In line with the virtual retreat organized by the The Center for Climate and Health Global Research on Disasters (CORD) Project, a creative communication session entitled “Ah..a It’s Climate Change” was facilitated by RCW Director Glecy C. Atienza with the able support of Supervising Science Researcher Christian Sanchez of RCW and Grace Sello of the National University of Lesotho on February 10, 2025, Monday, at 8 to 11 PM PHT.
42 participants from Tufts University (USA), The Rockefeller Foundation (USA), Colombia, Uganda, Bangladesh, Lesotho, Mozambique, United Kingdom, and the Philippines actively participated in the session.
With the full title “Ah..a! It’s Climate Change… Creative Communication Workshop: Storytelling for Research on Climate Action”, the workshop ran for two hours. The format was an interactive storytelling session where participants used body sounds, movement, visuals, and improvisation to create climate change stories derived from folktales and local experiences. The session aimed to share tips in utilizing storytelling for research through narratives on AA for Climate Change using elements of artistic expression.
Sessions included becoming aware of possible storytelling tools, exploring possibilities in storytelling, storytelling improvisation, a group storytelling showcase, and discussion. The workshop concluded with reflecting on how the lessons and techniques learned can be used for climate change and creative action.
The CORD Project is an off-shoot of the USAID-funded Academic Alliance on Anticipatory Action (4As) Project but funded by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).