As the urgency of the climate crisis increases, individuals like Anna Pancoast are stepping up as both activists and artists to make a difference. As the internal coordinator of the Art Working Group at Extinction Rebellion Boston – the local chapter of Extinction Rebellion or XR, a group that uses nonviolent civil disobedience to bring awareness to the issue of the climate crisis – Pancoast is on the frontline of the fight for our planet’s future. They feel that solutions for the climate crisis can be found at the intersection of art and activism. 

“Art can play a role in climate activism in a couple of ways,” they said. “In Extinction Rebellion, I think it’s been a really critical piece of creating a cohesive movement that is nonhierarchical.”

Art serves as a powerful tool for engaging communities, whether through creating original pieces or inviting participation in public events – tools which XR Boston uses to its advantage.

“Art has a way of bypassing our conscious thought processes, helping us to feel and connect with things that otherwise we really try not to maybe feel or connect with,” said Pancoast. Their involvement in the Art working Group has alleviated much of the anxiety she once harbored about the climate crisis.

In this video interview, The Scope’s Ruchika Erravandla attends an XR Art Working Group event and speaks to Pancoast about the transformative potential of creativity within activism and how making art can inspire climate action.