The Problematic Climate Project
Buffalo, NY
2024, Senior, Interactive & Multimedia
Project Description: The Problematic Climate Project is an interactive performance installation designed to create community space that allows students to engage with poetry, music, art, drawing, discussions, and personal experiences with climate change. The Problematic Climate Project featured an event called the Problematic Climate Open Mic. The Problematic Climate Open Mic provided a platform for students and members of the community to tell and share their stories, drawings, and experiences impacted by climate change. The Open Mic also featured a Snack & Story Station and a Draw & Drink Bar. CREATIVE INTERACTIVE COMPONENTS: The Snack & Story Station encouraged participants to “Tell their climate story” by writing how climate change has personally impacted them. After they completed their story, they used their writing to redeem snacks from the Snack & Story Station. The Draw & Drink Bar encouraged participants to “Tell their climate story” by drawing how climate change has personally impacted them. After they completed their drawing, they used their art to redeem drinks from the Draw & Drink Bar. Participants were also told that their drawings might be included in our Poetic Climate Coloring Book. The Poetic Climate Story Coloring Book features poems, drawings, designs, and graphic collages inspired by their personal experiences with Climate Change. The Poetic Climate Story Coloring Book also includes original poems and drawings from the Problematic Climate Open Mic and the Tapestry Charter High School Community. The Poetic Climate Story Coloring Book will be donated to the Grant Street Neighborhood Center which is run by People United for Sustainable Housing (PUSH Buffalo).
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Reflection
In 2022, Buffalo, NY experienced a racially motivated mass shooting that claimed ten lives as well as a Blizzard that claimed 47 lives. In 2023, we experienced air quality pollution from the wildfires in Canada. Not only was our community being impacted by violence, but by our own climate change reality. We needed to heal by “telling our story”. Our creative process with poetry, drawing, writing, speaking and sharing allowed us to tell our story and experiences in a therapeutic way. This contest helped us to create space and sharing that we didn’t realize we needed until we did it.