Worldwide climate survival stories performed in Toronto at Climate Cocoon

Storytellers from around the world tackled the global climate crisis to close the International Live Journalism Festival 2023 (ILJF23) hosted by faculty from the School of Journalism and Toronto Metropolitan University’s Creative School.

Storytellers individually developed their pieces in their home communities before taking the stage in Toronto for Climate Cocoon, an experimental, live journalism performance. While the stories were created globally, their focus was local: eight stories to help the audience connect emotionally to events created by the climate crisis.

“I hope you appreciate the innovation, the bravery and the willingness of everyone to come together and partner with us in this experiment,” said festival lead, School of Journalism associate professor Sonya Fatah. “We’re delighted to be able to build this small community that can do lots of exciting things when they come together,” she said.

One of the eight performances was “Bloc Energy: Community Blues,” which focused on energy and community-based journalism. Performers Zara Toksöz, Katarina Schul and Monique Hindriks from an arts centre in Amsterdam, shared recordings and stories of a community whose residents were opposed to having new sustainability plans affect their living situations.

The country wishes to switch from its dependence on gas to green fuel, but one neighbourhood prefers using it and will hold out on changing despite offers from the government to switch over.

While this performance covered energy and the environment, the final night of ILJF23 covered many topics, from commentary on journalists who cover climate crises and disasters in stitched!’s Zanelle Mji’s “Speak, (Durban) Memory,” to politics and profiles in Jakob Moll of Zetland Live!’s “Put the climate crisis on the ballot please.”