Sentler's dissertation project Energy Acts investigates how Shetlanders have encountered different forms of energy over time, using their creative island culture to “translate” oil, wind, and other energy industries operating in the context of the North Sea and the Northern Atlantic. Focusing on archival material showcasing satirical performances about energy production within the framework of Shetland’s community festival Up-Helly-Aa between 1925 and 2025, the project analyses how these performances visualise complex negotiation processes between islanders and different industries. Alongside archival research, text-image analysis, and participant observation, Miriam also explores creative research methods such as reenactment to add further dimensions to her analyses.
The fifth chapter, titled “Green Acts,” examines how the advent of renewable energy industries in Shetland has inspired a new generation of performances, encompassing the experimental nature and invasive character of wind and tidal energy production. These green acts developed from roughly the mid-1960s onwards, gaining momentum around the turn of the millennium. Notably, the imagination of renewable energy in these acts often draws on motifs and storylines from science fiction and mythology. Here, Vikings glide across the seas around Shetland in wind-powered galleys, while alien spacecraft collide with local wind turbines, representing new energy stories that speak of territoriality, technocracy, and invasiveness.