Space to think: students create extra layer for anyone enjoying Leeds green spaces

By Martin Flynn

Theatre and Performance students from the University of Leeds swapped stage for soil to produce three thought-provoking pieces about public green space in Leeds.

Supported by CAL and Leeds City Council, the young people researched three spots which can be connected on a stroll near the city centre.

They then visited Bedford Fields, St George's Fields, and Hanover Square and created three pieces of audio or video, designed to be experienced while someone is visiting the sites.

Students work at St George's Fields

A student checks the audio at St George's Fields

The goal of the three-month project was to "offer new ways for local people to engage with green spaces," said Dr Maria Kapsali, the students' tutor.

Dr Kapsali added: "Through the creation of characters, story telling and attention to place, they also show how issues and sites in Leeds are connected to universal and global themes or examples."

To produce their work, the students thought about how we individually connect with nature, the history of each location, and global climate issues, among other considerations.

They showed their finished project, titled "Evolving Roots, by taking a group of people on a walk round the three locations earlier this month. Asked how much they thought they would become affected by the climate crisis, the majority of the audience responded "a lot".

A group prepares to set out at the launch in May.

While the sites were chosen so they could each be visited in turn, the audio and video elements work are available individually, so don't worry if you're short on time. (We'd recommend going to your preferred site to listen or watch if possible, though, particularly for the Bedford Fields and Hanover Square audio.)

Fun and appropriate for families and people of different ages, the students' work is intended to raise awareness of green spaces in Leeds and encourage a connection with the natural world.

All the content can be accessed on an iPhone via the "Immersive Tours" app, which can be downloaded for free. Once you download the app, you can access the tours by putting in the search box the title of each audio walk.

On Android/another device, you can visit the CAL YouTube to find all three "Evolving Roots" audio and video pieces.

Asked if their involvement in the project had made them more likely to engage in climate action in the future, 100% of the students surveyed said "Yes".

One student, Rosie, said: "[At] our initial meeting with CAL at their offices, they explained some of their projects that sounded super cool and important that I just wasn’t aware of before that."

Martin Flynn, Project Coordinator on Climate Action Leeds, said: "We applaud the students' creativity and the thought which they put into this piece of work.

"We hope that anyone who engages with Evolving Roots finds it enjoyable and interesting.

"We'd welcome your feedback on this project, so please send any thoughts to hello@climateactionleeds.org.uk".