Eco-performance art has emerged as a valuable tool for negotiating humankind’s relationship to nature as we experience the devastating effects of the climate crisis more intensely every day. Also, creating artworks connecting the body with natural elements is in inspiration for humanity to slow down, learn sustainability and creativity in the anthropocene period. This course offers to its participants both practical approaches and theoretical knowledge about the relationship between performance art and environmentalism. Participants will acquire an experience that focuses on the history and concerns of eco-performance art, the relationship between the body and nature, examples of eco-performance art, sustainable archival methods for performance art, and gather practical tools for creating performance art. Participants are encouraged to develop individual and group projects about climate issues in in-class exercises and assignments. Moreover, they will be guided to explore balancing exercises with the elements, whose methodology combines spiritual approaches from Eastern and Western ancient cultures.

Syllabus

Week 1: What is Eco-Performance?

Each participant introduces themselves, shares information about their personal background, give a maximum two examples from their portfolios if available. Lecture components introduce the history of eco-performance as well as core aspects such as indigenous knowledge, environmental justice, queer ecology and body politics.

Group exercise in-class: Balancing exercise with the element earth.

ASSIGNMENT: Find one environmental issue and create a performance exploring your emotions towards it. Use your body to express your feelings. Document it on video.

Week 2: How to create an eco-performance?

In the second week, we will discuss approaches to creating eco performance and address questions such as “What can be our daily rhythm for creating under the title of eco performance? How does our relationship with nature affect our creative process?” Accompanied by all these questions, the participants will develop a writing exercise to express their inner world to the outer world in-class.

Group exercise in class: Balancing exercise with the element water

ASSIGNMENT: Rethink the climate issue you chose the first week and keep a performance diary for a week. Is the story in your performance diary realistic or fictional, or is it more about your inner world?

Week 3: Sustainable archival methods for eco-performance art and existing initiatives

We will start this week by reviewing your performance diary and address questions such as “Are your feelings about the climate problem optimistic or pessimistic? What emotion would you like to convey to the performance audience about the climate issue you have chosen? At the end of your performance, would you prefer the audience to feel unsettled or solution-oriented?” Accompanied by these questions, participants will conduct movement-research exercises aimed at expressing their inner worlds. The lecture component introduces participants to methods of sustainable archiving in performance art as well as existing eco-performance art exhibitions, festivals, initiatives and artists.

Group exercises in-class- Balancing exercise the elements fire and air

ASSIGNMENT: Create a final performance for the last week, which can be performed live or shown through documents.

W’eek 4: Presentation

Final performances

2025, Eco-Performance: Connecting Performance Art and Environmentalism, Misk Art Institute, Riyadh-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

2024, Eco-Performance: Connecting Performance Art and Environmentalism, 4 weeks, The European Cultural Centre

2023, Eco-Performance: Connecting Performance Art and Environmentalism, 4 weeks, The European Cultural Centre