, School of Public Administration, University of Washington 

Chair of Oral Examination

• Dr. Pierre-Luc Landry, School of Languages, Linguistics and Culture, UVic 

Abstract

As anthropogenic climate change advances, young people globally are experiencing alarmingly high rates of climate distress, including climate anxiety and ecological grief. Emerging data demonstrating the disproportionate psychological burden on young people and its wide-ranging impacts underscores the urgency to provide appropriate and accessible mental health supports. Despite this, research to date has largely focused on defining, scoping and typologizing climate emotions, rather than directly involving those most impacted in qualitative research to develop and evaluate interventions. Given participatory arts’ track record in promoting psychosocial benefits, this research explores 1) can visual artmaking and dialoguing help young people process climate anxiety and related eco-emotions? If so, how? And 2) in what ways might this arts-based approach help youth generate active hope, if at all? I investigate these questions through the design, piloting and evaluation of three visual artmaking and dialogue sessions with youth ages 17 – 21 in Victoria BC. As a Youth Participatory Action and Arts-based Research study participants contributed directly to theorization through interviews, original artwork and artist statements exploring climate anxiety and their visions for a climate resilient future. The sessions were found to support emotional processing through providing a dedicated time and resources to engage with climate emotions, a co-created safe space for youth, intentional prompts, and the interplay between individual and collective components. Participants reported an array of intersecting outcomes, including helping them identify specific thoughts and feelings, express emotions beyond words, release and transform so-called ‘negative’ emotions and foster feelings of pride and empowerment. The findings point towards the vital need for youth-led spaces in which they feel safe to express a wide palette of emotions about the climate crisis without expectation of resolution. Their visions of the future suggest that participants’ hope is gleaned from real-world examples of resilient human and more-than human systems and fueled by their commitment to protect and strengthen them. Ultimately this research emphasizes valuing both ‘negative’ and ‘positive’ climate emotions, the arts, and community as rich sources of wisdom and motivation to address the climate crisis.