Passion for the Planet

It’s been a busy few months. Lockdown has increased the workload if anything and, on the whole, that’s a blessing. I was a little shocked to see how long I have neglected this blog though.

So, what has been taking upon my time? Producing a poetry collection, running a theatre company, regular productions on Zoom and a large scale community project in Gateshead are the main culprits with the last on the list being the most voracious devourer of time. So, it’s probably worth a few minutes to consider the implications of this project.

Passion for the Planet is a multi faceted project, with schools work, and the involvement of community groups, representatives of various faiths, Age UK, Newcastle College, the Auckland Project and more, all culminating a two week of performances of a production for which I’m writing the script. A script which takes into account input from the various groups, allows for the integration of various props and other items which will have been made in schools and workshops and which has a number of elements – drama, story telling, dance, puppetry, poetry and song. A challenge, but a satisfying one.

A worthwhile one too, as the key themes are the understanding of different faiths, their creation stories, and what these have to tell us about how we should care for the planet. The legacy will be a more integrated community, increased understanding, improved skills and mental health, ongoing cooperation between the various groups, improvements in school readiness and heightened awareness of steps needed to address the climate emergency. Of course, writing the script hasn’t taken all the time up, but I’m co producer on the project and there’s an awful lot of moving parts, and lots of meetings and correspondence – time consuming, but time well spent.

More information on Passion for the Planet can be found on https://damncheek.co.uk/productions/passion-for-the-planet/