In Sweden Drama has traditionally been labelled a ‘teaching method’, a tool for ‘aesthetic learning’ to be utilized in other subjects. The main reason for this is that drama is not (yet) a subject in compulsory schools. Drama is often promoted as a successful way to teach, creating increased motivation and deeper understanding among participants, in pre-schools as well as at university level. This assumption can be questioned. Perhaps drama isn’t a great way of learning, regardlessof the circumstances? Finding out more about this will allow a more precise understanding, and may affect how drama is applied in various educational settings.

To investigate this, a drama workshop on sustainability was given to university students in Athens, Helsinki and Stockholm, during 2017. Research reveals that many young people associate environmental problems with feelings of hopelessness, guilt and insecurity.

Therefore, new ways of teaching, that gives students an opportunity to learn more about sustainable development, despite emotional constraints, need to be developed. Research also suggests that aesthetic forms of instruction, like drama, may open up for more experience based and value integrated learning processes. Previous research on the potential of drama related to education for sustainability is, however, limited. This small-scale study is based on a drama workshop designed to explore sustainability issues from several perspectives. Based on a questionnaire to the participants, a comparative analysis will be presented.