A theatre group from Wales has become one of the initial recipients of money from a newly established fund dedicated to climate action through the arts.
Theatr na nÓg will receive support from the ScottishPower Foundation’s recently introduced Art for Climate Fund, which seeks to fund creative initiatives that motivate young people to address the climate crisis through artistic means.
The fund is supporting two projects with grants of £100,000 each over multiple years, representing a sustained commitment to creative climate education.
Melanie Hill, executive officer and trustee of the ScottishPower Foundation, stated that the climate crisis represents the most significant challenge of the current era, and the arts possess a distinctive ability to render complex concepts understandable, emotionally resonant, and compelling. Through this new initiative, the foundation is investing in ambitious, inventive projects that provide young people with optimism, self-assurance, and genuine empowerment. Both recipients of this fund demonstrate how artistic expression can inspire climate action in schools and communities throughout the United Kingdom, and the foundation takes great pride in supporting them as the inaugural beneficiaries of this programme.
Theatr na nÓg will use the funding to present two original bilingual stage productions.
We Need Bees and Bug Hotel will employ music, narrative, and participatory performance to involve children with concepts of environmental stewardship, climate-related displacement, and the decline of wildlife species.
Geinor Styles, the creative director at Theatr na nÓg, commented that receiving funding as one of the first initiatives from the ScottishPower Foundation Art for Climate Fund represents an exciting opportunity to revive the popular production of We Need Bees alongside the creation of its new companion piece, Bug Hotel. The undertaking will connect with thousands of children and families throughout South Wales while addressing significant topics such as biodiversity loss, climate displacement, and the climate emergency.
We Need Bees was authored by award-winning playwright Katherine Chandler.