Outreach

All you need for effective outreach, training, support, methods and materials.

Outreach Training and Support

Outreach Training and Support

Outreach Workshops

Growing the movement is a key task

Join our workshops to learn how to use outreach skills to engage and inspire the public into action. You don't need any experience or skills to participate in the workshops. If you've done outreach before and want to brush up and refine your methods, then you're welcome to join too.

Learn about different approaches for speaking with the public about the climate and ecological crisis:

Online Workshops

To empower you with knowledge, simple skills, and top tips and become an outreach hero and help our rebellion to flourish!

Book an in-person workshop

The UK Outreach team are running practical training days for local groups. We are currently touring the nations and regions and providing in-person workshops.

Contact UK Outreach team via our Mattermost reception or by email actions.outreach@extinctionrebellion.uk

More guidance and support on the next page

Outreach Training and Support

Talking about the Crisis on the Street

When Nonviolent Civil Disobedience has been most effective, it has taken place on a foundation of connected and organised communities. Actions are our primary way to get into the public eye but our actions alone are not enough. We need to use these actions to start conversations, to tell the truth and to open our arms to all who wish to join us.

Talking to Passers By

Part of our purpose as rebels is to Tell the Truth, so engaging with the general public during actions is vital. Some might be a bit annoyed with you/Extinction Rebellion, so it may be useful to have some de-escalation training under your belt, but most are simply curious!

Aim To:
• Listen to them.
• Share the facts but don’t overwhelm them.
• Shift their frustrations and anger from XR to the system as a whole.
• Invite them to take a step with a small ask or an invitation (leaflets are great too!).

Remember:
• Introduce yourself, be open and honest.
• It’s a conversation, after the first 2 mins listen more than you talk.
• People rarely change their stance in a single moment, you are planting seeds!
• If someone is looking for an argument just step back and “agree to disagree” – there are plenty of other people to talk to!
• For more detailed advice and some answers to the difficult questions have a look at Talking about the Crisis on the Street and Responding to difficult questions and hostile encounters.

'ALLESHA'

Street Outreach Skills HANDOUT with further linked resources

The Crisis Quiz

One way of starting conversations with people is by using the crisis quiz. Its short, and only takes a minute or two, but most people are surprised by the answers and want to know more.

Starting Conversations

Some examples of open questions:
• What worries do you have about climate breakdown?
• How do you feel about the future of our food security?
• How well do you think Britain is prepared for the effects of Climate Breakdown?
• Why do you think our government has spent millions on oil and gas bailouts?

Bring the conversation to the fact that our government is negligent by not fulfilling its duty to the people. And then listen to the answers, really listen.

Introduce the Demands and Citizen’s Assemblies – wouldn’t it be great to hear what people actually want? Mention France’s recent Citizen Assembly’s outcome, i.e. wanting to make Ecocide a crime under national and international law.

If conversation moves to solutions, this is a great opportunity to invite them to a Community Assembly – we are trying to start the direct democracy process off in our local area! If people have experience of what real democracy looks and feels like, the closer we come to creating popular support for our 3rd demand.

Small Asks

At the end of each meaningful interaction ask people to do one thing to help (judge the right scale for the individual you’ve just spoken to) here are some examples:

On-the-Ground Signposting & Recruiting

Don’t be afraid to recruit people on site!
People will often come along to check out an Action/Rebellion site if they are passing by, or if they are in a Local Group but haven’t taken a role and just want to help out. We don’t turn people away! Make sure they don’t move into arrestable positions without having done an NVDA training, but don’t hesitate to give them something to do. The best thing you can possibly do is be friendly and welcoming. Be someone they want to keep talking to.

For Example:

  1. Flyers – handing out or flyposting
  2. Sustenance – give out tea & snacks on site
  3. Talking to the Public – have 10 min trainings ready so they can learn and practice!
Outreach Training and Support

Responding to difficult questions and hostile encounters

Talking to people on the street can be difficult!

As well as asking some questions you don't know the answer to, sometimes people can be angry towards activists/XR.

This page should help you deal with these encounters more easily.

Remember to BREATHE

Breathe - ground yourself, look at the support around you
Remember - the humanity of all, even those on the other side are human!
Empathy - before education, empathise, be calm, drop their guard
Ask first - is the other person ready to hear your view? Are they still angry?
THE reason - remember why you are there, & ground yourself in that

How to win a climate argument

People are not rational. Confirmation bias and denial mean that people will argue ridiculous arguments even when presented with clear evidence because their defences are up. The key to success is dropping these defences. Being logical often doesn't help. Try these instead....

  1. Ask how! - A basic grasp of something leads many of us to be believe we are experts. Instead of pushing more evidence at people listen to their argument and then ask them to go further into depth. They will eventually talk themselves to a point they realise they don't really know what they're talking about! Their defences will drop and they will be more receptive to reasoned argument.

  2. Alter their subjectivity - asking someone to step into someone else's shoes can remove the blinkering of blind political allegiance. Eg. 'I don't believe in climate change'.....'ok, well imagine you are a farmer living in Chenai right now, there are hundreds of ghost villages where the water has dried up due to failing monsoons and higher than average temperatures....how do you think that would alter your view about the impact of climate change'

  3. Reframing - climate denialist / conspiracy theorist / right wing politics / free market capitalist - all of these are inextricable. Using science of climate breakdown basically tells these people everything they believe is wrong. Reframing it to align with their own beliefs can be useful. Eg. 'there are some innovative breakthroughs in the green revolution that could lead to huge economic growth' Obviously this isn't necessarily in line with the actual solutions!! But it can drop defences as a start.

