Have you ever experienced complicated feelings caused by the environmental changes you’ve seen or heard about locally and globally? There’s a word for that: Solastalgia, a neologism used to describe that very feeling of anxiety and uncertainty about the current impacts of the climate crisis. This term also inspired the name of Solastalgia, a youth-led community initiative at the intersection of climate awareness and art, often referred to as climate art.
Through their work, they produce a digital art magazine, or zine, delving into themes like eco-emotions, eco-anxiety, and climate justice. The core team members first met as strangers taking part in a project called Apathy is Boring, a RISE program led by youth in Vancouver*. The program aimed to foster community-based projects, ultimately giving rise to the creation of Solastalgia Zine, a digital platform addressing eco-anxiety and related topics.
Why climate art, you may ask? Renmart, co-founder of Solastalgia, explained that art “is a mode of communication that allows people to express and understand their thoughts and emotions through non-verbal communication.” Having seen first-hand how his home in the Philippines was being impacted by climate change, art served as a medium for expressing complicated emotions in a way where he didn’t have to struggle with “saying it the right way”. This is why their project includes art as a means for reflection and emotional expression. Art serves as a universal language to convey ideas that are difficult to articulate in words.
One noteworthy aspect of Solastalgia’s work is its effort to bridge generational divides. While initially targeting youth, they’ve forged unexpected partnerships, including one with the Suzuki Elders—a group associated with the David Suzuki Foundation. These collaborations aim to break down barriers between older and younger climate activists through intergenerational events, fostering dialogue and collaboration across age groups.
The end goal of these activities “isn’t about creating the art itself, but to get people to open up, to break those initial barriers so people can engage with different generations,” Renmart explains. Sparking that dialogue and storytelling from age groups ranging from high schoolers all the way to our grandparent-aged attendees.
In the general environmental space, it can often feel like there is a lot of pressure and burden placed on youth to address the climate crisis. These spaces provide that reciprocal trust and connection with the older generations, making room for open discussions.
The Youth Harbour Action Grant has aided Solastalgia Zine in hosting both in-person and online events focusing on eco-anxiety art in 2023 and contributed to the planning and artist recruitment for Volume 2 of the zine. Moreover, Solastalgia Zine participated in The Youth Harbour’s Branding Buddy program, receiving pro-bono design services from Swank Collective. These design assets were crafted with the aim of establishing identity, fostering trust, and ensuring long-term sustainability in their community service endeavors.
Solastalgia’s impact extends beyond metrics, with qualitative reflections from participants revealing the depth of their influence. Renmart notes that “what mattered was the intimate moments and reflection with participants that can’t be tracked with attendance.” Through post-event evaluations, they capture the qualitative essence of participant experiences, highlighting the emotional resonance of their work.
Renmart wasn’t sure how far the project he first started could evolve. It’s definitely an achievement to start an idea and see it take off. A year ago he wouldn’t have imagined it was possible to form the climate organizations network they have today. Renmart reflects, “it really goes back to the importance of relationships; seeing that there was a need for this project, taking the idea, and making it more sustainable and long term.”
The core team has grown and they have more volunteers interested in working with them, which means they have to have strategic planning and long-term goals now. To do so, they’ll continue applying for grants to ensure they can pay the honorarium they give volunteers and artists for their work. It’s important for the team to honor and respect their time, especially when tackling difficult topics and making sure they can’t volunteer due to economic barriers.
Looking ahead, Solastalgia continues to evolve its projects, recently embarking on an intergenerational graphic novel exploring themes of eco-anxiety. As their network expands and partnerships grow, they remain committed to their core values of connection and collaboration, ensuring the sustainability and longevity of their initiatives.
* Solastalgia is located on the unceded, ancestral territories of the xwməθkwəy̓ əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱ wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
