Highlights of "Negotiation Theatre of Offshore Wind Farm" Documentary
Highlights of "Negotiation Theatre of Offshore Wind Farm" Documentary
The International College of Innovation, NCCU, in collaboration with the Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) and the National Development Center (NDC), is organizing a social consultation project aimed at achieving sustainable ocean net-zero transformation. This initiative employs scenario-based simulation theater for public education and communication.
Negotiation Theatre of Offshore Wind Farm
Negotiation Theatre, introduced at the Taipei Biennial 2020 at Taipei Fine Arts Museum, is an innovative teaching method that combines art exhibition with social science research, aiming to achieve public education goals and create a space for flexibility and reflection. Assistant Professor Yang Zhiyuan and director Chen Pinrong served as producers and directors for this production. Focused on the theme of "Offshore Wind Farm," the exhibition addresses issues such as whale and dolphin conservation, aquatic ecological monitoring, fisheries, economic resources, coexistence disputes over fishery rights transformation, and local communication related to wind power development projects. Students and citizen actors portray six major stakeholders, including non-human animal representatives, in the public performances, allowing the public to understand the points of contention and contradictions and contemplate temporary resolutions amid scientific uncertainty./p>
Students and citizen actors have autonomy in interpreting their roles and exploring the interconnectedness of various perspectives and values within the issues presented. Grounded in the spirit of documentary theater, the highlight lies in the dialogue among the characters. Actors interact with the live audience, engaging in informal, free negotiations. Through repeated dialogue and the process of forming alliances, renegotiations occur, aiming to explore possibilities beyond established structures and initiate collective reflections on the future of sustainable oceans and fair transformations.
Stakeholders Lectures and Negotiation Theatre on Offshore Wind Energy
NCCU's Negotiation Theatre team conducts in-depth research on the impact of offshore wind energy development on various stakeholders and vividly presents the complexity of this issue through simulated performances.
The first public lecture focuses on "Local Communication and Ecological Monitoring for Offshore Wind Energy," featuring insights from Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) on the importance of localization projects and social communication in Taiwan's offshore wind energy development. The second lecture delves into the "Potential Impact of Offshore Wind Farms on Fisheries," with researchers from the Taiwan Ocean and Environmental Sustainability Law Center (TOES Law Center) analyzing the possible effects of offshore wind energy development on Taiwan's fisheries and discussing issues related to fishery management and policy implementation. The final lecture addresses "Cetacean Conservation and Rescue during Wind Farm Construction," inviting the Taiwan Cetacean Society to share experiences in cetacean conservation and rescue, emphasizing the ecological political perspectives that governments and developers should consider comprehensively.
2-Day Exhibition
On November 4th, the Taipei Township Office in Changhua County (simulated) served as the stage for the captivating "Offshore Wind Farm" exhibition by the Negotiation Theatre. This exhibition aims to help student actors gain a deeper understanding of the diverse interests involved in offshore wind energy development and present the complexity of social communication.
During the exhibition, actors portrayed developers, fishermen, and government officials, simulating real-world dialogues, conflicts, and collaborations. The first half focused on the perspectives of various stakeholders in offshore wind energy development, while the second half explored imagined dialogues between "humans and non-humans" and the concepts of presence and absence, incorporating the roles of black-faced spoonbills and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins.
The second day of the exhibition continued the storyline two months later, at a simulated Environmental Impact Assessment Project Team meeting held in the Executive Yuan's Environmental Protection Department (simulated). This scene simulated dialogues and debates among government officials, developers, and fishermen, highlighting the balance and compromises among different interests.
After the exhibition, the audience participated in gift exchanges and informal negotiations, facilitating connections and compromises among the roles. The results of the environmental assessment report and negotiation were announced, demonstrating the substantive significance of negotiation theater.
This series of activities deeply explores the impact of offshore wind energy development on stakeholders and provides concrete recommendations for future green energy development. Negotiation theater not only inspires education but also offers new ways for social dialogue, hoping to expand such practices to more public issues and bring more open and democratic participation opportunities to social development in the future.