  4. Know the deception! - Again, through confirmation bias, people latch onto any bit of evidence to support their world view, no matter how ridiculous. If you are confident on the story and history of climate science, and can fill in how fake 'evidence' came into being, you can replace their false narrative with a more convincing and compellign alternative. Eg 'global warming is a hoax'....

  5. Be calm - people arguing - particularly from a point of weak knowledge - are often overly aggressive and rude. Remain calm and kind, be empathetic, and they will usually calm down and start listening. It is much easier to win someone over by being empathetic and calm to lower their defenses.

Common difficult questions

What are you/we doing?

We are part of an international movement which seeks to push the climate and ecological crisis to the top of the political agenda and minimise the impact of climate breakdown.

Why are you disrupting normal people?

It's not our intention to ruin anybody's day, but the government is allowing a few corporations to pollute our air, destroy our planet, and enganger our future. They have ignored us for years, and have left us no choice but to take to the streets

What's your problem- in a nutshell?

The United Nations has warned us that a global temperature rise above 1.5°C may trigger a series of events that cause climate change to be irreversible. This would threaten our water supply, our food supplies, and the air we breathe, as well as causing the death of millions of people. Currently, we sit at 1.1 degrees warming, and the government is not acting.

The government is already commited to change / carbon neutrality / Labour will fix it

The government is not meeting its own target. It's own Committee For Climate Change has said it falls far short of the necessary ambition, and has highlighted ministers fiddling carbon budgets. The UK's target falls short of the UN's warning that we must be carbon neutral by 2040. Despite these promises, the govt perseveres with airport expansion, subsidising fossil fuel companies, scrapping laws for carbon neutral housing etc. They are not acting in line with the emergency we face.

It'll never work

Analysis of historical movements - like the suffragettes, civil rights etc - show that non-violent protest has been hugely successful. In fact all movements that used peaceful protest alongside disruption, were successful in bringing system change by the time they had 3.5% of the population on the street.

Climate FAQs

Why does CO2 cause global warming?

Solar radiation (which is short-wave radiation) from the sun is partly absorbed by earth's surface, and the rest is reflected as heat energy (which is long-wave radiation). CO2, as well as other greenhouse gases, act in a similar way to a pane of glass in a garden greenhouse. The gases (or glass) allow short wave radiation through, but trap long wave radiation at a much greater rate. So heat energy is retained by the blanket of greenhouse gases, leading to warming of the planet.

Common arguments

Surely you should focus on China!

  1. We started the industrial revolution. We have a moral obligation to lead the fight against climate breakdown.
  2. China is enormous, so you can't compare total emissions. Per person, UK emits 7.8 tonnes of Co2, China emits 5.6 tons. Even worse are historic emissions per capita, which put us 2nd, behind only Luxembourg.
  3. Most importantly a huge portion of goods are made in China, the UK's emissions do not include imported emissions, so China's emission levels are inaccurately high. Far more accurate is to compare the carbon average carbon footprint per person. In is measure we are nearly 3 times more culpable for climate breakdown than China. (11.5T vs 4.3T)
  4. We don't live in China!!! China uses centralised planning, so they don't need to write climate breakdown laws, they can simply enact new strategies, WHICH THEY ARE.

Renewables are too expensive

Onshore wind and solar are now the cheapest forms of energy in over 60 countries, including the UK! And this is despite the UK government's immoral policy to cut subsidies for renewables whilst continuing to subsidize fossil fuels at a higher rate than any EU member state.

You'll leave people in fuel poverty by switching off fossil fuels

There are multiple transition reports from various institutions which detail exactly how we can move away from fossil fuels. In fact, fuel poverty in the UK is a result of austerity by the government and the privatisation and lax regulations imposed by the government on the energy industry.

We could all stop eating meat / driving / flying / (insert defeatist argument here) and it would make no difference

And that's a very valid point! We do all have a responsibility to assess our own impact on climate breakdown, and mitigate that impact as much as possible, but your point is exactly why Extinction Rebellion is demanding system change which does have an impact on our future.

It will damage the economy

There are loads of great plans to transition to low carbon infrastructure and technology which will generate massive numbers of jobs. Whats more, the cost of not adressing climate breakdown - in infrastructure damage, health care, human life - will be many, many, many times greater than taking action.

Technology will save us!!

We have all the technology we need to become carbon neutral. What we lack is the political will and urgency to transition. Whilst some technology might be helpful, there are huge problems with this mindset. First, it encourages inaction, assuming that someone will come along and save us. Second, this does not stop the exploitation of our planets resources. Third, introducing geoengineering solutions can have huge unkown knock-on effects that we can't predict. And most importantly, relying on technology does absolutely nothing to address the reason the underlying cause of climate breakdown - a system which uses natural resources and people as commodities to focus only on growth, and funnels money upward whilst impoverishing the natural world and the vast majority of its citizens.

