Art and Energy: Why Creativity Matters in Times of Crisis
Back in 2016/2017, I was working with Matt Harvey and Thomas Hewitt Jones on a community musical called Transition Town – The Musical (later known as SWIMBY – Something Wonderful in My Backyard). It playfully explored NIMBYism—the resistance to change that often impedes sustainability efforts. With 12 fabulous songs, we wanted to capture the human drama of transformation. It was bold, it was fun, and it was sounding awesome. You can listen here!
Even 10 years later, I still love the arc, the lyrics, and the energy we poured into it. So why did we stop?
When the World Changes Overnight
In 2017, as we prepared for the next phase of funding, the Syrian civil war reached a devastating peak. People were fleeing for their lives. Refugees were drowning in desperate attempts to reach safety. Children’s bodies were washing up on Greek shores.
How could we justify making a musical at a time like that? Asking for money to make art felt unseemly. We saw that our community wanted to send funds to support refugees. So we didn’t stand in the way. The energy drained from the project.
But looking back, I wonder: Did we make the right call? Should we have woven these realities into the musical rather than abandoning it? Should we have used our art to highlight humanity in crisis rather than stepping aside?
(For anyone out there who is interested in musicals and these themes, there is the beginnings of a musical waiting to happen and I’m sure that reviving the project would be worth a punt!)
The Slow Erosion of the Arts
As years passed, funding for the arts was slashed. Music, theatre, dance, and visual arts were stripped from school curricula in favor of “academically rigorous” subjects. Arts education became something only available to those in private schools, while state education turned towards a more sterile, cerebral model.
The paranoid part of me suspects a deliberate attempt to suppress independent thinking and collective creativity. The less paranoid (but still heartbroken) part of me sees policymakers who simply don’t understand the fundamental importance of art. Either way, the consequences are the same—people are losing access to the creative tools that help us imagine and bring about a better world.
Why Make Art When the World is Burning?
I often think of musicians playing as the Titanic sank. Is it foolish? Or is it brave?
Is making art while the world is in crisis like Nero playing the lyre as Rome burned? Or is it an act of defiance? A way to process grief, regulate emotions, and stay present rather than drowning in fear?
Now, as I parent my 13-year-old twins, I see their anxiety about the climate crisis, global politics, and the future. They feel powerless. And honestly? So do I. No one teaches you how to guide young people through existential fear when you don’t have the answers yourself.
What I Tell Myself—and My Children
You give energy to what you focus on. Pay attention to what you want to grow.
If we want a better future, we have to keep it alive in our imaginations.
A just, low-carbon future is filled with the arts. Creativity is central to how we learn, connect, and travel.
Playing, experimenting, and sharing art is a real, authentic response to crisis.
Be kind—to yourself and to others.
Climate Anxiety and the Role of Art
The climate emergency triggers responses much like trauma and grief. People cycle through:
Fight (activism, anger, confrontation)
Flight (avoidance, distraction, moving away)
Freeze (paralysis, overwhelm, doomscrolling)
Fawn (people-pleasing, greenwashing, superficial actions)
Flop (learned helplessness, giving up entirely)
The arts help shift people from paralysis to action:
Using Art to Overcome Climate Paralysis
Transform Doom into Storytelling – Climate fiction, theatre, and poetry can help process grief and inspire action.
Use Visual Art to Rebuild Agency – Murals, interactive installations, and zines give people tangible ways to engage.
Activate the Body Through Music & Movement – Protest songs, dance, and participatory music-making build solidarity.
Use Humour and Satire to Disrupt Apathy – Satirical art and climate comedy make activism more accessible.
Create Participatory and Immersive Experiences – Climate role-playing games, interactive theatre, and VR help people imagine solutions.
Utopia as a Radical Act
For the past three years, The Art and Energy Collective has been exploring the idea of Utopia with poet and academic David Sergeant. We noticed a pattern:
Just as the climate crisis can feel overwhelming, so can imagining Utopia. It’s too big. Too impossible.
But David suggests that Utopia doesn’t have to be some far-off dream—it can simply mean avoiding total collapse. He argues that being an artist is, in itself, a utopian pursuit.
When we gathered people to explore Utopia, difficult emotions surfaced. We wrestled with deep moral questions:
Is it okay to experience joy when others are suffering?
Is it okay to play while others are fighting?
Is it okay to be warm and comfortable when others are cold?
The answers are complex, but one truth emerged: Art is not a luxury—it’s a necessity.
Please have a look at our new publication - our ‘Exploring Utopia Tool’.
Bread and Roses
The struggle for justice isn’t just about survival—it’s about dignity, beauty, and joy. The famous labor movement slogan captures it well:
“The worker must have bread, but she must have roses, too.”
Yes, we need practical action. But we also need art to fuel the fight. We need music to keep our spirits high. We need stories to imagine the futures we want. We need creativity to remind us that a better world is possible.
We do not make art instead of fighting for justice. We make art as part of the fight.