From whale poo to wildfire – it’s not over yet

Ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, which will begin on October 31st, we have joined in collaboration with a collective of internationally renowned artists to help spread our save the whale, save the planet message.

WDC, the Met Office, London School of Economics, the RSPB and eight other climate change partners have joined the Hot Poets initiative backed by artists Chris Redmond and Liv Torc, that will see a range of poems composed and performed especially for COP26 by 12 of the UK and Africa’s leading Spoken Word Artists.

Working with scientists, climate educators and engineers from leading environmental organisations and charities like WDC across the world, each poem will be filmed and released, one a day throughout COP26. Hot Poets will also be attending COP26 in a variety of ways, including a performance in the Blue Zone on Fri 5 November, and a 2-week audio installation at Glasgow Botanical Gardens, where people will be able to walk round and hear the poems.

From Whale Poo to Wildfire, the 2-3 minute poems will cover complex, vital and inspiring scientific subjects, including WDC's push to highlight the significant role that whales play in combating climate breakdown.

Backed by the Arts Council England, Hot Poets will prove the intrinsic value of placing the Arts front and centre in the climate change conversation, reconnecting people to hope, cutting through the doom and despair and sharing positive ways to gain agency and take action in the fight against climate catastrophe.

The other organisations involved include Word Forest in the UK and Kenya, the Weather Makers in the Netherlands, British Geological Survey, Forest Schools Birmingham, The University of Manchester, Somerset Wildlife Trust and Beach Co-Op in Cape Town.

WDC's own resident poet for this project will be Matt Harvey. Other artists include Joelle Taylor, Yomi Ṣode, The Repeat Beat Poet, Vanessa Kisuule, Zena Edwards, Jonny Fluffypunk, Toni Stuart, Francesca Beard and Elvis McGonagall.

Along with the 12 films there will be live performances at venues in Oxford, Bristol and in London, a Hot Poets book, album, ‘Hot Words’ competition and participatory and schools programme.

Watch the 1 min trailer now...