Countering Climate Change Denial

Some of this is more ridiculous than others. Ultimately, if you engage someone, and they are hostile or talking gibberish, there is little point in wasting your energy. Remember we only need 3.5%!

A lot of people use vague climate science denial as a defensive mechanism because they can't face the truth. You can sway these people with empathy, good knowledge, and a tight story. If you're getting nowhere just move on.

Thousands of scientists agree it's a hoax

Nope. what you're referring to is a petition from 1998 authored by the Marshall Institute which is funded by Exxon Mobil. The author is not a climate scientist, and the definiton used for eligible 'scientists' qualified to sign was anyone with a bachelor of science degree, meaning that vets, dentists etc were all free to weigh in on this so called 'climate paper'. There is no mention of a hoax in this petition. It is framed as 'insignificant data to conclude man-made global warming is a threat'. In a cross-section of the people who signed it most did not remember signing it, and virtually every signatoree said they would not sign it now.

The Antarctic ice sheet is growing

No it's not. It's decreasing at an accelerating rate, and poses a serious threat to sea level rise. Antartic sea ice was growing, (different to ice sheet) but this was in spite of the southern ocean warming more than any other ocean. This is due to a number of complex interactions, (including oceans currents creating gaps within the sea ice, and warmer seas leading to increased evaporation and rainfall, which fills these gaps as it falls, creating new sea ice.) However, since 2018 sea ice levels have been lower than the historical average and recently decreasing at an alarming rate.

Science is split on climate change

Over 97% of climate scientists agree that climate change is real and predominantly caused by human activity. Of the remaining 3%, a quick internet search is likely to reveal funding by the heritage foundation or another institute funded by the fossil fuel lobby. (predominant = over 50% of driving factor)

It's changes in solar activity

In the last 35 yrs, during the period of most intense global warming, there have been no significant changes in solar activity, and in fact solar activity is now weakening

'Urban heat island' (that urban areas where most measuring equipment is based record hotter temperatures because of reflection from urban surfaces)

Totally untrue. Urban and rural areas show exactly the same warming trends

It's a green technology scam

Green tech has spent less than 1% of the total lobbying amount that the fossil fuel industry has spent on preventing climate change mitigation laws.

Human produced CO2 is a fraction of overall CO2

That's totally irrelevant to climate change. The world's climatic and ecological systems have a fine balance controlled by positive and negative feedback loops to regulate climatic stability. Small increases in these - or large in the case of our CO2 contribution - can have a profound effect on destabilising climate systems.

Climate change is alarmist scaremongering

Science, by its nature, is conservative, due to the nature of peer reviewing. IPCC papers are widely accpeted to be understating the consequences of climate breakdown.

It's cold today

You're confusing weather with climate, and depending on what part of the world you live in (INCL the UK, due to shifting ocean currents) our cold days will get colder, whilst heatwaves get more intense

Climate models are unreliable

Climate models accurately predicted what we've seen happen over the last 100 years to high levels, in the oceans, atmosphere, and on land. This means that their projections for the future are likely to be just as accurate. The only uncertainty in climate models is the human response, and whether we commit to carbon neutrality to minimise the impacts of climate breakdown.

It's the troposphere cooling

The author of the paper that posited this claim, John Christy, admitted in 2005 his figures were incorrect. This paper is still widely quoted by deniers as a counter to man-made global warming

Water vapour is a worse greenhouse gas than CO2 (ie.small increases in CO2 are fine and we can keep burning fossil fuels) Yes there's way more water vapour in the air than CO2, but this argument is totally irrelevant to climate science as it completely ignores the interaction between waver vapour and CO2. WV creates a positive feedback loop. So increasing CO2 increases temperature, causing more evaporation & thus water vapour, leading to further warming & more evaporation. Water vapour in itself is part of the naturally regulated water cycle.

CO2 increases are natural

There are hundreds of studies showing the correlation of human activity since the idustrial revolution correlating with increasing CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. The hockey stick graph is the most vivid representation of co2 concentration against fossil fuel activity

CO2 doesn't trap heat

This is as fundamental a denial of science as saying we don't experience gravity. The heat trapping effect of CO2 was demonstrated in the lab 150 yrs ago, and confirmed countless times since. In addition, spectral satellites confirm CO2 to behave identically in the atmosphere as it does in lab results.

The whole solar system is warming - (ie. it's not human activity)

Mars & Venus aren't, and solar activity is decreasing.

Volcanoes are to blame for high CO

Human activity produces roughly 100x more Co2 than volcanoes

Warming lags behind CO2 increases proving CO2 is not responsible

This is called climate lag and is basic physics. Imagine putting a pan over a flame. The atmosphere around the flame is instantly hot, but the water takes time to boil. Climate lag is around 40 yrs, due to the thermal inertia of the oceans.

The Denial Funders

Any person or 'scientist' associated with one of these (these are just a few of the worst) has been paid by the fossil fuel lobby to confound the science and confuse the public

Lobbying

In the UK, one of our worst climate denying institutes is Members of the Global Warming Policy Foundation, which was set up by Lord Lawson, a well-known climate denier, peer in the house of lords, and father of chef Nigella. His name is Nigel. He called his daughter Nigella.

The problem is much worse in the US. In 2012 alone, fossil fuel companies donated over $70m dollars DIRECTLY to US politcal candidates and parties. They spent another $150m on lobbyists to Washington. This is on top of enormous amounts of dark money funnelled through foundations, think tanks, and universities which are used to confound climate science.

