This could be an accurate descriptor for what is happening in the world right now. But it will also be the working title for the new show that we’ll be making in early 2019 (more on where that title came from later on).
For some time now, we’ve been wanting to do a project around climate change. It’s one of the biggest issues of our time and feels particularly relevant at the moment when experts are telling us that the clock is ticking to do something about it.
In the past year or so we’ve also been forging relationships with climate scientists and engineers at Newcastle University and this year an opportunity arose with the Royal Academy of Engineering to create a brand new engagement project.
Our pitch was to make the beginnings of a piece of theatre about climate change, that was inspired and created by primary school children, with help from climate scientists and performed by professional actors for an audience of all ages.
Climate change will affect us all, but it’s the younger generation who will bear the brunt and we felt that it would be interesting and useful to get their perspectives and to broaden their understanding of climate science and the engineering solutions from people with real expertise.
After our successful funding application to the Royal Academy of Engineering Ingenious scheme, we got the ball rolling on the project by facilitating a couple of short sessions with two classes at Hotspur Primary School in Heaton. We wanted to gauge their knowledge about climate change as well as setting them a couple of creative tasks. One of those tasks was to come up the title for the piece mentioned at the very top. ‘Climate Change Catastrophe!’ won the day but it was a close run thing with other contenders including ‘The Sunbeam Situation’ and ‘Don’t Do Climate Change’.
The project really kicks off in January 2019 when we get the students, the scientists and engineers, the actors and Cap-a-Pie all in a room to start creating.
Can’t wait.
