Shadow Shoots

Environmental Conference and show taken to fifteen Kent primary schools in 2023.

Circo Rum Ba Ba toured their Arts Council England funded Shadow Shoots show as part of an Environmental Conference to fifteen primary schools in Kent.

The show Shadow Shoots tells an environmental narrative with exquisite shadow puppets and acrobatic plants. The story follows a rural village as it expands into a noisy, smoky city and its magical transformation from grey and treeless, back to verdant green. The plant costumed performers then grow through the screen becoming part of a thriving jungle as they interact with the audience. The show involves sumptuous costumes and set, an especially composed soundscape, intricate shadow puppets, comedy and acrobatics, and combines shadow puppets with physical performance.

We preceded this with an educational package of information, research and discussion about environmental issues. The package was sent to the schools before the performance to prepare the children to participate in the conference as keynote speakers and to suggest outcomes for after the visit. These engaged the children in key-stage appropriate environmentally-themed projects to help children manage climate anxiety, empower them to voice opinions, help them see that their voices are important and to provide measurable outcomes through discussion, performance and creativity.

At the end of the show, Professor Greenshoots ran a 20 minute conference, where the audience members became the esteemed keynote speakers and delegates. The conferences were tailored to suit each key phase to enable the children to handle ideas and to have a sense of agency and ownership over environmental issues.