The recent announcement of The Earthshot Prize winners and this week’s COP 15 on biodiversity in Montreal has yet again brought the climate crisis, its effects on the natural world and the action that needs to be taken to the fore.
The Climate Crisis is the most pressing issue of our time, affecting people of all ages and backgrounds across our community. This is why Creative Matters: Climate Stories harnesses the power of creativity and helps audiences and participants participate in the climate change conversation and creatively explore the way ahead.
Beginning in January 2023, with the involvement of many artists, thinkers, activists and creative partners, Norwich Theatre venues will host a range of events and creative experiences exploring the climate crisis and presenting ways in which all of us can influence our collective future. Norwich Theatre is looking for partners to make or share work and local organisations to make a climate pledge.
In partnership with UEA, we will host a series of workshops and writing sessions that guide participants through writing their own climate-focussed script in 37 Plays: Climate Stories. This project aims to equip new writers with the tools to write their own ecological pieces that encourage the viewer to explore the many responses to the climate crisis and the many different facets of the climate debate.
The series of seven workshops starts at the UEA with an ecological writing workshop with Steve Waters. Steve is the author of The Contingency Plan, a diptych of plays in 2009 about climate change. He has been at the forefront of artistic practice and reflection on climate change and was a co-convenor of the Writing and Science Project at UEA. He has been at the forefront of artistic practice and reflection on climate change his latest project is ‘Song of the Reed: Dramatising Conservation’ a project that explores how playwriting can engage with climate change and our perception of nature.
Sam Patel, Head of Creative Engagement at Norwich Theatre, said: “Creativity enables artists and audiences to imagine beyond the limitations of their own worlds, bringing voices together and revealing new paths forward. Through our theatres and other cultural venues across Norfolk, we aim to offer a safe space for audiences to contemplate, be challenged, learn and negotiate new thoughts around the climate crisis – creating an environment where they are supported to grapple with both positive and negative feelings and constructively build their own path, and bridges with others.”
Speaking about 37 Plays, Steve Waters, said: “I am delighted to be collaborating with Norwich Theatre on this project – creating new stories for new audiences about the climate crisis is central to my writing life and working with NT to support new writers seeking to engage with the greatest debate of our time, is a real privilege.”
The year-long season will feature a mix of performances, films, exhibitions, workshops and events, which aim to stimulate discussion and make connections through creativity. By telling climate stories that need to be heard, Norwich Theatre hopes to inspire individuals and communities to create social change. More workshops, performances and events will be announced in the New Year.
For information about Creative Matters: Climate Stories, please visit here.
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