Soft Activism : Exploring pedagogic engagement in the ‘clean-tech playground’

Abstract

Abstract:This essay will explore pedagogic engagement in a Dutch sustainability site, De Ceuvel. Self-labelled as the “clean-tech playground”, De Ceuvel is a publically accessible site which houses scientists, creatives and a café, and whose ambitions focus on the transition towards a sustainable future, given the context of the current ecological crisis. Drawing upon a two-month research internship, I suggest that sensory and aesthetic engagements are fundamental to the site’s function, allowing pedagogic transmission. I introduce the concept ‘soft activism’ throughout my discussion.

Key words: sustainability, ‘soft activism’, pedagogy, aesthetics, senses.