Seedling is a series of original audio pieces and installations – that focus on potential motherhood, environmental responsibility and consumerism – produced by Carbon Theatre.
Co-created with primary school children, the project aims to make discussion around the climate crisis more accessible and more easily understood. Seedling also captures and amplifies intergenerational stories of multicultural family heritage. The two audio pieces will be shared in pop-up installations in Northampton and Corby alongside textile creations, made by local people in the weeks leading up to the installations. The sessions will aim to look at how our families shape our identity and how we think about the future.
We spoke to the writer and performer of the project, Helen Crevel, to find out more about Seedling.
Tell us a bit about the project.
Seedling and Cub are two audio installations exploring the climate crisis, mixed heritage and our connection to the natural world. Seedling was originally created in 2021 and is the story of one woman trying to decide whether to try to have a child in a world where we are heading for climate breakdown.
We had an amazing response to Seedling but it’s quite an adult story in terms of ideas and themes and we knew if we ever brought it back we’d want to create a companion piece for younger audiences too. So Cub was created this year in together with children from Cottesmore Academy in Rutland.
Cub is the story of a young child called Kit and a fox that lives in a nearby wood and what happens when a flood hits both of their homes. It’s aimed at ages 7-12+ – although both older and younger ones have been enjoying it too.
How does it feel to bring the installation to Northampton and Corby?
It’s a huge thrill! The stories and a lot of the creative team are strongly rooted in the East Midlands so there will always be a home here for this work. Since Seedling was originally made in 2021 it’s actually been on its own little journey – going out to a theatre festival in Budapest! We’ve continued to be so moved by the depth of people’s response to the project and obviously now we have more to share with Cub being part of the experience too.
We really can’t wait to see and hear what people think!
What do you want audiences to take away from Seedling?
For Seedling, the question we centred the work around was ‘How can we live with hope?’ – because when you are addressing the climate crisis, it can really easily evolve into feelings of anxiety and powerless and we felt quite strongly that we didn’t want the piece to feel depressing.
For Cub, the question we thought about was ‘How can we help each other?’ as it felt like a more relevant one for a younger mindset. But the pieces have a lot of the same DNA and so for both our hope is that people come away feeling more connected to their families and nature and also motivated to take action – even small ones – for a better, greener world.
What has been the biggest challenge when working on the project?
Each stage of the project has come with its own challenges. When we first made Seedling in 2021, a lot of the production choices came out of the fact we were still limited by lockdowns and bubbles. So that really influenced the decision to create an audio piece – without a live performer – that people could experience alone or in their ‘bubbles’.
When making Cub this year, we felt a big responsibility to make sure the story felt like an authentic reflection of the thoughts and feelings of the children that we worked with. Of course, they don’t just all think or feel the same way but we tried to make sure that they were true collaborators on the project and that their ideas carried real weight.
What can children and families expect to experience with Seedling?
For both Seedling and Cub, the audio stories are quite intimate and personal. Ruth Stringer, our designer, has created two different but cosy ‘den’ spaces – so you can get nice and comfy to listen. You’re wearing headphones so the first-person narrative comes right into your ear – almost like a secret – which I think feels quite immersive – and this feeling is enhanced by the music and sound from our sound designer, Alice Boyd.
After listening – which takes around 15 minutes – there are also some really fun and thoughtful wraparound activities that you can join in with – including making wildflower playdough, weaving on a loom, adding to our project timeline and more!
What’s next for Carbon Theatre?
Now Cub is made we are excited to start reaching out to local schools in Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and Rutland to tour the Cub (den included) directly to them. The idea is that everything will arrive in a big box with lots of guidance and resources for teachers to assemble, set-up and then explore with their students. We’ve planned for the school to have the experience for 1 week so lots of classes can listen and explore the resources and the den itself!
Outside of Seedling and Cub we are planning for a tour to open in Autumn (to be announced very soon!) and we have a few other projects in the funding pipelines too – so keep your fingers crossed for us!
Photo credit: Christian Sinibaldi
Find out more about Carbon Theatre – Carbon (carbontheatre.org.uk)