Theatre & Climate Migration

By: Cass Bradford, created for ENGL 4120

What is Climate Migration?

Climate migration, as defined in Gaia Vince's book Nomad Century: How Climate Migration Will Reshape Our World, "The movement of people forced to leave their homes due to extreme environmental changes." In 2023, it was reported that over 32 million people were displaced due to climate related disasters (UC Global Health Institute). This figure doesn't include people displaced by other climate related changes such as drought and heat. Depending on the severity of the climate crisis, the number of climate refugees could rise to over one billion by 2050. Regardless of preemptive or mitigating efforts to slow the effects of climate change, a mass migration has begun. People are moving north, away from the equator and towards large sources of water. Countries like Russia and territories like Greenland will become the world's safe havens. These northern cities are going to see an influx of climate migrants regardless of borders or legislation. It's imperative that those who live in these cities understand and prepare for our new neighbors.

Climate Change and Action

One of the first mentions of human related environmental harm comes from Marine biologist Rachel Carson in her book, Silent Spring. She documents the harm that came from using pesticide DDT. People today are still warning about and fighting against climate change. Many groups come together under different similarities. GreenFaith is a multifaith climate justice group. Native American groups are also large supporters of climate justice and campaigning for climate related issues. This is often due to their close ties with nature causing climate change to be more prevalent in their everyday lives.

Run4Salmon

Run4Salmon is a 300-mile, weeks-long trek on foot, bike, canoe, and horse where people follow the historic pathway of their Nur, or salmon, in Mt. Shasta, California and pray. The Winnemem Wintu, a native tribe, consider the salmon their relative and once relied on the essential nutrients it brought. Since the building of the Shasta Dam, the salmon haven't been able to return to California and are living in New Zealand. “This prayerful journey raises awareness about the importance of protecting our waters, and restoring our salmon runs and revitalizing our Indigenous lifeways." (Run4Salmon).

utahdinebikeyah.org/

Utah Diné Bikéya

Utah Diné Bikéyah (UDB) is a Native American, non-profit organization that recognizes the spiritual connection between indigenous people and the land. Their core values focus on the power of healing. They heal through strengthening their ties to the land, practicing their Native cultures and languages, and treating others with respect. UDB works to ensure that sacred ancestral lands remain intact for future generations of all people. This includes courses and programs in their community.

Why Theatre?

Before discussing theatre's role in social change and climate justice, it's important to understand why theatre is an important tool in the fight against climate change. Theatre is often a space where you can "get away" with discussing topics you may not be able to in other situations. "Crude" topics like sex, politics, and in this case climate migration are more accepted when talked about in theatre. Theatre also helps provide the "why". It can show people, in an entertaining way, the journeys of these displaced peoples. This fostering of empathy and emotional impact makes the topic of climate migration last in people's minds long after a show ends. It could lead to a five dollar donation five years later to an environmentally friendly organization or the next leader in climate activism. Both are important. Both necessary. Both more possible through using theatre as a tool in the fight for climate justice.

Theatre and Social Change

Theatre, like many of the arts, has been used to impact change throughout history. One of the more obvious examples is "Guerilla Theatre". It is a type of spontaneous theatre performed in public as social or political protest. It originated in the 1960's by the San Francisco Mime Group to spread antiwar sentiments surrounding the Vietnam War. Similar events happened in Ancient Greece during festivals celebrating Dionysia. While these plays were planned, they often explored moral, social, and political issues of the time. Other groups focus more on education rather than spectacle. These groups, like the ones below, use theatre and storytelling to educate communities on issues and work towards change. They often focus on building community connections and inciting action , something essential for the coming years of migration.

TONYC - Theatre of the Oppressed NYC

TONYC, a worker self-directed nonprofit, calls their work more than theatre. Instead, it's rehearsal for the revolution. Their aims are to foster solidarity to ignite awareness, turn passion into action, and to shake the foundations of power. Some of their focuses include participatory theatre and creating a space for education and understanding of social issues.

Collaboraction

Collaboraction is a group based in Chicago inciting social change through original theatre and community engagement. Through this, they cultivate knowledge, dialogue, and action surrounding Chicago's social issues. Empathy and conversation is a large part of collaboration efforts. The audience is included in a conversation after every performance so they may verbalize and become inspired by other testimonies.

