About

• Spring 2019: A group of undergraduate and graduate students developed theatrical moments, scenes, and vignettes exploring the theme: Anthropocene with Rebekah Dawn Hall, Ricky Quintana, Muneera Batool, Caroline Patton Abernethy  and Hugo Crick-Furman.

• August 2020: Bowditch presented her research on Devising the Anthropocene at the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) for the "Reimagining Theatre Education in the Era of Climate Crisis," panel with Conrad Alexandrowicz, David Fancy, and Mary Anderson, co-authors of the Routledge volume Theatre Pedagogy in the Era of Climate Crisis (2021).  

• Fall 2020: Professor Bowditch co-taught an ASU Humanities Lab, Performing the Anthropocene with Assistant Professor Scott Cloutier from the School of Sustainability. In this second phase of research and development, we delved deeper into the eco-dramaturgy and sustainability science of the Anthropocene with an interdisciplinary group from across ASU. 

• March 2021: Bowditch presented Devising the Anthropocene for the "Eco-Aesthetics in Performance and in Design," panel at the Theatre Pedagogy in the Era of Climate Crisis Online Symposium at the Marilyn I. Walker School for Fine and Performing Arts, Brock University, Ontario, Canada. 

• Eco-dramaturgical work with Karen Jean Martinson and Steven Beschloss to determine next steps. 

• Received the Seize the Moment Grant from Leonardo, the ASU Humanities Lab., and the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Lab. $7000. 

• Received the Institute for Humanities/Herberger Institute Seed Grant. $10,000. 

• Devising Reseach Lab 1.0: Working with School of Music, Dance, and Theatre undergraduate and graduate students, we met Fridays 10am-1pm to conduct weekly devising sessions experimenting with the dramaturgical research, themes, and research questions in a performative devising workshop. 

• Devising Ensemble: Clara Kundin, Becca Levy, Kristina Friedgen, Julio-Cesar Saucedua, Serena DeLuca, Ann Ethington, Jiari Ding, Ty Klassen, and Cassaundra Mora.

• Spring 2022: Collaborated with Associate Professor David Manuel-Navarrete (School of Sustainability/Global Futures Laboratory) graduate seminar on transformative approaches to sustainability SOS 518: Synthesis for Sustainability. Bowditch presented the project in the seminar. The graduate seminar visited our lab and then presented their research to the lab. 

• April 2022: Presented a 40-minute work-in-progress of Anthropocene to 15 invited guests and held a Critical Response Process feedback session.

• April 2022: Presented research and images for Earth Week at the Global Futures Laboratory's Center for Planetary Health.  

• Attended Earth Week lectures and events including a keynote by Al Gore.

• Built and formed strategic relationships and partnerships with Global Futures Laboratory faculty including Marty and Peggy Anderies.

• June 2022: Invited by Leonardo Art + Science Journal to share a work-in-progress video at the Espronceda Institute of Art & Culture "Digital Awareness" June 9 - 17, in Barcelona, Spain to coincide with the ISEA 2022 Symposium. 

• ISEA, International Symposium on Electronic Art, is one of the most important annual events worldwide dedicated to the crossroads where art, design, science, technology and society meet.
  
  Espronceda Institute of Art & Culture: https://www.espronceda.net/
  ISEA International Symposium of Electronic Art, 2022 Symposium: https://isea2022.isea-international.org/themes/#possibles

• Fall 2022: Design retreats with design team, composer, and choreographer.

• Devising Research Lab 2.0: Develop a performance score, create theatrical structure, and sequence of episodes with 12 participants.

• Devising Ensemble: Clara Kundin, Sam Briggs, Jared Sprowls, Becca Levy, Jiari Ding, Noah Delgado Margaret Parker-Anderies, Kaitlyn Kief, Maryam Rahaseresht, and Zoe Tyler.

• Dramaturgical/field research: Travel to sites to capture original video and sound recordings. Locations TBD. 

