Bradford Cathedral is inviting you to this year’s ‘Cultural Climate Symposium’, taking place on Saturday 13th April 2024 from 1:30pm – 4:30pm, with a film showing at 6pm. The event is a collaboration between the Yorkshire & Humber Climate Commission, the Cathedral, and members of the Bradford cultural sector.
The symposium will include two theatrical explorations on the theme of climate change – Too Much Of Water and The Past Present – as well as a panel discussion about the role of faith communities and cultural representatives on influencing public discourse on this issue. The symposium will be followed, at 6pm in the de Lacy Centre, by the second date in a special monthly film club.
‘Too Much Of Water’ - written and performed by Steve Scott-Bottoms – is an intimate storytelling show that explores the human impacts of flooding on ordinary people living in an ordinary town – and their struggles to remain resilient.
The piece, originally commissioned for the Saltaire Festival in 2016, takes its name from the quote in Shakespeare’s Hamlet - “Too much of water hast thou, poor Ophelia, and therefore I forbid my tears.”
The narrative is based on personal interviews with residents in Shipley, West Yorkshire, and tells the story of the devastating floods that hit the town on Boxing Day 2015 and of the difficult aftermath.
It will be a rare chance to see the piece, and it will be the first time it has been performed since the pandemic.
Writer / performer Steve Scott-Bottoms, who is also co-chair of Yorkshire & Humber Climate Commission’s Climate Adaptation Panel, says:
“I am delighted to specially revive this piece for the Climate Symposium. I first performed it in Roberts Park in 2016 - in an area that had been underwater the previous year - but it remains very "present tense" - both because that's the tense I tell the story in, and because the same kinds of things keep happening in other places (and, of course, could happen again here).”
The second piece – ‘The Past Present’ - will be a scratch performance of a new piece by Bradford writer / actor Ann Morgan, who has appeared at Bradford Cathedral at the annual Shakespeare performances by the Actors Community Theatre. It will be directed by the Revd Canon Ned Lunn.
Writer Ann Morgan says about her piece:
“When a drought causes a reservoir to dry up, it reveals the remains of an old village. A couple, who have set off in search of adventure - and possible long forgotten treasure - amongst the ruins, get more than they bargained for when they meet an old man along the way.
“The old man, Sion, shares his memories with the couple (Sarah and Jack) of what really happened, as he tries to get them to understand the consequences for communities, cultures and the environment, in the hope that their generation will not make the same mistakes. Will Sion succeed?”
There will also be a panel discussion on the day about the role of faith communities working with artists and the culture sector to influence public discourse on this issue. Speakers on this panel will include Amandeep Maan (Yorkshire & Humber Climate Commission); Steve Scott-Bottoms; and Ben Pugh (Bradford 2025 / Bradford Producing Hub), and it will be chaired by Canon Ned Lunn.
Amandeep Maan says:
“We are delighted to be involved in this programme as faith communities have lots to contribute to the conversation of climate change and places of worship are also centres for education: we look forward to meeting people who do, and don't, belong to any particular faith, all are welcome as this topic affects us all.”
At 6pm, in the de Lacy Centre in the Cathedral grounds, there will be the second date in the ‘Eco Film Club’, where there will be a showing of ‘A Life on Our Planet’, followed by discussion.
The Revd Canon Ned Lunn, Canon for Intercultural Mission and the Arts, and the Chair of the Cathedral’s EcoGroup, says:
“We are excited to be hosting another Cultural Climate Symposium after the success of last year's event. This year we are showcasing some theatrical explorations on the theme of climate change: ‘Too Much Of Water’ written and performed by Steve Scott-Bottoms and a new play written, ‘The Past Present’, by Ann Morgan, a new Bradford writer and performed by our friends the Actors Community Theatre (ACT).
“At Bradford Cathedral we are committed to supporting and developing local artists and we know that professional artists emerge from a strong and vibrant amateur cultural environment. That is why we are excited to put these two pieces together and to reflect on them as part of the Symposium.”
The Cultural Climate Symposium is part of Bradford Cathedral’s strategic commitment to the environment. Other events including the June ‘Tree of Life’ concert with international clarinettist Emma Johnson, performing an orchestral work responding to the climate emergency.
The Cultural Climate Symposium takes place at Bradford Cathedral on Saturday 13th April 2024, from 1:30pm – 4:30pm. Tickets are £7 (+booking fee) and can be bought at climate-symposium.eventbrite.co.uk, or by calling the Bradford Cathedral office on 01274 77 77 20 between 9am – 2:45pm Monday – Friday.
You can book your tickets for that evening’s Eco Film Club at eco-film-club-2.eventbrite.co.uk or by calling the Cathedral office. There is also a film showing of documentary ‘2040’, ahead of the Symposium, on Saturday 16th March at 6pm – tickets for that can be booked at eco-film-club-1.eventbrite.co.uk
You can find out more about ‘Too Much Of Water’ – and download images - at vesperhill.org/performance/too-much-of-water. An interview with Steve Scott-Bottoms will be available online soon.