The practice of dark money donations to stop environmental protections was pioneered by the Koch Brothers. The list of right wing and free market groups they have used their vast fortune to support is endless but it includes the Cato Institute which Charles cofounded in 1977, the American Enterprise Institute, the George C Marshall Institute, the Reason Foundation, the Heritage Foundation, the Manhattan Institute and Americans for Prosperity, founded by David Koch himself and which spent $40million for the 2010 Congressional elections alone.

James Inhofe, a senator & previous chair (!!!) on the the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, has frequently called climate change “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people”. He has also compared environmentalists to Nazis. To date, he has received $1,587,596 from the oil and gas industry.

Ways to do outreach

Survey boards, festivals, films, welcome hubs, talking to family and friends, flyposting and more.

Ways to do outreach

Survey Boards

Survey boards are a great outreach method and have proved to be really effective and fun to use. Rebels have said that the boards can be an easy method to initiate conversations as people are curious about the boards and approach your stall more readily. We have presented two board design options below for groups to try.

Just use whatever software you have (e.g. Word, or Google Docs) to write out the words you want on your board and print BIG!

There are a few versions fo these boards for you to get inspiration from. Each type will lead to different conversations, and comes with some guidance on how to use them.

Board Designs

#1: Original

Question 1 (First Panel)
How concerned are you about the climate crisis?

⇒ Either use a scale of 1-5 where 1 is ‘not worried’ and 5 is ‘terrified’, or 1-5 different choices, for example

  1. Not Worried
  2. Bit Uneasy
  3. Quite Worried
  4. Seriously Concerned
  5. Terrified

Question 2 (Second Panel)
Do you think that the UK Government is doing enough? (optional ‘about it’?)

⇒ Use a scale of 1-5 where 1 is ‘They’re hopeless’ and 5 is ‘They’re doing a great job’

Or just use the emojis from the template.

Question 3 (Third panel)
Would you consider going to [INSERT UPCOMING EVENT] (between/from) [INSERT DATE] (optional - ‘to call for an end to the fossil fuel era?’)

⇒ People add sticker if they are ‘considering’ and don’t if they aren’t (no need for Yes/No)

Optional text to print ‘sign up to our email list here...’ and ‘keep yourself informed…’

Possible additions - but keep things neat and tidy

#2: The Deliberative One

Question 1 (First Panel)
How concerned are you about the climate crisis?

⇒ Either use a scale of 1-5 where 1 is ‘not worried’ and 5 is ‘terrified’, or 1-5 different choices, for example

  1. Not Worried
  2. Bit Uneasy
  3. Quite Worried
  4. Seriously Concerned
  5. Terrified

Question 2 (Second Panel)
Which of these climate impacts concerns you most? You can choose more than one answer.

⇒ Divide the panel up into sections where participants can place their stickers:

  1. Extreme weather, e.g. flooding, drought and heatwaves
  2. Political Instability
  3. Wildlife loss and destruction
  4. Energy crisis
  5. Food insecurity
  6. Pollution
  7. Other

Question 3 (Third Panel)
Do you think that our Government is doing enough?

⇒ Use a scale of 1-5 where 1 is ‘They’re hopeless’ and 5 is ‘They’re doing a great job’

Or just use the emojis from the template.

Question 4 (Fourth Panel)
How could we as ordinary citizens put enough pressure on our government for it to act more urgently? Choose the options that are most effective.

⇒ Divide the panel up into sections where participants can place their stickers:

  1. General strike
  2. Tax strike
  3. Petitions
  4. Get professionals/notables to sign open letter to MP
  5. Mass marches
  6. Lobbying together with a pressure group
  7. Take part in mass civil disobedience
  8. Creative stunts & actions

#3- The Nature One

RNN survey boards.PNG

Question 1 (First Panel)

How concerned are you about the loss of nature?

⇒ Either use a scale of 1-5 where 1 is ‘not worried’ and 5 is ‘terrified’, or 1-5 different choices, for example

  1. Not Worried
  2. Bit Uneasy
  3. Quite Concerned
  4. Very Concerned
  5. Seriously Concerned

Question 2 (Second Panel)
Which of the following is most important to you? You can choose more than one answer.

⇒ Divide the panel up into sections where participants can place their stickers:

  1. My connection with nature
  2. Government action to restore wildlife
  3. 1 in 6 species are in danger of extinction
  4. Clean rivers and seas
  5. Climate caused crop failure

Question 3 (Third panel)
This is the 'commitment' questions, something they can do. The following text was used for Restore Nature Now - but you could change it to a local event or action or even 'sign up to our email list'.

Would you consider joining the Restore Nature Now march with Chris Packham and many thousands of others, on Saturday 22nd June in London? To really show our politicians that nature is important to us?

⇒ Just use YES or perhaps Yes/Maybe options

Possible additions - but keep things neat and tidy

#4: The English/Welsh Nature-Themed Pie-Chart One

Screenshot 2024-05-28 at 10.25.57.png

Question 1 (use number scale)
How serious is the nature crisis / biodiversity loss?

Question 2 (use pie-chart layout)
Which parts of the nature crisis concern you most?