• December 2022: Show a work-in-progress of Anthropocene to invited guests with a Critical Response Process. 

• November 2022: Karen Jean Martinson, Rachel Bowditch, and Clara Kundin will lead a working group, "Performing the Anthropocene: Eco-Dramaturgical Approaches to the Climate Crisis" at ASTR in New Orleans. 

• Devising Research Lab 3.0: Refine performance score, develop characters, and fine tuning dramaturgical structure and narrative arc.

• Devising Ensemble: Jared Sprowls, Clara Kundin, Sam Briggs, Thomas Underdal, Saza Kent, Jiari Ding, Margaret Parker-Anderies, Kaitlyn Kief, and Maryam Rahaseresht. 

• Spring 2023: We will audition and cast a diverse company of dancers and performers to be participants in the 3rd devising research lab. 

• Final designs and renderings due. 

• Development of physical and digital lobby materials focused on sustainable solutions and climate action. 

• Rehearse and stage the show in a ten week rehearsal process.

• Build costumes and set 

• Implement final designs

• Phoenix Premiere November 3rd, 2023: produce a 90 minute high-impact, visual devised performance

• Launch digital and physical lobby 

• Restaged the production as a 360 immersive experience at the MIX Center Enhanced Immersion Studio January 2025. 

• Anthropocene was invited to present at the UNESCO Management of Social Transformations (MOST) Forum at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France September 2026. Our performance will be at 7pm on Tuesday September 29th. Ticket link coming soon. You will need your passport to enter the UNESCO Headquarters. 

• Link to MOST Transformations Week:https://websites.godaddy.com/en-US/editor/02f42f32-3ca0-4082-a5b3-83780ff410a1/ecab9aeb-4cbd-4831-8d33-568df58ea4da/edit/fe4089f5-b6dd-40dd-92f9-61254c49e7d1/mutator/card/8

• Managing Social Transformations: As UNESCO's Intergovernmental Scientific Programme for the social and human sciences, now anchored within the consolidated Sciences Sector, the Management of Social Transformations (MOST) is positioned to bridge the natural, social, and human sciences across the full policy cycle – connecting governments with researchers, civil society, and diverse knowledge holders, and broadening the evidence base through its various workstreams.  

• Social Transformations Week aims to leverage UNESCO’s roles as a laboratory of ideas, a global convener, and capacity-builder: to unpack what it takes to bring about inclusive social change, to engage Member States in high-level dialogues, and for policymakers to participate in practical workshops in order to mobilise knowledge into effective policy action.

• The Week: During the week of September 29th to October 2nd, the MOST Programme will host the MOST Forum on Tuesday, that includes the launch of of the GAP Coalition, Bridges Manifesto and Policy Framework. This will be followed on Wednesday by UNESCO-BRIDGES Coalition workshops to develop the BRIDGES Policy Toolkit. On Thursday, the MOST IGC will meet. Finally, on Friday, the Focus on Africa day will take place.

9.30 – 10.00: Coffee break

10.00 – 10.10: Opening Remarks and Launch of the Global Anticipatory Policy Coalition

• Khaled El-Enany, Director General, UNESCO 

10.10 – 10.30: Keynote Address: Anticipation for Public Policy Design

• Sir Geoff Mulgan CBE, Professor of Collective Intelligence, Public Policy and Social Innovation at University College London (UCL). Co-Founder of The Institutional Architecture Lab (TIAL), which is working on improving the global practice and theory of designing institutions. 

10.30 – 12.00 : Anticipating the Future, Governing today 

This Ministerial Panel invites leaders to share best practices on how they are integrating foresight and anticipation into governance systems. It will explore how governments can further strengthen foresight capabilities, integrate early-warning intelligence into decision-making, and institutionalize mechanisms to enhance resilience and build anticipatory capacities. 

