Local performers take Chichester’s climate concerns to national stage
Eight young people from Chichester Festival Youth Theatre (CFYT) travelled to Westminster this month to present an original piece of theatre at a national climate conference attended by MPs, policy makers and education leaders. The performance was a creative response to the People’s Emergency Briefing, a documentary that gathers scientists and experts to set out the latest evidence on climate change and practical responses.
Following a communal viewing of the documentary, the CFYT cohort devised and rehearsed a short piece that combined drama and original music. The cast wrote the text and lyrics themselves, using the project to explore climate education and environmental action from the viewpoint of young people growing up in and around Chichester.
The project was delivered in partnership with Peace Child, an international charity focused on amplifying young people’s voices on global issues. By taking the performance to Westminster, CFYT sought to place the first‑hand perspectives of local youth in front of those who influence education and environmental policy.
“Chichester Festival Youth Theatre’s performance was a thoughtful, well-researched and moving exploration of climate education through the eyes of young people,” said Jess Brown-Fuller, MP for Chichester. “Presenting it to legislators, government officials and educators ensured their voices were heard loud and clear.”
David R Woollcombe, Founder and President of Peace Child, praised the group’s work at the event, adding that they represented “the best example of empowered young people any of us have ever seen.” Those endorsements underline the growing national appetite for hearing youth perspectives on climate policy and school curricula.
Local follow-up: film screenings at Chichester Festival Theatre
In keeping with Chichester Festival Theatre’s stated commitment to sustainability, the theatre will host two free screenings of the People’s Emergency Briefing later this summer so local audiences can engage directly with the material that inspired the youth piece. Details published by the theatre show the screenings are scheduled for August.
- Who: Chichester Festival Youth Theatre in partnership with Peace Child
- What: Original theatre piece responding to the People’s Emergency Briefing
- Where: Westminster (performance) and Chichester Festival Theatre (film screenings)
- When: CFYT performed earlier this month; screenings at CFT on 11 and 15 August
Theatre organisers say tickets and more information are available via the CFT website.
| Event | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| CFYT performance to climate conference | Earlier this month | Westminster |
| People’s Emergency Briefing screening | 11 August | Chichester Festival Theatre |
| People’s Emergency Briefing screening | 15 August | Chichester Festival Theatre |
For Chichester residents the story has a number of local consequences. Young performers have gained a direct channel into national conversation about climate education and policy, raising the profile of Chichester as a place where youth civic engagement is encouraged. The decision by CFT to host free local screenings also creates an immediate opportunity for residents to view the documentary and judge its arguments for themselves.
There are wider implications for schools and youth organisations in the area. The performance at Westminster serves as a reminder that creative programmes can be an effective route to bringing local voices into national debates. It may also prompt local educators and councils to consider how climate education is delivered in classrooms and extracurricular settings.
CFYT’s trip to the capital highlights how community arts groups in Chichester are being used not only to nurture talent but to foster civic literacy among young people who will inherit the consequences of environmental policy decisions. The theatre and charity partners have not published longer-term plans stemming from the Westminster appearance, but the screenings at CFT give the city an immediate forum for discussion.
Tickets and further information about the screenings are available at cft.org.uk/offstage/peoples-emergency-briefing-film-screening.
