Join us at three upcoming events that use different media – film, spoken accounts and written words – to convey some of the most urgent themes and stories of our time.
As a scientist by training, I was pretty reluctant to realise that facts alone don’t usually lead us directly to effective action. We need so much more than graphs, data and evidence to motivate us: we need to feel the urgency; we need to believe that we can make a difference; we need genuinely inspiring role models; we need the strength of community to support us.
When we started YorkCliConnect our initial focus was on making fundamental environmental science and knowledge more accessible to our community. This is still important … but we’ve also become increasingly interested in broadening how we communicate, to convey both scientific knowledge and the human side of the Climate and Nature Emergency.
And this is where storytelling comes in. Stories help us feel what the facts woven into them really mean for ourselves and others, and make it easier for us to envisage ourselves taking part in some form of action. So with this in mind, we’d love to welcome you to these upcoming events in York that will use film, spoken accounts and the written word to convey some of the most urgent messages of our time.
In chronological order, they are:
🎞️ Three short films on Climate Denial, Anxiety and Activism, Tues 25th March, 6:30pm, CityScreen PictureHouse. This trio of short documentary films – #ClimateScam?, Climate Anxiety & Plan Z – use personal stories to communicate about different responses to the climate crisis. The films will be followed by a discussion hosted by Sophia with panellists including Abi (as a subject of one of the films), alongside a prominent climate scientist, climate psychologist and young campaigner from Teach the Future. Find out more about the films and the panellists here.
🌍 Beyond Borders: York Climate Narratives, Weds 26th March, 7pm, Micklegate Social. A unique evening where voices from the frontlines of climate change take center stage. Local people from the global majority will be sharing their lived experiences with climate change, ecological shifts, and resilience for the first time, courageously bringing their stories to the forefront. Check out their invitation for you to join them here.
📚Earth Day Celebration and Book Launch, Tues 22nd April, 7:30pm, Patch York. A chance to get together and celebrate stories of environmental action in York and beyond, combined with the launch of “Scientists on Survival”, a collection of personal stories from scientists who have become climate activists. More details coming soon!