Events and Workshops

You can’t fix what you don’t understand.

As humanity is faced with unprecedented challenges, “Climate Fresk” is a citizens’ workshop that aims to raise awareness and understanding about climate change, and therefore to encourage positive actions at the personal and collective level.  

Conceived in France and based on the science of the IPCC 6th Assessment Report, it explains the cause and consequences of climate change. It gives the opportunity to learn a lot in a short period of time and is meant for both novices and experts. More than 1.9 million people worldwide have participated in the workshop, and 85,000 have gone on to become facilitators. 

In just 3-hours, the workshop calls on participants’ collective and creative intelligence to identify the cause-effect relationships between different components of climate change. As a team, you will be handed five sets of cards. When each new set is handed out you are asked to (re)arrange the cards on the table according to cause and consequence. The Fresk is revealed once all 42 cards are on the table. Team cooperation is very important and will get you from one set of cards to the next. A facilitator will guide and support you through the workshop.

THE STEPS of the WORKSHOP

• the introduction to learn a bit about “Climate Fresk” history and to do some icebreaker exercises
• the construction of the Fresk, guided by your facilitator
• the creative phase, to relax and get to grips with your Fresk, then a debrief on what you’ve learned, and
• finally to share your feelings and express your thoughts and ideas for individual and collective actions

COMMENTS FROM PAST PARTICIPANTS:

• “the Fresk gave us a higher, more comprehensive view of the complex interconnections between the causes and consequences of climate change”
• “I haven’t stopped thinking about the time we spent at the workshop. The power of those cards! It DID NOT feel like 3 hours!! The time flew!
• “Even two weeks after the workshop, we were still talking about the Fresk!”

The workshops are facilitated by Westboro resident Don Sproule and Knoxdale-Merivale resident Don Ball.

Fee by donation: $5, $10 or $15 (Suggested donation: $15).

Ages 17+; maximum 14 people