Climate Fairytales: Turning Eco-Anxiety into Stories of Hope
When imagination re-wrote the ending, the world became a little more magical.
Challenge
As climate change intensified, more and more people (across generations) experienced climate anxiety and a deep sense of helplessness. Facts and statistics alone were not enough to inspire action; in fact, they often deepened feelings of paralysis. There was a need for a creative, human-centred way to help people process their emotions and imagine hopeful, sustainable futures.
Approach
Climate Fairytales was a creative workshop series that transformed climate anxiety into empowering narratives.
From March to April 2025, Lilalab hosted five in-person workshops in Ljubljana, each lasting around 2.5 hours. The sessions were structured in three steps:
Understanding climate anxiety and reflecting on personal feelings.
Exploring the structure of a fairytale as a tool for personal and societal transformation.
Writing and sharing original stories in a supportive group setting.
The process encouraged participants to weave imagination with environmental awareness, creating fairytales that could inspire dialogue, empathy, and action.
Impact
28 participants of different ages and backgrounds, from students to retirees.
20 original fairytales created; 10 selected for editing, illustration, and printing as A5 cards.
A public exhibition at the Info Point Mission 100 in Ljubljana from July to August 2025, where authors read their stories at the opening event.
Fairytales ranged from poetic tales about restoring nature’s balance to allegories on slow fashion, clean water, and resilience after natural disasters.
The stories remain available in both printed and digital form, serving as an educational and inspirational resource for communities.
Why It Mattered
The project offered a safe, creative space for people to face their fears about the climate crisis without becoming overwhelmed. By turning anxiety into storytelling, participants discovered they could imagine—and even begin to create—better futures. These fairytales became both personal healing tools and community conversation starters.
Partners & Funding
Climate Fairytales was Financed by the European Union because it was part of the PSLifestyle project. The PSLifestyle project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101037342.
Local partners were The City of Ljubljana and Circular Change Institute for Circular Economy.
What’s Next
Building on the success of the first edition, Lilalab plans to:
Expand Climate Fairytales to youth programs and schools.
Develop a digital library where anyone can read and share climate fairytales.
Collaborate with international partners to adapt the model for different cultural contexts.
The PSLifestyle project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101037342.
