Published on Aug. 2, 2025, 4:41 PM

While it won’t fix the climate crisis, it can create community and spaces to empower people

“I really appreciate you all being here,” said Anaïs Pronovost-Morgan, as she welcomed participants to eco improv on Granville Island in Vancouver.

“It takes a lot of courage to try something new, and I hope we’re going to have some fun and we’re going to learn things together today.”

Last week’s event was one of hundreds as part of Pacific Northwest Climate Week, and started with 13 people introducing themselves in a circle. Some hadn’t done improv in years, but they were all excited to try it with a climate lens.

SEE ALSO: Dealing with climate anxiety? Here’s some ways to help

“Eco improv, as it says in the name, is a blending of improv theatre with environmental concepts, experiences and what I like to call ‘eco emotions,'” she told CBC News after the workshop.

Pronovost-Morgan, who’s been an improv actor for eight years, says she started eco improv to help herself work through her own feelings about climate change. Though each session is different by nature, it often involves coming up with climate-related prompts for acted-out scenes, or prompts to dig into specific emotions.

As climate disasters have increased in frequency and severity in recent years, people may be feeling more climate-related anxiety. But as Pronovost-Morgan points out, there’s more to it than just worry and despair. She’s seen a range of emotions in her workshops — even hope and wonder — and believes eco improv is a way to work through all of those feelings.