ABSTRACT
The chapter puts forward a model for participatory storytelling, drawing on my ethnographic work with climate activists who were engaged in processes of re-interpreting or at the very least (re)visiting ‘their stories’ or cultural repertoires, in an effort to ‘(re)gain’ an ecological perspective. My informants came from different religious traditions and identified as Buddhists, Christians, Muslims and Contemporary Pagans, as well as ‘spiritual’ and ‘non-religious’—however the ecological rituals they engaged with were often opportunities for inclusive participation. Looking at this process of cultural revision, I put forward a model for participatory storytelling that can enable participants to reflect on ecological relatedness by revisiting old stories or inhabiting new ones. My ‘inside story’ model draws out the most important lessons from my fieldwork, lessons that accord well with theoretical perspectives on the role of imagination, embodied knowing and performance in supporting practices of sustainability. I attempt to tell personal stories from my own participatory explorations in different imaginary ‘story-worlds’, seeking to capture the more ineffable properties that make these practices unique: I argue that they allow for a cathartic transformation that can make an essential contribution to eco-pedagogy.
