Earth Water Fire!

Exploring today’s land through our ancestors’ eyes
Artwork by David Wyatt / Photo by Roger Deakins
Title: Earth, Water, Fire!
Funding: Arts Council England
Duration: Autumn 2022–March 2023
University of Plymouth staff: Dr Claire Kelly
Partners: Beaford Arts; North Devon Council; Torridge District Council
Earth, Water, Fire! was a special arts project that created a new contemporary storytelling show about dragons, climate change and North Devon. Dr Claire Kelly worked with Devon-based storyteller Lisa Schneidau, Beaford Arts and rural communities, utilising their deep bonds with the land to create a work of folk tale, myth and science – all shaped by rural lived experience.
Earth, Water, Fire! incorporated folk tale, climate data, community debate, music and film. Using personal and traditional stories, and shaped by local people, it explored how we battle our monsters, the impacts of the climate crisis on rural lives, and the nature of heroism, through Earth (farming); Water (flooding); and Fire (wildfire, activism).
The project was a collaboration between Claire Kelly (University of Plymouth), Lisa Schneidau (storyteller), Matt Biggs (film-maker), Emma Welton (musician), Paula Crutchlow (director), Peter Buffery (sound technician), Beaford Arts, North Devon and Torridge Councils, and North Devon community members. The resulting storytelling piece was toured by Beaford Arts in spring 2023 – the project also produced a film and is now preparing an academic paper.
Earth Water Fire performance

What hero stories would our ancestors tell of rural life today?

In the times before modern science, things were explained differently. Tales told through generations passed on the knowledge and wisdom of people and place, wrapped in the epic journeys of heroes, heroines and dragons.
The Earth, Water, Fire! project team worked with rural communities to explore the latest climate and environmental science, met people battling with modern monsters, and set out to discover how science and stories can entwine to illuminate new generations living in the long-established landscapes around us.
"Our landscapes are rapidly changing, the maidens have attitude and armour is pointless…"
Lisa, with musician Emma Welton, filmmaker Matt Biggs, and director Paula Crutchlow, were able to present a new contemporary storytelling show to connect us across the centuries.

Earth, Water, Fire! Live

After the success of the six live performances a virtual performance was presented online on 18 April 2023. It began with an introduction by Lisa, followed by the screening of the pre-recorded Earth, Water, Fire! performance filmed at Bridge Chambers, Barnstaple. The evening closed with a live Q&A with the project panel.

A creative approach to research engagement

Earth Water Fire discussion at Beaford Arts
Debating land management challenges after the 'Earth' site visit
Earth Water Fire site visit
Looking at flood risk on the 'Water' site visit
Earth Water Fire performance
During the performance of Earth, Water, Fire!
The Earth, Water, Fire! project piloted a new research-informed creative approach to directly connect local publics with academic research outputs to explore climate change science, debunk myths, and capture new ideas for building adaptable and resilient agriculture and communities in north Devon.
Using participatory workshops and site visits, the project explored specific climate-related land management challenges affecting north Devon communities; discussed their reactions to scientific data on both problems and potential solutions; and explored how their knowledge and experiences could be shared in a storytelling performance for communication to local and wider audiences.

Impact of the project

Participants were invited to reflect on the issues presented, listen to short stories and experiences from practitioners, and to shape their own responses through the language of story and myth. Following the performances, surveys showed that more than half of the attendees felt that they had been inspired to think differently about climate change issues, and many others also noted that it was useful to reinforce knowledge they already held.
 
 

This event was supported by