Case Study: Rowanbank Environmental Arts & Education CIC
Case Study: Rowanbank Environmental Arts & Education CIC
Introduction
Rowanbank Environmental Arts and Education, based in Edinburgh, Scotland, has been pioneering creative climate education programmes designed to address the urgent need for integrating climate awareness with the emotional and psychological well-being of children and young people. This case study explores two of their flagship programmes: Positive Imaginings for primary school children and the Climate Wellbeing Project for high school students. These programmes leverage the power of creative arts, nature-based activities, and climate education to foster a deep sense of agency, resilience, and environmental stewardship among young participants.
Overview
Positive Imaginings was initially developed as part of Scotland's broader initiatives in the lead-up to COP26 in Glasgow. Both of Rowanbank’s climate education programmes focus on delivering climate education in a way that prioritises the well-being of participants while engaging them in creative expression and nature connection.
Positive Imaginings
The Positive Imaginings programme works with primary school children and their teachers, specifically those in P5 to P7, and was co-designed with children from one of Edinburgh’s most deprived areas. This programme blends performing arts with environmental education to create a unique learning experience set in local green spaces. ‘Positive Imaginings’ culminates in a children’s climate assembly, where the young participants are encouraged to express their ideas and solutions for climate action.
Lucy Power, Co-Director of Rowanbank, explains,
"The idea is to gather children's ideas for their future in the face of climate change... to give the children a feeling of agency and that their voices are being listened to."
The programme also includes a series of nature-based workshops, where children engage in forest school activities such as willow weaving, natural clay modelling, and storytelling. These workshops provide the children with the time and space to explore their creativity in a natural setting (this was particularly important for their emotional and psychological recovery post-COVID).
The Climate Wellbeing Project
The Climate Wellbeing Project was designed for high school students and piloted with 2,200 pupils across Scotland's central belt in Spring, 2024. This programme combines circus performances with interactive nature based workshops that focus on climate emotions and the psychological impact of climate change. The project successfully engaged students in discussions about their feelings about climate change and biodiversity loss, and encouraged them to explore creative solutions for collective climate action.
Lucy Power highlights the importance of addressing difficult climate emotions in this age group:
"We talked a lot about how it’s normal to have climate emotions…and how feelings of fear, anger and despair can exist alongside hope. Our job is to empower and give agency to young people, while as adults we need to take responsibility, and not burden children and young people with the problems that adults have created."
The workshops provided a nurturing space where students could express their thoughts and feelings while engaging in hands-on nature based activities, such as creating models of future sustainable communities using natural materials.
Key Activities
- Performing Arts and Storytelling: Both programmes incorporate performing arts, including circus acts, music, and theatrical storytelling, to convey environmental messages in an engaging and accessible way.
- Nature-Based Workshops: Weekly workshops in local green spaces allow children to interact with nature, explore their creativity, and develop a deeper connection to the environment. Activities include willow weaving, clay modelling, sensory nature walks and storytelling.
- Children’s Climate Assemblies: The Positive Imaginings programme features a children’s climate assembly, where participants share their ideas and engage in solution-oriented discussions about the future.
- Climate Emotions and Wellbeing: The Climate Wellbeing Project includes workshops that specifically address climate-related emotions, helping students navigate feelings of anxiety, fear, and hope in a supportive environment.
- Teacher training – Rowanbank also delivered workshops for teachers, supporting them to feel more confident to teach about climate change and biodiversity loss, and integrate it into their everyday, rather than as a stand alone topic to be covered in a few weeks. The training also shares tools to help care for young people’s wellbeing in the face of the climate and nature emergencies.
Impact on Wellbeing and Environmental Awareness
The programmes have had a significant positive impact on the wellbeing of participants. By providing a safe and creative space to explore their emotions and ideas, the workshops, performances and assemblies have helped children and young people develop a stronger sense of agency and resilience, while giving them much needed space and time to play and learn outside. Lucy Power notes that
"by spending time in local green spaces... the environmental care that comes with that place-based connection is something that naturally develops."
The Positive Imaginings programme, in particular, has been successful in fostering a deep connection to nature and care for the environment among its participants. Children who initially struggled to engage became more involved as they found their own ways to connect with the natural world. "It was amazing to watch how that space, time and that freedom allowed a child that really was struggling to engage to come and be probably the most engaged," Lucy reflects.
Challenges and Future Directions
While both programmes have been successful, they have also faced challenges, particularly in terms of time constraints and the need for more comprehensive evaluation and funding. The short duration of the workshops in the Climate Wellbeing Project limited the depth of exploration possible. Additionally, there is a recognised need for long-term research to assess the lasting impact of these programmes on participants’ wellbeing and pro-environmental behaviours.
Lucy Power expresses a desire to develop these programmes further, stating, "We'd love to see how schools could take people's concerns about the climate... and use that interest and care in every subject." There is also interest in creating more cross-curricular projects that integrate climate education across various school subjects.
Conclusion
Rowanbank’s Positive Imaginings and Climate Wellbeing Project exemplify how creative, nature-based education can effectively address both climate awareness and the emotional wellbeing of young people. By combining performing arts, storytelling, and hands-on environmental activities, these programmes not only educate but also empower children and young people to take positive action in their communities. As Lucy Power aptly puts it, "The outcome of these projects has to be that the children feel cared for and that they feel better finishing the programme than they felt when they started."
This case study highlights the importance of integrating wellbeing with climate education and the potential for creative approaches to foster a more engaged and resilient generation of environmental stewards.
“Rowanbank’s Positive Imaginings Project is exactly the kind of initiative we need to engage with diverse communities on climate change....We need creativity and imagination alongside scientific understanding to enable the rapid changes necessary to tackle the crisis. This is something of such crucial importance to our future that all should be involved. And with education and involvement we will all need commitment, resilience and hope”. (Lord Stern of Brentford, Chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, London School of Economics; Lead the Stern Review, The Economics of Climate Change_
“Completely Awestruck! It is hard to put into words the magic that you created today ... Dealing with matters as big as climate change and empowering our children to speak out was so powerful. Every element of this production was so skilfully executed which created this unique outdoor experience. Connecting the audience with nature and the core themes ensured not only our heads but our hearts were engaged. Thank you for bringing this incredible work to Craigmillar! My Positive Imagining is that all children in Scotland get the opportunity to engage with this incredible work of art. Truly empowering.” (Kirsten Mack, Outdoor Learning Development Officer and Teacher, The City of Edinburgh Council)