We’re so proud to share our latest evaluation report, charting Eco Drama’s work from April 2024 to March 2025.
This year, our focus has been on outdoor learning and play, as well as all things orchard – celebrating the joy, connection and abundance growing your own fruits can bring to children, and their communities. We’re grateful to have been able to engage deeply with 5,697 beneficiaries during 2024-25, delivering vibrant, creative projects and events that inspire wonder, curiosity, and care for the natural world.
Some of the wonderful highlights of our year have been:
- 300+ children participated in a year-long creative engagement programme.
- 150 Townhead residents attended Townhead Apple Festival.
- 175 Pollok residents attended Pollok Community Orchard Planting Day, planting 22 apple, pear, plum, and cherry trees + 10 trees in local gardens across Pollok.
- 6 pupils from St. Marnock’s Primary School planted the first two trees of the orchard, an event that gained city-wide media attention! Read the article here.
- The Forgotten Orchard Documentary captured Eco Drama’s orchard-themed projects and events across the year, including the development and planting of Pollok Community Orchard.
- 26 Primary Schools in Glasgow & Aberdeen planted an incredible 125 Scottish heritage apple trees in their school grounds, bringing the total orchards now planted by Eco Drama to 70!
- 2,865 children & 307 grown-ups came to see The Forgotten Orchard theatre show at 64 performances across 26 schools, 6 theatre venues & 4 community settings.
- 959 children & 111 staff participated in Out to Play sessions across 8 early years settings, 9 primary schools & 1 Additional Support Needs (ASN) school.
We’re incredibly thankful to our 5 board members and 14 talented freelance workers, including 4 drama artists, 2 performers, 1 stage manager, 3 horticulturists, as well as occasional freelance staff including photographer Eoin Carey and filmmaker Mike Rea. We’re also very grateful to the volunteers in Townhead and Pollok who continue to give their time to care for their local orchards.
Looking ahead to 2025-26, we are excited to continue to support the ongoing development of both orchards, whilst delivering engaging community events. We’ll also tour our acclaimed theatre production The Worm – An Underground Adventure for schools and family audiences and deliver Out to Play sessions with early years and primary school children, continuing our mission to engage, inspire and connect people with our amazing natural world.
All of our work in 2024-25 has been made possible thanks to our funders and supporters, including Glasgow Communities and Place Fund, Awards for All, Garfield Weston Foundation, and many more, who are listed here.