Question 3 (use pie-chart layout)
Where can we take action most effectively?

Question 4 (the call to action)
This is where you offer the next step. It could be a question like 'would you join our email list?' or 'Would you like to come to our next welcome meeting to learn more about XR?' or inviting people to the next big event/action (e.g. 'Would you like to join us in London for Restore Nature Now march?')

Tailor and print words
All these questions are available on this Google Doc - you could take a copy and edit the questions and answer to suit. Welsh translations of questions and options also contained in this doc.


Producing the Boards

We recommend purchasing white A1 or A0 foamboards that can be found from craft stores or online (approximately 1m x 70-80cm)

Graphics for the boards

Files to print for the survey:

#1: The Simple One

#2: The Deliberative One

#3: A colour version of a Citizen’s Assembly focused board
Pdf to download here - you should be able to print these at home and carefully tile together to create the size you need for these boards.

Or you can create your own versions using the XR FUCXED CAPS as well as other fonts and symbols which can be downloaded here.

We have suggested two ways to attach the boards together though you might find alternative methods that work for you.

Making the boards themselves

Wooden Support

Bamboo

General Advice

Ways to do outreach

Outreach Hubs

An Outreach Hub is a pop-up tent where you can find XR info and support, meet rebels, pick up vibrant print designs and join trainings and workshops. They also serve as a place of sanctuary where you can pull up a chair and know you’ll be welcomed.

A lot of the information and advice would also be useful when running a simple stall.

Rebels chat each side of a stall in a gazebo

Setting up your Hub

Purpose?

Consider the aim of your hub, is it informing the public about the climate emergency, who XR are, our demands, our focus on NVDA? Is it promoting a local group, or a big event coming up (e.g. a 3.5 talk or the next rebellion). It could be more than one thing, but talk about it with your team so people feel clear on the aim of the day and ensure every person interacting with the stall goes away more informed, more connected (this could be signing up to the email list, or the Rebellion Broadcast, or at least knowing where to learn more or contact their local group)

What location?

Is there a lot of public footfall for outreach? Is it a place where people linger and there’s space to stop?

What are the logistics?

How are you transporting the Hub kit from storage to location? Is the location accessible by car/van? What’s the best drop off point for unloading? Make sure you have a team waiting to help unload and set up the Hub on the day.

Familiarise yourself with the local ecology.

A week or so in advance, speak to local traders and/or people who might feel you are invading their patch to put and people at their ease about XR’s intentions.

Take time to dress the Hub and surrounding area ...

...so that it looks welcoming and attractive. Build a team to share this task and teach others. Tuck bags and boxes away, both for security and to show the public you care. Make sure you have a team for the clean up, pack down and transport of objects home.

Look outwards!

Is all your messaging clear for the public to see? Are QR codes displayed without obstruction?

Have a welcome crew...

...skilled up in outreach who are on hand to greet people and share information… also a flyering crew in the area around the Hub.

Visuals

Welcome banners and human sized banners are great for dressing sites and as a backdrop for people speaking. This helps to create strong visuals and messages for photography and live streaming.

Welcome banners: 3m x 70 cm, position letters 17cm from the top of the material, with two fingers between each letter. Don’t overcrowd the space. Full width banners, to hang at the back of the gazebo: 3m x 1.5m

Reach out to your local/Regional Art group to get advice on making visual assets or check out the Art Blocking section on the Rebel Toolkit.

outreach 3.PNG

Kitlist

In a spirit of sustainability try and get hold of second-hand materials that will last.

Optional but useful:

Print Materials

Promoting sign-ups

outreach 4.PNG

Expanding your Hub into an Outreach Day event?

Art Blocking

Programming

Extras

outreach 5.PNG

Ways to do outreach

Festivals

Festivals can provide a great opportunity for outreach, as they bring together large numbers of people, hopefully all in a good mood and with an open mind! If you’d like to represent XR at a festival, the following will help to get you started.

Festival_2.jpg
XR at Glastonbury

Applying

Fundraising and email list sign ups

Two very important ways for interested people at the festival to take their first step towards geting involved with XR, are joining our email list or donating.

Safety and Security

Next step is to make sure that your group and others attending the festival will be safe and secure in order to have a great time.

Public Liability Insurance (PLI)

This advice is aimed at local groups who need to get PLI in order to go to festivals, run public creative outreach stands or set up their own small festivals.

Risk Assessments

You can find an XR example risk assessment here, feel free to copy and edit so that it's relevant to your event.

Stage Programming and Stage Management

If you are going one step further and planning to help with musicians/artists programming, then see the support in the Action Support book here

For further information or assistance please feel free to contact the Festivals Circle on our Mattermost Channel.

image-1740942517918.jpg
Dirty Scrubbers at Glastonbury

Festival_3.jpg
Art Blocking at Nottingham Green Festival

Ways to do outreach

Film Screening

Organising your own screening of a film, or working with a local cinema and/or or organising a panel discussion after a screening are all good ways to reach a new audience.

You can mix a film screening with other outreach methods to get sign ups to your email list too, and perhaps already have your next event planned to invite people to.

Film Ideas

The films below are obviously just a small selection and many more are available and suitable to show and have discussions around.

To add more films to this list, preferably with a route to contacting distributor, or info on how to screen it, please contact LGsupport@extinctionrebellion.uk.

