About ITG
The objectives for this project are:
1. To generate multimodal compositions on the subject of climate change
2. Engage with various dimensions and issues associated with sustainability
3. Produce and distribute the 'Inside the Greenhouse' program
We work to deepen our understanding of how issues associated with climate change are/can be communicated, by creating artifacts through interactive theatre, film, fine art, performance art, television programming, and appraising as well as extracting effective methods for multimodal climate communication. The centerpiece of this project is the Inside the Greenhouse (ITG) television program, featuring a high-profile figure engaged in climate and environment issues (stay tuned for our upcoming schedule). As part of the programming, we also feature work produced in the associated 'Inside the Greenhouse' course at the University of Colorado-Boulder.
The interdisciplinary approach taken up in this ITG collective seeks to capture, value and interrogate the complexity of multi-scale and contemporary climate science, policy and politics as well as the challenges of performance and communication of these issues. Our motivations here spring from an expansive view of climate science and policy in society, where more formal scientific and policy work is part of, rather than separate from, public uptake. Representational practices of various sorts play key roles in interpretation, framing climate change for policy, politics and the public, and drawing attention to how to make sense of the changing world. Mediated portrayals - from television news to live performance - are critical links between people's everyday realities and experiences, and the ways in which these are discussed at a distance between science, policy and public actors.
The chosen title of the project - Inside the Greenhouse - acknowledges that, to varying degrees, we are all implicated in, part of, and responsible for greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. So in these collective endeavors we treat this 'greenhouse' as a living laboratory, an intentional place for growing new ideas and evaluating possibilities to confront climate change through a range of mitigation and adaptation strategies.
ITG is "the interface of climate and society. It melds the arts and environmental studies." - Andrew Revkin, New York Times
ITG "creates opportunities for new scholarship, research, and creative works that may not happen in the absence of these courses." - Todd Gleeson, dean of College of Arts and Science, University of Colorado
ITG is "a fitting way to highlight a productive intersection of theatre and environmental science." - Philanthropist Gordon Gamm
"I think it is so important to have more communication courses in environmental studies, we often do not get to engage hands-on with our mission. I think a lot of environmentalists themselves buy into the culture gap between us and the conservatives, big business, etc. but that true progress is going to be made not by alienating but communicating to everyone in a positive way". - Student Testimonial, Abrina
"Walking into class on day one, I was expecting to literally go inside a greenhouse. Walking away I now have a totally new understanding of the complexities surrounding climate change and the issues regarding education and action". - Student Testimonial, Richard
"I think it's so important to make the connections between climate science and media, because as many people in our class have mentioned, the typical node of communication in the scientific community is by publishing papers or reading research journals. While these are great methods, it's crucial to have the environmentalists engage in various forms of social and mass media to get their messages out there to the world as a whole". - Student Testimonial, Keely
"So in a way, this class has really challenged me to look inward and think about what my own motivations are for caring so deeply and passionately about environmental issues, in order to think about the best way to connect with audiences emotionally. This has allowed me to grow personally in ways that I really did not expect this semester, and I am thankful to have some newfound skills and tools for effective communication about important environmental issues in the future". - Student Testimonial, Brooke
The Inside the Greenhouse course was made possible through generous funding by the Grace and Gordon Gamm Interdisciplinary Fund, the CU-Boulder Outreach and Engagement Program, and the Arts and Sciences Support of Education through Technology (ASSETT) program.
488 UCB