Newcastle schoolchildren are the key to creating Climate Change web-series

North East theatre company Cap-A-Pie have been working with school children and Newcastle University scientists on new show Climate Change Catastrophe!

Author: Ellie KumarPublished 12th May 2021

Newcastle's schoolchildren, scientists and creatives are banding together - to help in the fight against climate change.

North East theatre group Cap-A-Pie have been working with scientists from Newcastle Uni, and schoolchildren to create a web series about the issues facing our planet.

The 6 part web series, "Climate Change Catastrophe" is about what children think about climate change - their hopes, fears and ideas for the future.

The creators are hoping "Climate Change Catastrophe" will help adults think more about our actions - and how they will affect our children.

Brad McCormick, the creative director of Cap-A-Pie, tells us it's so important to get kids involved in the conversations too:

"What we are doing, and have done in the past, is going to impact children more in the future if we don't do anything about it now.

"It's a way to maybe guilt trip us grown ups to do something about it.

"There's a composite letter that we put together, that was written by the young people, to the human race to say 'Please do something about climate change.'"

Hayley Fowler, Professor of Climate Change Impacts at Newcastle University, said,

“It’s important that we all understand more about the climate change emergency and what we can do about it. It is refreshing to see this through the eyes of children, and to hear about their inventive solutions. We all need to wake up to what our children already know - a climate catastrophe is coming.

"This show effortlessly blends the enthusiasm and unconstrained ideas of youth with the science and engineering needed to build them.

"Hopefully the next generation will inspire us to reach for Net Zero, to make changes to our lifestyles to benefit us all, and leave a better world for them to inherit.”

Director Brad McCormick is joined by designer Verity Quinn and lighting designer Dan Saggars who both worked on the Young Vic’s tour of Seiriol Davies’ critically acclaimed show, How To Win Against History. Original music is by award-winning North East singer-songwriter Katie Doherty, who regularly composes for theatre companies including Northern Stage and Open Clasp. The cast are Hannah Goudie (The Emperor’s New Clothes/Northern Stage & Kitchen Zoo) and Liam Scarth, who works with Mortal Fools and Lawnmowers Independent Theatre Company with a guest performance from rapper Kema Kay (I, Daniel Blake).

Climate Change Catastrophe! will be available as a free six part series on YouTube from 12 May 2021. An accompanying education pack and creative activities will also be available.