GRIEF HOPE CARE Film Screening and Discussion

Across Canada and globally, climate change is increasingly being recognized as a psychological and emotional issue, in addition to an environmental one. Studies show that many people, particularly youth and emerging adults, are experiencing a range of emotional responses to climate change, including anxiety, grief, fear, uncertainty, and despair.

In the first half of 2026 a collaboration of UVic faculty, counsellors, artists, musicians and researchers met with student participants to process climate grief issues through group discussion, spoken word and art creation. This project “Building Community Resilience through Collective Reflections on Climate Crisis” explored such questions as: in what ways do creative and embodied practices support emotional processing and resilience in the face of grief and uncertainty? and how can climate grief reflection events cultivate relationality, resilience, solidarity, and shared learning across diverse participants?

The three events were audio and video recorded, interpreted and transposed to music, then produced as a unique three-part short film and research support piece. They are designed to invite reflection, raise questions, and create space for dialogue about climate grief and the emotional dimensions of climate change. A facilitated discussion will follow the screening and free refreshments will be provided.

If you’re interested in where climate crisis and expression can intersect, please join us for this compelling screening and discussion.

The Building Community Resilience through Collective Reflections on Climate Crisis Team Breanna Lawrence, Jeff Smith, Shemine Gulamhusein, Sabrina Guzman Skotnitsky, Daniel Cook, Sam Tallo, Jessica Detta, Pavel Vlasov, May Lin and Ridhee Gupta

University of Victoria
Faculty of Education