Youth theatre piece exploring the climate emergency opens alongside films and artwork
A theatre company led by young people is putting on a show exploring the climate emergency through their own global family stories.
DIRT is on at The Albany until October 30, accompanied by a series of films and artwork.
The show combines climate change research with real stories, told through interviews with local young people and their families and drawing on the traditions of oral storytelling.
It features a multitude of characters who come forth to evoke their ancestors’ tales of migration from across the globe, including sibling arguments across Lewisham and Ghana, love stories on the RMS Mauretania sailing from Jamaica in the 1950’s and Irish family land feuds.
Amaarah Roze, who joined the youth-led theatre company Sounds Like Chaos when she was 14, said that she hoped people leave the show reflecting on their actions in relation to caring for the planet and the ways in which they might relate to any of the characters.
She added: “When I was younger, climate change was something we only learned about in Geography from a very distant perspective. It seemed to affect the polar ice caps and that was it.
“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realised it is so important that we are learning and understanding how much climate change affects us in our day-to-day life.
“If we don’t reverse our actions now, we’ll keep causing irreversible damage until Mother Nature kicks us out.”
Alongside the theatre piece, the project has also commissioned 7 young artists to respond to the source material and themes, resulting in a rich collection of voices and artworks including zines, podcasts, film, sound art and community gatherings.
These will share the journeys, history and connections that show the diversity of cultures living in the city, and also explore the challenges facing the diaspora communities of Lewisham today.
The piece has been created for young people but is also for young people.
Sounds Like Chaos is a professional theatre company led by 36 young people aged 12-25 from diverse backgrounds living in Deptford, and tickets are free for people aged 25 and younger.
DIRT is at The Albany until October 30 alongside the films and artists commissions, which will be available from soundslikechaos.com.
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