Spring has arrived! The sun has been shining, and the flowers are beginning to bloom here in Edinburgh. After a winter of hibernation, it's time for us to share some of our favourite projects and tell you what's in store for 2025 and beyond.
I am writing this newsletter on the train home from Manchester, having been to see Figures in Extinction, an award-winning dance trilogy by Nederlands Dans Theater, Complicité and choreographed by Crystal Pite. What an incredible work of art! "Figures in Extinction is a striking example of art as a mirror to the world." It powerfully communicates the tragedy of biodiversity loss, climate change, and climate denial; and our disconnection with the natural world, each other, our ancestors, and future generations. Despite the urgency and devastation of the themes explored, the show left me feeling hopeful that these messages are being shared with the public in such a beautiful and awe-inspiring way. My hope is that many others get to experience shows like this and feel the transformative power of the arts.
“For too long, the climate fight has been limited to scientists and policy experts. While we still need their skills, we also need so much more… It’s clear that what we desperately need is more artists... If you win the popular imagination, you change the game.” (Rebecca Solnit)
As artists, storytellers and environmental educators we have a very important role to play, harnessing the power of creativity and education to mitigate and adapt to the climate emergency.
Introducing Rowan Environmental Arts (REA - pronounced ray-a)
We hope you like our new name, REA (formerly Rowanbank Environmental Arts & Education). We are a not-for-profit Social Enterprise incorporated as a Community Interest Company. We specialise in site-specific performances, innovative workshops, teacher training, and team-building programmes. By bringing people together to celebrate the seasons Under the Sky, our work serves to motivate rather than dismay. We inspire and empower others to foster an intersectional and regenerative approach. Our aim is to use the arts as a catalyst for change and climate justice.
A Future for All: Empowering climate advocates
We are excited to be partnering with charities Hope for the Future and Contact, as well as Parents for Future and the London School of Economics, on a five-year project 'A Future for All.' Working to empower parents, particularly those from low-income households and with disabled children, to influence climate and nature policies. By equipping families with the tools and confidence to engage with policymakers, we hope to break down barriers to climate advocacy. At the heart of this project is REA’s award winning Positive Imaginings creative climate education programme. During a promenade woodland performance we connect people with the natural world, sparking joy and a sense of wonder. Using a creative, nature-based approach, the project will give parents and children the time and space to explore how climate change affects them and to envision a hopeful future together. Follow-up events will include outdoor family workshops designed to help parents effectively engage with politicians, and in-depth training to equip parents with skills to lead advocacy efforts in their communities. 'A Future for All' is funded by The National Lottery’s Climate Action Fund.
The Climate Wellbeing Project: Reaching thousands of pupils
Our creative climate education programme for secondary schools funded by the Scottish Government’s Climate Engagement Fund, reached over 2,000 pupils in 2024. The project includes our new show, ‘Future Influencers’, and climate wellbeing teacher training and pupil workshops. It fuses circus, music, theatre, nature connection, outdoor learning and environmental science to empower action around climate change in a meaningful and positive way, with a focus on wellbeing.
Expanding Our Reach: Workshops for Creatives and Businesses
Building on the success of The Climate Wellbeing Project, we are extending our reach by offering workshops for creatives and businesses. In autumn 2024, we travelled to Belgium to deliver a climate wellbeing workshop as part of the European Jazz Conference. We are also offering climate wellbeing team-building sessions for businesses. Get in touch to learn more!
International Collaborations: Learning and sharing globally
As part of her Churchill Fellowship, last April Lucy participated in the Green Educators Course at the Green School in Bali, Indonesia. The course unpacked the pedagogy and fundamental design principles of the Green School’s holistic, student-centered, and nature-based curriculum.
"Sharing this life changing journey with other passionate educators from all over the world in the Green School's jungle campus was truly the highlight of my career! What I have learned from this inspiring course will be integrated into all REA’s outdoor learning programmes, and shared with teachers and other educators throughout the UK.”
