Environmental Education, Activism and the Arts

The global military-industrial complex is the world's worst polluter, so non-violence is a vital part of a sustainable world. Non-violent activism and education often occur simultaneously, with direct action frequently a dramatic attempt to educate audiences. Therefore, this paper discusses how the arts benefit both educative and non-violent activist processes. In this paper, the arts refer to the whole gamut of artistic activity, from street-theatre to film-making, and combinations thereof. The paper begins by briefly defining environmental education and the "consent" theory of power. It then uses Australian case studies to explore attributes of the arts, which assist environmental education and activism. The case studies show that the arts have many qualities that enhance information transfer and instrumental learning, and expose the covert processes of governments and corporations. The arts can educate holistically and create a liminal atmosphere conducive to emancipatory learning. The celebratory aspects of the arts bring a balance to environmentalism by lightening its often-confronting messages and actions with humour and creativity. The arts can also assist communicative learning, promoting networking and creative group processes. They can reach large audiences, and provide a wide variety of avenues for self-expression and possibilities for inclusion in environmental activism and education. (Contains 8 notes.)