Spotlight on: Joe Dolan

We’re delighted to introduce Joe Dolan as part of our PhD/ECR Spotlight Series. Joe is a PhD candidate at the University of Glasgow, where he researches public engagement through theatre and performance in global climate governance.

Find about more about Joe and connect via LinkedIn.

Tell us a bit about yourself. 

I am a first year PhD student at the University of Glasgow, studying Social and Public Policy. I came to this position via a slightly circuitous route: I did my undergraduate degree in Theatre Studies at the University of York, then spent some time working in script development and event management. At the same time, I involved myself with research and campaigning voluntary roles for various political organisations, with a particular focus on addressing the climate crisis. This led me to take an MA in International Public and Political Communication at the University of Sheffield, which I enjoyed so much I knew I wanted to continue in academia. I was lucky enough to come across a studentship callout for the POLART research project, and I knew it was a perfect fit for my background.

What are your research interests?

I’m funded by a really interesting research project at the University of Glasgow called POLART, which is looking at the intersection of art and policymaking. I’ve applied this to my interest in climate policymaking to look at the use of theatre and performance as engagement tools at the UNFCCC COP conferences. Considerable time, energy and money is invested in theatre and performance at COPs, both through official channels (such as at the GreenZone) and as artistic activism. We already know that stances on climate policy tend to be shaped more by values than numbers or data, and so my research is concerned with how these values are shaped. It aims to situate how theatre and performance can communicate values within the context of engagement more widely, explore whether theatre and performance is opening up new channels of engagement, and identify what theatre and performance is contributing to these processes.

You can read a bit more about my research interests on the POLART website here.

What are three sources you’d recommend to others related to environment and climate politics?

Macrodose is a weekly podcast that dissects the week’s economic and political news. It does so from a perspective that sees the economy and the climate crisis as inextricably linked, rather than as two separate issues. It’s an idea I first came across in Kate Raworth’s book Doughnut Economics – I’d highly recommend both.

I found Living in Denial: Climate Change, Emotions, and Everyday Life by Kari Marie Norgaard a really provocative read as it got me thinking about what climate denial actually means. We often box climate denial into solely meaning disbelief in climate science, but this book argues that an acceptance of the facts of climate science without making any lifestyle changes is a form of climate denial in and of itself. It has guided a lot of my thought about climate communication – is it really enough to get people to understand what the climate science says, if they aren’t then going on to make changes in their own lives?

Finally, a book I keep returning to for my research has been Disruptive Environmental Communication, edited by Christian A. Klöckner and Erica Löfström. It’s a book that critically engages with the frequently expressed notion that climate communication should minimise public upset. It’s a fresh perspective that spans many disciplines, drawing particularly from psychology and the arts. I personally find some of their arguments more convincing than some of the more mainstream perspectives on public engagement with the climate crisis. 

What’s next for you?

I’m still in my first year of my PhD so I’m still in the phase where I’m taking enjoyment from refining my research approach, but I am working on publishing my MA dissertation (comparing the Green Party’s leaflets between their urban target seats and rural target seats at the 2024 UK general election). Later in the year POLART will be holding a symposium, and then in November I’ll be heading to Antalya for my fieldwork at COP31. 

The ECP WG’s Spotlight Series provides a platform for PhD and early career researchers to introduce themselves and their work. If you are interested in participating, please get in touch at: ecp.group@bisa.ac.uk.