Earlier in January, the Sustainability Cultural Organizers and other Student Life Sustainability (SLSustainability) employees had the opportunity to attend Dimanche, a performance art piece about the climate apocalypse, at the UM Power Center. The piece was performed by Chaliwaté and Focus, two award-winning Belgian mime and puppetry companies, and brought to the university by the University Musical Society. It stands out as a beautiful call to action; using art as a tool for reflection, dialogue, and inspiring cultural change around environmental issues. Most importantly, the piece maintained humor during the end of the world—essential! Since the outing, Dimanche has become a motivation and aspiration to SLSustainability work, which aims to not only shift values and collective understanding of environmental sustainability, but also to maintain hope in the face of the climate crisis.
The piece takes place in the near future. It portrays a family trying to have Sunday dinner in the midst of environmental hazards and natural disasters. These conditions affect their entire day. The technology in their home glitches and breaks, [SPOILER ALERT] leading to the death of a family member early on in the play. [SPOILER OVER] Characters are forced to adapt to this new, distorted reality, but fail to acknowledge it. This, living in denial, highlights the absurdity of maintaining appearances amid ecological collapse. Very poignant, it serves to ask us, how are we pretending?
Beyond the household, reporters attempt to document the climate crisis, while encountering these life-threatening conditions, they do not back down. They are on a mission to document three wild animals on the verge of extinction. As the ice literally cracked beneath their feet, rather than fight for their survival, they tried their hardest to continue reporting. Similar to the family, these reporters illustrate that it is silly to put this imminent doom above our own survival. It serves to teach us that in fight or flight… sometimes it makes sense to fly.
Speaking of flying, where did the family’s dinner come from you might ask? It flew through their window, of course. Because sometimes our ecological peril does bring us convenience and directly benefit us… look at ChatGPT. But we must question the short-term benefits they appear to give us.
What stood out most to me was that the family had the news on in the background on the tv. This was, in my opinion, optimistic. I hear and read dozens of times per day, people are avoiding the news. What is already overwhelming in the background is no less overwhelming front and center. So, what are the implications of the family acknowledging the news, but not the havoc of how it plays out in their personal lives? I find myself asking what can the family do? Surely not go outside. Although, it appears they’re no safer inside, as the winds have penetrated their humble abode. It is my belief that the television draws attention to how staying informed does not inherently save us. It is the action that follows that impacts the cycle. Without channeling this information into a shift in behavior, this information is virtually lost. But beyond this, what can the family do? Not much. They are caught in the crossfire, while making an attempt to stay informed through the chaos. It is the companies that make their house that have the real power to shift these circumstances. The power isn’t just in what the individual can do but how they can influence and demand change of others. The Sustainability Cultural Organizers exist to shift social norms toward a more sustainable future on campus. Applications for the cultural organizing team, along with other SLSustainability student positions, are open now. Apply and join us in demanding change (while being funny)! Additional upcoming events include “Hear to Heal: Soundwalk Workshop” Tuesday, February 3rd (2/3) 5-7pm, “Don’t Discard, Develop: An Arts and Anger Exploration” Monday, February 23rd (2/23) 6-8pm, and “Embodied Ecologies: Restoration Through Movement Workshop” Saturday, March 21st 10am-1pm.
Share in the comments a performance art piece that has resonated with you!
Toria works as a cultural organizer through Student Life Sustainability. A senior studying gender and health, she focuses on environmental sustainability’s role in reproductive justice.