Creative and arts-based approaches in environmental and sustainability education research

While creative and arts-based approaches use different methodologies in research and practice, both engage the imagination and enable people to communicate their thoughts in non-verbal ways. Arts-based research tends to be more of a participatory practice, yet both are frequently used to explore lived experiences within an educational context.

Foster’s work assesses the strengths and limitations of creative and arts-based approaches with a focus on their use in justice and futures thinking. Creative and arts-based approaches can be especially helpful for generating a sense of agency and autonomy: this is essential for supporting the emotional wellbeing of research participants in environmental and sustainability education spaces.

By engaging the imagination, both approaches offer a holistic learning experience, supporting the outcomes needed (i.e. a sense of empowerment, community capacity building, etc.) for a social and cultural response to the climate crisis.