As part of her Churchill Fellowship, Lucy also joined a residency with Acting for Climate in Copenhagen, where she spent two weeks learning about their creative methods to address the climate crisis, sharing inspiration, and facilitating creative climate workshops with their team and local students. Acting for Climate are now sailing the world with their new show 'Currents!'
Earthrise: A stunning new outdoor aerial act
In collaboration with Freya Pellie and Jonathan Doyle Media, and as part of REA’s Climate Wellbeing Project, we are proud to present 'Earthrise,' a stunning new outdoor aerial act performed to the words of Amanda Gorman’s 'Earthrise' poem, read by Bella Power Sheppard, an S4 high school pupil. Watch our 1-minute 'Earthrise' film here.
Forest Circus: Engaging young people in nature
Our Forest Circus programme in Craigmillar continues in collaboration with our friends at Think Circus. We deliver weekly outdoor sessions with vulnerable or at-risk girls from Castleview Primary School. We are very grateful to Young Start, our funders, for believing in our project and enabling us to develop it over three years, and to the National Lottery’s Community Fund for funding our pilot project.
Teacher Training and Outdoor Learning: Inspiring Educators
We continue to deliver our much-loved teacher training programmes in school playgrounds and local green spaces. REA has set up successful forest schools and outdoor learning projects in many locations throughout Scotland, focusing on areas of urban woodland that are underused and abused and concrete playgrounds. By encouraging schools to use their playgrounds and local green spaces for outdoor learning, these spaces can be transformed into resources that can be enjoyed by the whole community.
Seasonal Celebrations and Magical Woodland Walks: Connecting Communities
We’re gearing up for another spring and summer of forest fun! In 2024, we had the pleasure of working with the Edinburgh Lothian Greenspace Trust again to create a new promenade performance in Craigmillar Castle Park as part of the Edinburgh 900 celebrations. We are working with the Fountainbridge Canalside Community Trust to develop a new spring celebration show that will be performed in and alongside the Union Canal in April.
Young Leaders Development Programme - climate action
In 2024 we developed an outdoor session for the 2050 Climate Group Young Leaders Development Programme (LYDP), with a specific focus on nature connection. YLDP is for people between the ages of 18 and 35 in Scotland, giving them the skills and confidence to take action on climate change.
Windy Weekends - renewable energy education
We continue to work with the renewables industry, facilitating educational workshops and bringing our Climate Circus performers to celebrate wind farm community open days. We loved creating and performing very windy activities with Scottish Renewables, Fred Olsen Renewables and BayWa re last Summer (see photo), and we’re looking forward to another Summer of wind powered fun!
Springboard Assembly - creative climate communication
We continue to support the important work of Culture for Climate Scotland, and as part of The Springboard Assembly for creative climate action, we presented Positive Imaginings, as a case study demonstrating the benefits of art-climate collaboration, Sharing key insights from the project, including information on funding and tips on building cross-sectoral partnerships. https://cultureforclimate.scot/event/springboard-2025/
Developing creative approaches to address sustainability issues - Learning for Sustainability Scotland, Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development.
We presented Positive Imaginings and The Climate Wellbeing Project as part of members’ annual gathering.
Supporting Climate Education: A call for donations
Please consider donating to our Positive Imaginings programme, supporting us to continue to deliver our climate circus show, workshops, and teacher training to schools in areas of multiple deprivation throughout Scotland. Positive Imaginings aims to address climate anxiety and create opportunities for young people who encounter barriers to participating in climate action to get involved, feel inspired, and empowered.
Acknowledgements: Gratitude for your ongoing support
We would like to say a huge thank you to our funders, project partners, clients, wonderful board members, and our talented and passionate team of artists and educators.
Enjoy the daffodils and don’t forget to follow us on social media. (You may have noticed a small change in our social media posts. Our wonderful Emma is on maternity leave, and we are delighted to welcome little Zakiya into the world. And Freya has stepped into Emma’s role. Freya is also the star of our Earthrise aerial dance!)
We look forward to sharing a cup of woodland tea with you soon.
Best wishes,
Lucy, Arran & the REA team
