The Power of Different Storytelling on the Climate Emergency, by Timna Krenn

Unlike the ROH, the National Theatre Scotland is a touring theatre operating on a different scale. Gemma Swallow explained that they have been working sustainably for a long time. Her team has been reusing materials or borrowing things from other theatre companies for decades, which not only reduces the carbon footprint but is also cheaper. She also mentioned the importance of engaging with audiences and letting them know what sustainable actions you are taking as a theatre maker. In terms of time and cost, Swallow highlighted that the budget hasn't really changed as it needs more time to discuss concrete sustainable actions. She made it clear that the money ultimately just moves to other parts of the budget. Instead of being spent on things and materials, it is spent on labor and people.

Jennifer Taillefer is a Carbon Literacy Trainer, which means she provides sustainability training specifically tailored to the performing arts industry. 10 years ago, the Carbon Literacy Project started in Manchester, aiming to create the same basis of understanding, knowledge and terminology about climate emergencies. Taillefer's training gives people the knowledge they need in their specific work environment and how to apply it in practice. From her experience, it is a great advantage that all departments speak a common language after the training and have learned the same things, which they can then implement in cross-departmental discussions. Like Wilson and Swallow, Taillefer stated that questions and discussions about sustainability in creative teams are very welcome and important. Protecting the climate is important to theatre makers, but they often don't know how to do it.

This panel ended with a screening of Live + Breathe by Love Ssega, a beautiful work which he produced for an air pollution awareness campaign in Lambeth and Southwark. Featuring a poem by Jayda David of Poetic Unity Brixton, this video lifts the voices of black and marginalised people.

Telling stories – a powerful tool in and outside of theatres

For the third panel discussion Love Ssega welcomed back Ann Yee and Oliver Mears who were joined by writer and podcaster, Ella Saltmarshe, and actor, Fehinti Balogun, to discuss story telling beyond the now and beyond the stage.

Fehinti Balogun created ‘Can I Live?’, a filmed performance which raises awareness about how people of color have been excluded from environmental activism. With this piece the actor wants to show that climate change, which he describes as a symptom of capitalism, is also about institutional injustice. That's why he also wants to connect different parts of society with this story. During the writing process, Balogun realised the importance of honesty and genuine vulnerability when telling stories about the backdrop of a climate crisis. For him, theatre makers need to tell all sorts of stories, which means telling all kinds of issues, pushing boundaries and challenging narratives. As a student on the MA Performance: Theater Making programme at Wimbledon College of Arts, which allows me to develop my creative and critical theatre and performance practices, I fully endorse his sentiments.

Fehinti Balogun further encouraged theatre makers to be brave and suggested to use community to move forward. For him, community is power and that's why he advised theatre makers to connect with others and work together as a unit. He also explained that it is extremely important to him to give as many people as possible the opportunity to see this work. The moment he mentioned that the filmed performance would be shown at screenings powered by bikes this year, I knew that this event was the right one for me.