Norwich Theatre explores climate anxiety in the Take Part activities this Autumn. The Mind, Body, and Earth programme is a series of workshops developed in partnership with Norfolk and Waveney Mind.
The Mind, Body, Earth workshops provide empathetic spaces where anxieties about our climate and the future can be safely expressed and explored.
They are part of Norwich Theatre’s Creative Matters: Climate Stories, a year-long season harnessing the power of creativity and storytelling to present different perspectives on the climate crisis.
Ruth Taylor, Social Development and Mindfulness Manager at Norfolk and Waveney Mind, said:
“We are thrilled to partner with Norwich Theatre Royal in this exciting series of events highlighting the role creativity can play in responding to challenging feelings about the climate and ecological crisis. Finding ways to express this while also exploring our connection with nature can be incredibly soothing and deeply transformative in finding fresh new perspectives about this overwhelming issue.”
Speaking about the programme, Elspeth Hunter, Creative Engagement Project Manager at Norwich Theatre, said: “Thinking about environmental issues can take its toll on our mental wellbeing and lead to feelings of guilt – whether we are aware of this or not. Finding outlets for these emotions is vital for taking care of ourselves and feeling connected.
“Creativity is a fantastic tool to explore difficult feelings and make connections. The Mind, Body, Earth programme seeks to allow participants to try creative ways to process their anxieties and share their concerns with others.”
Touching Earth (5 Sep) helps you develop your capacities for sensory receptive awareness, creative expression and resonant connection with the wider natural world. This movement-based activity is simple and accessible to all. You will have the space and time to work at your own pace.
The body is where anxiety can be felt at its most intense. However, it is also where we can find sanctuary, creativity and resilience. This is what Katy Dunne, a Dance Movement Psychotherapist explores during the Moving with Climate Anxiety (12 Sep) workshop. Participants will be encouraged to move and explore their body’s response to the climate crisis without becoming overwhelmed by feelings, sensations and fears. In Slowing Down to Connect (19 Sep), authentic and creative movement will be utilised to support you in slowing down and deepening your connection to your body, your sensations and your instincts.
Feel the power of nature with Forest Bathing (14 Sep). This gentle walk incorporates elements of the Japanese practice of shinrin yoku or forest bathing. This immersive and calming process helps us become fully aware of the nature around us and our place within it, which can be deeply restorative when we are worried or anxious.
Learn how to talk to children about the climate crisis (20 Sep) with Kit Marie Rackley. They dive into this difficult topic, sharing their approach to empowering young people to challenge information and opinions and gain the confidence to present, justify and act.
Step into the future and hold a conversation with your descendants to hear their advice and support with Active Hope across the centuries (26 Sep). Through this guided activity, you will use your imagination to travel to the future and meet our future beings. When we speak as future beings to someone in the present, tremendous compassion, hope, wisdom, and insight pour through.
Come to a free film screening of the Weather Diaries (2 Oct) at Norwich Theatre Stage Two. The film is an intimate chronicle of two simultaneous histories: on the one hand, the darkly cataclysmic impacts of climate change and on the other, the development of the filmmaker’s daughter, Imogen Jones, from child to adult. The screening will be followed by a Climate Café hosted by partners Norfolk and Waveney Mind.
For more information or to book, visit norwichtheatre.org or call the Box Office on 01603 630 000.
