Our Story
Eco Drama are passionate about nature connection and the sharing of hopeful stories.
How We Began
Eco Drama is a not for profit social enterprise and charity, founded in 2007 as a creative response to climate change and the environmental issues facing us. Our goal is to tackle complex subject matter with curiosity and playfulness, and address the climate emergency through creative education and inspiring theatre. We engage children and their communities with the natural world in imaginative and accessible ways, to deepen nature connection and empower practical action.
In 2007, there were only a handful of organisations in the arts and cultural sector (in the UK) creating work in relation to the climate emergency. Today, there are many ventures locally and globally, demonstrating societies’ increasing awareness, engagement and action to address the climate crisis.
We remain committed to engaging children and young people about the magic and wonder of the natural world, and supporting practical action for nature through our work.
Our Vision
Every child has a sense of the wonder of nature.
Our Mission
Our mission is to inspire wonder, curiosity and care for nature by engaging children, young people and their communities in high quality performances and creative experiences, regardless of where they live or their background.
We want each child experiencing an Eco Drama project or theatre production to have the opportunity to develop an inquisitive and positive relationship with nature, as well as increasing confidence, creativity and skills in preparation for an ever-changing world.
Our Passions and Values
We are passionate about creating engaging, meaningful work that inspires greater awareness of nature and reminds us we are part of an amazing living planet. Our productions and projects are unique in that they join up arts experiences with positive, practical action for the environment.
We believe all humans are born ‘ecocentric’ but that these values can often drop away as we grow older. We are privileged and excited to work with and for children & young people in hope of nurturing compassion, optimism and responsibility for the natural world, ensuring these remain core values in the way we live our lives.
Collaboration & Community
We believe that collaboration with experts in the fields of outdoor learning, horticulture and education strengthens the quality and sustainability of our performances and projects. We also seek out opportunities to work in the heart of communities, in partnership with other arts, community and environmental organisations.
Our productions tour regularly to theatres, festivals and public venues whilst maintaining a strong focus on touring the very same work in schools. We are proud to deliver theatre to children in their local communities and schools, ensuring that creative experiences are inclusive and reach children and young people regardless of their location or socio-economic background.
Learning for Sustainability
Scotland’s ambition is that all learners receive their entitlement to Learning for Sustainability (LfS), an approach to life and learning which enables learners, educators, schools and their wider communities to build a socially-just, sustainable and equitable society.
We are passionate advocates for the role of the arts and creativity in Learning for Sustainability and are proud to be one of the Scottish organisations supporting schools to develop LfS provision throughout the school from P1-7. We support schools via our Out to Play programme and teacher CPD training sessions, as well as our theatre productions, associated classroom activities, lesson plans, and creative projects.
Evaluation & Research
We are committed to evaluating the impact of our performances and projects with the young people and communities we work with. We build monitoring, evaluation and reflective practice into all of our activities to maintain the quality of the work, provide evidence and share learning on the impact and value of theatre and arts-based learning.
We also involve children and young people in the development of our productions and projects, enabling us to tailor our work to suit specific audiences and enhance the arts experience.
Advocacy
Our goal is to inspire children and young people to develop a life-long love of nature, by engaging them in quality artistic experiences while they are developing. By nurturing children’s relationship to nature in playful, meaningful ways, and focusing on the emotional connection which the arts have the unique ability to incite, there is a greater chance they will value and care for the natural world as they grow into adulthood.
We work collaboratively with our partners to achieve this, and regularly deliver talks and training which advocate for more creative forms of sustainable development education.
Ecological Practices
Integrity is important to all who work at Eco Drama. We strive to embed sustainability and ecological practices in all we do – from the themes and content of our work, to the way we create and deliver.
Read more in Green Ethos.