Theatre and Climate Migration

People are already educating others and spreading awareness around climate change and migration through theatre. These groups use theatrical performances including full plays, skits, and even interactive performances. Similar to groups like collaboration, these events often have educational and discussion aspects. Even colleges, like the University at Buffalo Center for the Arts Drama Theatre had a one-hour program titled "Toward a Climate Haven.". This program addressed Western New York's role as a potential climate refuge and its own climate uncertainties.

Climate Change Theatre Action - CCTA

CCTA is a U.S.-Canada collaboration between the Arts & Climate Initiative and the Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts. Every other year, 50 professional playwrights, representing all continents and multiple cultures, write a five-minute play around climate change based on a prompt. The collection then becomes available to potential organizers who wish to present them at the event. This can span from in-house readings to film adaptations. Events are also urged to incorporate action into their events through presentations, donations, food banks, etc.

Climate Connections - Walkabout Refugee Puppets

This was an exhibit put on by Glass Half Full Theatre featuring human-sized ambulatory puppets representing normal people displaced by climate change. These puppets interacted with participants, creating private theatrical moments. This is done through hidden messages, puppets, pictures, and postcards. The puppets depict a Guatemalan family making their way to the United States. Doña Ixk’a is pictured above, hoping to reunite with her son in Texas. The broccoli industry in her hometown was devastated by climate change.

What Else?

What else can theatre do for climate migration and how can communities support these efforts?

Theatre is a versatile tool because it takes little to do. A group is able to go into almost any setting and as long as they have room, most groups are able to perform. It doesn't take an auditorium - although they're helpful. This, combined with community support, allows these groups to go to many different places - schools, offices, clubs - and perform. Not only does this increase the amount of people aware of climate migration, but the amount of people who will be ready for it when it inevitably happens.

If an individual's most prominent memory around climate migration is a heart-felt play about the struggles of climate refugees and not a politician saying they're "stealing jobs" then they're more likely to welcome them with kindness and not the title of "alien".

There are many ways community members can support these efforts and the biggest is volunteering. Any reputable theatre person will tell you "It takes a village". Community and combined effort are what makes theatre which means the best way to contribute is to show up!

Works Cited

Climate Change Theatre Action. “Climate Change Theatre Action – Our Planet. Our Future. Our Responsibility.” Climate Change Theatre Action, www.climatechangetheatreaction.com/.

Collaboraction. “Social Justice Theatre Chicago.” Collaboraction, www.collaboraction.org/.

Council on Foreign Relations. “History of Climate Action Timeline.” CFR Education from the Council on Foreign Relations, 2025, education.cfr.org/learn/timeline/history-climate-action.

Glass Half Full Theatre. “Climate Connections/ Walkabout Refugee Puppets – Glass Half Full Theatre.” Glasshalffulltheatre.com, 2025, www.glasshalffulltheatre.com/climate-connections-walkabout-refugee-puppets/. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.

Kilgallen, Dr Anne. “Not Quite Right: Using Theatre to Have Difficult Conversations.” Cam.ac.uk, 2019, blog.thisinstitute.cam.ac.uk/not-quite-right-using-theatre-to-have-difficult-conversations. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.

Mullison, Kara. Creating Change through Spectacle: Art, Life, and Politics in 1960s Guerrilla Theatre . 30 Mar. 2016, pp. 0–130, backend.production.deepblue-documents.lib.umich.edu. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.

Run4Salmon. “Run4Salmon – a Prayerful Journey Led by Chief Caleen Sisk of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe to Restore Our Salmon Runs, Protect Our Waters, and Our Indigenous Lifeways.” Run4Salmon, run4salmon.org/.

The Anthropologists. “THIS SINKING ISLAND | Theanthropologists.” Theanthropologists, 2018, www.theanthropologists.org/this-sinking-island. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.

University at Buffalo . “College of Arts and Sciences.” Arts-Sciences.buffalo.edu, arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/.

Utah Dine Bikeyah. “Utah Dine Bikeyah – Bringing Healing to People and the Earth.” Utahdinebikeyah.org, 2016, utahdinebikeyah.org/. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.

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