Plan Z: From lab coats to handcuffs


24min - Dir. Louisa Jones and Vladimir Morozov

When the UK government pledges to ‘max out’ oil and gas extraction, the lives of psychology professor Colin, microbiologist Abi and ecologist Aaron collide outside the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), where they and six others are arrested for causing alleged criminal damage. But who are the real climate criminals?

As restrictions on protest tighten, will scientists retreat to their laboratories or will more stand up than ever before? A window into the world of reluctant activism, Plan Z explores the moral power of protest when established routes of influence fail.

The Line We Crossed

Release date 23rd June 2025

The film reveals how climate activists are being silenced in court, criminalised, and handed disproportionate punishments for nonviolent protest. The right to nonviolent protest is a cornerstone of democracy, protected by laws the UK has pledged to uphold. Audiences who watch this film are shocked to see these rights under attack.

How to show this film - The production team for this film are looking for people to help 'champion' getting local screenings. Request a screening here.

The team would then provide a press release and other resources to help you publicise it. This film is focussed on JSO actions, so it might be suitable to join forces with your local JSO and do a joint panel discussion afterwards.

We want to run a Q&A with every screening. Local champions can support in a number of ways. They can take part as Q&A panelists, be there to welcome other Q&A panelists from out of town and help with logistics and coordination.

More info at thelinewecrossed.com and list of upcoming screenings here.

Water is Love



The film follows a group of young people grappling with the climate crisis while we journey around the world to share inspiring stories of regenerative ecosystem design to create water retention in communities, villages, and regions.

Touching upon traditional ecological knowledge, how water makes climate, and the importance of restoring complete water cycles.

Through inspiring stories from successful projects in India, Kenya, and Portugal, we aim to spark conversations and actions that contribute to a regenerative and resilient world. This film points to an often overlooked need and possibility: community-driven decentralized water management as a critical key for surviving — and thriving in — this century.

Can I Live?

Released 2021

“Why don’t we talk about it?”

An urgent question and an invitation offered by Can I Live?: a vital new digital performance about the climate catastrophe conceived, written and performed by Fehinti Balogun who shares his personal journey into the biggest challenge of our times. Weaving his story with spoken word, rap, theatre, animation and the scientific facts, Fehinti charts a course through the fundamental issues underpinning the emergency.

#Climate Scam

40min - Dir. Bryony Stokes

As the world faces increasingly devastating climate-related disasters, why do so many people believe that climate change is all a hoax? This is the question that Jaz Njie, a young hairdresser and tech-savvy Gen Z-er, sets out to discover in the new film, #ClimateScam?. In this documentary, produced by award-winning charity Cornwall Climate Care, Jaz swaps her scissors for a microphone as she goes out to the homes of climate scientists, climate sceptics and climate activists, getting to know the real people behind the often angry headlines.

Find out more about and watch their previous films at Cornwall Climate Care.

This film was recently shown together with Plan Z at Mammoth Climate Action Cinema in Nottingham and worked really well as a double bill with a Q&A afterwards.

Ways to do outreach

FlyPosting

XR flyposting is putting up beautiful posters in public spaces to:

Lots of information, resources and ideas are contained in the Paint the Streets pages.

Ways to do outreach

Talking to Family and Friends

We know that personal connection is one of the most effective ways of changing people's perspective on the climate crisis, and bringing them into activism.

So speaking to our friends and families about why we do what we do can be really powerful! But it can also be really difficult.

We can feel that people don't want to hear what we have to say, or worry that people will think our actions and views are too extreme, when we know that they are completely proportionate to the scale of the crisis we face.

Thankfully, there are some really useful resources available help with this!

Resources to help you...

The climate communication charity HEARD recommends using a "can do" framing for conversations. Rather than talking about how "everything is fine", or "will be fine", nor saying "everything is ruined". Say instead that we can change/improve this, it's within our reach if we try. See these slides and this guide to read more about how to change the way we talk about climate.

A Gift for Conversation

A Gift for Conversation is a 'gift book', designed to help you talk about the climate crisis to people you care about. Written by an XR Rebel, it is available in paper copies via a 'pay-as-you-feel' system, and as a pdf version for free.

Rebels have given dozens of copies to their friends and families and it has triggered some brilliant conversations. It has even been given as a gift to the judge in climate activism trials!

How to speak with your family and friends about environmental issues

This short guide provides some really solid advice on the basics of talking to people about climate change and the environment. It doesn't go into the details of the issues like the book above, but covers the practise of active listening, how to keep the conversation productive and polite, and the power of the personal.

Ways to do outreach

Doorknocking

Door Listening

Why Door-to-door Listening?

You may want to consider approaching members of your local community to invite them to take part in Actions or Community Assemblies. The process of knocking on people’s doors and simply listening to what they have to say is both humbling and empowering, and if done with care and consideration, it can foster strong links across a local area, helping to initiate a local movement and/or help an existing one gain momentum.

What Do I Need to Consider?

Throughout the door-to-door listening process it is important to remember that you are approaching people’s homes/businesses/places of worship and that people may not be able to talk or may not want to. If someone does not feel like they have time to engage with you, then listen to them and respect their wishes – their home is their private space, and they are entitled to feel safe and free from hassle.

