How illustration can foster civic engagement with the climate crisis – a case study

This paper explores the power of illustration in fostering public engagement with the complex issue of climate change. Taking the ‘Creatures of Change’ project as a case study, an analysis of how illustration processes can engage civic communities in discussions of the climate will be disseminated.

Key local events framing the project include the removal of public access to Dartmoor and a resulting ‘right to roam’ campaign (Hodson, 2023), the removal of the Community Climate Centre from the city centre (Made in Plymouth, 2022), alongside the primary source of nature within the city centre – the trees of Armada Way – being cut down. Such instances were characterised by public anger and an ensuing legal battle against the city council that reached national news outlets (The Guardian, 2023). Within this context, there was much heated debate across communities regarding the future of Plymouth, the diminishing access to nature and the effects of the climate crisis.

Alongside and in response to these events, four workshops were run at different community locations across the city, inviting the people of Plymouth to come together and reflect on their experiences with the landscape by creating a ‘Creature of Change’. This activity positioned illustration as a method of participation that utilised story-telling, humour and play to take a fraught atmosphere and transform these emotions into something positive.

The ‘Creatures of Change’ project provides evidence of illustration's effectiveness in bridging the gap between wider climate initiatives and how the public engage with these changing landscapes. The project hopefully indicates the broader potential of illustration as a powerful tool for environmental advocacy and behaviour change, in a time when effective action is sorely needed.