Timothy Stacey

Dr. Timothy Stacey is a Researcher at Utrecht University's Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, specifically within the Urban Futures group under the Faculty of Geosciences. His work explores the role of 'spirited elements'—including myth, ritual, magic, tradition, and play—in inspiring political and ecological action toward sustainability transitions.

Stacey's research examines how modern liberal societies have dispensed with spirited elements at their peril, losing touch with what motivates people to take action while populists excel at narrative-spinning and engagement. His latest book, Saving Liberalism from Itself: The Spirit of Political Participation (Bristol University Press), explains how liberalism lost touch with spirited elements and how they can be recovered.

His publications reveal a consistent focus on cultural dimensions of sustainability, religious repertoires in ecological transitions, and dramaturgical approaches to political transformation. Recent work analyzes how different 'grammars, images, myths, rituals, play forms, and traditions' shape sustainability understanding across political contexts, with particular attention to climate communication and the intersection of science and belief systems.

Stacey actively collaborates across sectors as a co-organizer of AltVisions, a network connecting academics, activists, artists, and policymakers exploring alternative visions for a just future. His teaching includes Cultures of Sustainability in Global Perspective and co-teaching roles in sustainability science and interdisciplinary honors courses.

As an 'activist researcher,' he works directly with communities, policymakers, and activists to understand how spirited elements can be mobilized for ecological transformation, focusing particularly on climate change responses that are culturally resonant and politically effective.