• Blade Nzimande, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, South Africa
• Celina Pereira, Deputy Secretary for the Transformation of the State, Federative Republic of Brazil  
• Ledama Olekina, Chairperson of the Senate Futures Caucus, Kenya
• Navid Hanif, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations 
• Andreas Kasoulides, Coordinator of the Strategic Foresight Unit at the Presidency, Republic of Cyprus 

Moderator: Assistant Director General for Sciences, UNESCO 

12.00 – 13.30: The Economic Case for Social Investments: Why Investing in People is a Smart Choice

This panel will explore how social spending can be reframed as a strategic, long-term investment rather than a cost, and how policymakers can be encouraged to rethink budgetary choices in times of fiscal pressure. Bringing together leading experts on inequality, demographics, and sustainable development, it will provide an opportunity to reflect on how people-centred policies can contribute to more inclusive and resilient societies.

• Stephen Devereux, Professorial Fellow, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex and Author of MOST-la Caixa Policy Paper Investing in People, Social Investments for economic transformation 
• Tanja Hichert, UNESCO Chair, Complexity and Transformative African Futures, Stellenbosch University, South Africa 
• Cornelia Mohren, Environmental coordinator of the World Inequality Lab, France  

Moderator: Gustavo Merino, Director, Division of Social Policies & Inclusion, UNESCO 

13.30 – 15.00: Lunch Break 

15.00 – 15.45: UNESCO-BRIDGES Coalition

• Keynote: Runa Khan: Social entrepreneur, founder of the NGO Friendship, winner of the 2025 Earthshot Prize in the “Fix Our Climate” category

15.45 – 16.15: When Crisis Becomes Revelation

This fireside chat will focus on translating lived experience int policy frameworks, focusing on the severe flood events of early 2026 in Morocco. It will explore how systemic disruptions serve as a "revelation," exposing the limitations of standard technocratic policy while highlighting the vital role of local, community-led relational infrastructure.

• Karima Kadaoui, Co-Founder and Executive President of Tamkeen Community Foundation for Human Development, Morocco
• Steven Hartman, Executive Director of the BRIDGES Sustainability Science Coalition

16.15 – 17.30: Integrating the Humanities into Governance

This session focuses on the global institutionalization of the humanities into governance and will include a presentation on the Bridges Manifesto, the Policy Framework, and a discussion on how these twin pillars contribute to transforming governance. 

Presentation: Peter Schlosser, physicist, planetary scientist, Vice President and Vice Provost of Global Futures, Arizona State University

• The Manifesto: A declaration of intent that establishes a shared human framework to confront unprecedented global threats. 
• The Policy Framework: The statutory vehicle that operationalizes the Manifesto into a mandatory regulatory threshold. 

Discussants:

• Peter Schlosser, physicist, planetary scientist, Vice President and Vice Provost of Global Futures, Arizona State University
• Nolita Mnuvelo, Programme manager of the Club of Rome, co-director of the 50% project 
• Salvatore Arico, CEO of the International Science Council
• Ellen Dixon, Massey Scholar and doctoral researcher (critical theory, arts and philosophy), New Zealand Center for Global Studies, Former member of the Education 2030 high level Steering Committee

Moderators: Irakli Khodeli, Chief of Section, Management of Social Transformations, UNESCO and Serena Heckler, Programme Specialist, Section on MAB Research and Policy: Ecology and Biodiversity, UNESCO

17.30 – 17.45: Closing Remarks 

• Assistant Director General for Sciences, UNESCO 
   

17.45 – 19.00: Refreshment 

19.00 – 20.30: Artistic Performance: Anthropocene (Arizona State University)

This immersive creative performance by Arizona State University serves as an emotional and narrative counterpoint to the Forum discussions. Embodying the core philosophy that the humanities and arts are vital mechanisms for collective meaning-making, Anthropocene translates the abstract scale of planetary disruption into a visceral human experience.

20.30 – 21.30: VIP Cocktail