Date: 16 January 2024
Daedalus Theatre Company has been awarded Creative Community Support by Rainham Change Makers, the local Havering Changing steering group in Rainham, to deliver creative nature workshops in Rainham and Wennington this Spring 2024.
The creative nature workshops are for local adults in Rainham and Wennington with an interest in nature and a curiosity for visual arts. Together, we will work on a collective response to probing questions about nature and local green spaces that will be showcased as a mobile installation. The project will also experiment with sustainable materials and look at ecological ways of thinking. Work with the group, along with the Queens Theatre Hornchurch young company programme, will feed into our next iteration of the DYSBIOSIS project.
The new work-in-progress project DYSBIOSIS began with an R&D at Queens Theatre Hornchurch in April 2023. Supported by Arts Council England, we delivered an R&D at Queens Theatre Hornchurch in Autumn with a group of exciting creative practitioners such as Zia Álmos Joshua and Havering local Kathryn Webb. The project seeks to explore our relationship with nature in the global north through a queer lens.
With the support of Havering Changing we welcome the opportunity to build on our relationship with the London Borough of Havering by heading to Rainham, a historically and geographically significant site fronting the River Thames. Locals have access to some wonderful green and blue spaces including Ingrebourne Hill and Rainham Marshes with far-reaching views of the East End where Daedalus Theatre Company is based. Rainham is at high risk of flooding, and with the recent Wennington wildfire during the 2022 heatwave, green economy and climate change planning is high on local political agendas which closely aligns with our commitment to environmental responsibility and the project themes.
Artistic Director Paul Burgess said ‘Here at Daedalus Theatre Company we have always platformed East London stories, especially those shaped by migration. Last November our production Ten Years East showcased Jewish and Bengali storytellers, both important migrant communities in Tower Hamlets. So we are excited about exploring an area shaped by migration from the East End to Outer East London and Essex following World War Two, and working with residents to explore the relationships they have with Havering and its extensive green spaces.’
DYSBIOSIS explores the connections between nature, people and society and looks for ways that the arts can positively impact our world. We look forward to working with Havering Changing who support local people in Harold Hill, Orchard Village, Rainham & Romford to choose, create and take part in their own programme of arts and culture. . The way Havering Changing works with residents is the same way we strive to work with artists.
Check out the full programme here with workshops commencing end of Feb-March 2024. To stay updated subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on socials.
Illustration credit: Jayde Perkin