It is also important to try to avoid making assumptions: avoid judging someone on their race, gender, religion or age, and/or what their house looks like or the area in which they live. Everyone is different, knock on someone’s door with an open mind and with a willingness to connect and learn.

With door-to-door listening it is vital not to have an agenda, do not knock on the door with content that you want to peddle through as this will prevent you from being able to actively listen. Listen, genuinely listen, and let the person whose home you have knocked on guide the interaction. Do not try to equate their experiences with yours or interrupt with questions. Questions you might have will be related to your perspective and they will work to interrupt someone’s flow or make the conversation change direction.

Step by Step Guide

  1. Knock on the door. Take a step back once you have knocked so that people can open the door without feeling like their space is being invaded.

  2. If a child answers the door, do not introduce yourself, ask to speak with an adult.

  3. Introduce yourself slowly and clearly, making eye contact and avoiding making fast movements. Think about your body language – having your arms by your side and visible will make people feel more relaxed than if you have your arms crossed or your hands in your pockets. The aim is to make people feel at ease.

  4. Explain who you are, why you are there and that you are representing either your Local XR group or your Community Group – it is important to be transparent.

    5. A good introduction would be “Hello, my name is _______. I am here on behalf of ________ and I am knocking on doors to better understand the issues that matter to people and their families in the local area.”

  5. It is important to give people the option of whether or not to engage, so follow this short introduction with a question, such as “do you have some time to talk to me about the issues that matter to you?” If people do not want to engage, move on. This is their home and you are a visitor.

  6. If people want to engage with you, then actively listen to what they have to say, keeping in mind your body language throughout the process. Let them guide the interaction. Do not interrupt, argue with them or outline your opinions. If you need to take notes, then explain why you would like to and check that this is ok with those you are listening to. Ideally, however, do so after the process as this will ensure you are fully present when you are listening.

  7. Be engaged. You may wish to highlight that you have heard what they have said by nodding along or making small sounds of agreement.

  8. If someone asks you questions, engage with them, but try to ensure that you avoid stressing your opinions if it may make people feel uncomfortable about expressing theirs. If a natural point arrives at which you can ask a question, prioritise asking probing questions that seek to understand their perspective better. Do not ask prying questions about personal information – people are entitled to privacy and such questions can alienate.

  9. Thank the person for their time and for sharing their views and feelings.

  10. If you feel there has been positive engagement and a genuine connection, then before you depart you may wish to give the person more information about your Local Group or any local events happening. However, if there is no right time to do so, then leave this step out.

    11. Be prepared with leaflets and sign up sheets if they are interested but don’t push it upon them.

  11. Follow-up your door knockings - if you’ve forged a relationship with someone, you should be the one to follow it up. Keep track of where you’ve had meaningful interactions.

Top Tips:

How to use Door Listening as a Local Group:

GOOD LUCK!

Try virtual door knocking

  1. Log in, find ‘Directories’ on the left-hand side of the screen.
  2. Click ‘Neighbours’.
  3. Click ‘Message’ to contact individual people with your invite!
Ways to do outreach

How to Host a House Meeting

What do you feel about the Climate Crisis? And what does it mean to you to be part of Extinction Rebellion? Then, there’s how do your family, friends, neighbours and colleagues feel, too?
Sometimes, it can be hard to have a conversation about all this because the science is shouting we’re heading for extinction and it can feel like the world doesn’t want to hear the truth.

Where?

It’s really up to you - it could be on a video platform which is accessible, or a social gathering for a small number in an open space, or even at work - host as many meetings as you can.

When?

Try multiple time variations - your friends, family and contacts are probably free at different times. And by hosting, many more people will engage with the climate crisis more deeply.

How?

How you invite people is important - don’t round robin everyone. Make it personal - preferably with a call- emails and messages are easy to ignore! Perhaps tailor your groups - pockets of friends, family groupings, and people connected by faith, background, or interests; people are probably more likely to come if they know someone else, so let them know who’s invited/coming to encourage attendance. If someone declines, ask why - there’ll be valuable learning here.

Be ambitious!
For this rebellion, aim to invite everyone you know to one, with probably no more than 6-7 per meeting to give everyone time to contribute meaningfully.

What happens in a House Meeting?

Start with introductions - not everyone may know each other, and everyone shares why they have come.
Then, give a short talk - cover why you joined XR, your tipping point, the science that keeps you awake at night and the facts you wish you could forget… what you think about peaceful mass civil disobedience… the government response to the ecological emergency… why we must build back better. Be vulnerable with your fears, express your love and rage… And remember, you don’t have to learn a talk off by heart - you can have crib notes to help! Also, you can offer to share some facts links with your guests, so they can do follow-up research too, after the House Meeting.

You may find the Street Speaker Scripts give you a useful basis to start from.

What happens next?

After this 15 minutes or so of you chatting, it’s your guests turn to talk and share how what they’ve heard has made them feel (this part takes around 30 minutes).

Next steps for engagement, or not?

Of course, it’ll be great if any of your guests want to now join XR, but not everyone will, so acknowledge that and thank everyone for sharing their thoughts and feelings. Your goal is to make everyone feel comfortable, and also give a range of options for involvement:

How to wrap up the House Meeting

Flyers, Posters & Stickers

Order, print yourself or request tailer made leaflets, flyers, posters, stickers!

