When Dance Meets Climate Advocacy with Director of Artichoke Dance Company

Hitomi
13 hours ago
2 min read

Short Summary

Ms. Neuman, director of Artichoke Dance Company, explains how dance can function as environmental advocacy, civic engagement, and community building. Through long-term, research-driven projects, such as beach cleanups, plastic-based installations, and performance walking tours, her company uses art to visualize environmental harm, foster collective care, and guide audiences toward concrete action. She emphasizes collaboration with local organizations, accessible “easy activism,” and the arts’ unique ability to model new ways of relating to each other and the planet.

Topics Discussed

Most interesting eco-dance project
How she picks a location for a new project
Workflow when starting a new project
Why she raises eco-awareness through dance
Why is dance so effective at raising awareness about the climate crisis?
How to build partnerships with locals or scientists
How she encourages audience to take on climate activism
Challenges and how she overcame them

Key Learnings

Eco-Dance as Advocacy
- Dance can translate complex environmental issues (plastic pollution, toxic waterways, climate crisis) into immediate, visual, and emotional experiences.
- Art functions as a bridge between awareness and action, not just expression.
Project Design & Timeline
- Large projects typically require ~2 years: deep research, community engagement, fundraising, and creation.
- Long-term continuity (e.g., annual performance tours) builds trust, momentum, and deeper impact.
Plastic Pollution Insights
- Plastic pollution is often hidden (beneath sand, in waterways, inside food systems).
- Plastics are a human health issue, environmental issue, and climate issue because they are fossil-fuel based and rapidly increasing in production.
Power of Partnerships
- Collaborating with environmental organizations expands reach, credibility, and participation.
- Artists bring compelling visuals and new audiences; NGOs bring expertise and action pathways.
Participation Over Passive Viewing
- Audiences want guidance on what to do next.
- Effective tools include QR codes for petitions, phone-banking scripts, testimony writing, and on-site activism during performances.
Arts as a Model for Care & Solidarity
- Climate crisis is a relational problem—rooted in values, care, and respect.
- Dance can model alternative ways of being: cooperation, mutual support, and shared responsibility.
Movement as Antidote to Climate Paralysis
- Climate overwhelm often leads to inaction.
- Movement (literal and metaphorical) encourages starting small, building momentum, and choosing one action at a time.
Challenges in Eco-Art Activism
- Common struggle: feeling like “it’s not enough.”
- Solution: collaboration, community, and staying grounded in purpose.
- Early resistance or confusion is normal when pioneering new forms of activism.
Advice for Aspiring Eco-Dancers
- Start at the intersection of:
  - What you’re good at
  - What you care about
  - What your community needs
- Begin locally, start imperfectly, and allow projects to evolve over time.

Mentioned Resources:

Julie's Bicycle: https://juliesbicycle.com/

Center for Sustainable Practices in the Arts: https://www.sustainablepractice.org/

About the Speaker

Lynn Neuman is the director of Artichoke Dance Company and an eco-artist who turns dance into a tool for climate action, from community projects to large-scale performances, which were featured in outlets like The New York Times.

Artichoke Dance Company IG: https://www.instagram.com/artichokedance/?hl=en

Artichoke Dance Company Website: https://www.artichokedance.org/