Flyers, Posters & Stickers

Order XRUK designed outreach materials


Request XRUK leaflets, stickers and posters via this order form

Request Upgrade Democracy leaflets, stickers and posters via this order form

Flyers available are:

The current stickers available are:

Request XRUK leaflets, stickers and posters via this order form

Tailor your own UK Flyers

You can also find graphics of various UK designed flyers as pdfs here - this is an option if you are able to take the pdf and edit/add your own content.

Flyers, Posters & Stickers

General and Event Specific Flyers

Ready to print flyers for themes, actions and general climate and ecological messaging.

Please don't use the images on this page to print, make sure you download the print-quality version.

Rebel for Truth

These are the current generic outreach flyers. They are undated and so will be able to be used whenever you need them.

You can order them to be delivered directly to your group here, or you can print your own by downloading them from this link, including Welsh versions.

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Conflict and Climate

Increasingly, groups are wanting to talk about the links between conflict and the climate crisis, but explaining these connections to people can be difficult. Our War and Peace messaging guidance has been designed to help with that.

If you are doing an XR action linked to current conflicts, or are running a stall at an event (a Palestine fundraiser, for example), you may wish to use these flyers to help explain why you are there, and why conflict and climate change are 2 sides of the same problem.

Files for printhing this flyer:
Conflict & Climate flyer for home printing
Conflict & Climate Flyer for professional printing

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Promote Citizens' Assemblies

Download this flyer to promote Citizens' Assemblies here.

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Global Justice Now

Find the Global Justice flyers here

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Social Justice = Climate Justice

Find the Social Justice flyers here

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Old but timeless!

Find the classic Non Violent flyer here

Yellow logo Rebel flyer

Themed Flyers

Upgrade Democracy

Click here to obtain print quality flyer

Dirty Water

Insure Our Future

Insure Our Future flyers can be found here.

Air Pollution

Air Pollution flyers for LGs can be found here

Flyers, Posters & Stickers

Flyers Tailored for Local Groups

A non-dated flyer to use locally

These could be used at actions, events, stalls, on the street during outreach, or left in cafes, bookshops etc where space is put aside for community group flyers.

If you would like to have this tailored for you then contact LGsupport@extinctionrebellion.uk - you can request a change of logo on the front and also the contact details and the QR code on the back.

If you have design skills yourself then you can download in these formats

If you would like to get a joinxr.uk/xxx link for your local group email list (similar to the one Edinburgh used above), there is some information here

Tailor your own UK Flyers

You can also find graphics of various UK designed flyers as pdfs here - this is an option if you are able to take the pdf and edit/add your own content.

Flyers, Posters & Stickers

Stickers

Rebel For Truth

To print these sticker - download the print-quality files here.

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Themed stickers

Dirty Water

Flyers, Posters & Stickers

Posters

Unite to Survive / Rebel for Truth

Download these and many more posters here.

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Classic Posters

These are posters that have been around a long time but they're still just as good as they always were! Stick them in your window or use them to Paint the Streets!

For Professional Printing

The following posters are optimised to be printed onto A3:

Alarm
Dead Planet
Bees Skull
Eyes
Blue Skulls
Sand Timer
Red Skull
Smiley Cuffs
Shock Cuffs
Purple Skulls
Earth on Scales
This is Change
Change is Now
Abstract Colours
Colourful Sand Timer
World Inside a Greenhouse
Birds on Westminster
Deadly Transformations
Snake Skeleton
It Always Seems Impossible Until It's Done
Nonviolent
Rebel for Life
Extinction
Shock Rebel for Life
Getting Hot in Here
Tell the Truth mouth
People Over Profit
Life not Death
Green not Greed
Eco not Ego

The following posters are optimised to be printed onto A4:

Yellow Shocked

For Home Printing

Extinction Rebellion Window Poster
Shocked Face & Skulls Window Posters
Declaration of Rebellion (looks best in A3)

For Placards

The following posters are optimised to be printed onto A2 and used as placards:

Set 1 (including 'Rebel for Life', 'Tell the Truth', 'Act Now', 'Non Violent' and 'Extinction Rebellion')

Set 2 (including 'Change or Die', 'Time is Up', 'Now or Never' and 'Climate & Ecological Emergency')

Subvertising Posters

For advice on subvertising, and posters designed to be used in bus stops, billboards, and the tube, check out the Paint the Streets books

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Paint the Streets Archive

The XRUK Paint the Streets Design Drive (being updated) has an array of designs and resources from past and current campaigns, including Cover the Capital designs (bus stops, billboards and underground poster designs). All the work has been created by volunteers. These documents are not to be used for commercial gain.

Science facts large outreach banner

This poster was made by Scientists for XR. The idea is to print it out very, very big and then use it at your action or outreach event to start conversations passers-by.

If you have any questions about how to print the poster etc, message them on mattermost on @louisk.

Download the design here

For more details about the Portable Climate Science Museum go to https://climatemuseums.org/.

Themed Posters

Biodiversity

Dirty Water

Flyers, Posters & Stickers

Principles and Values Poster & more

Principles and Values Poster

For access to this open resource click on the image itself

Principles and Values

Declaration of Rebellion

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Declaration of Rebellion for professional printing.

Declaration of Rebellion for home printing (looks best in A3)