Robin Lyons DYCP Portfolio
This page includes some videos, images, and text giving examples of just some of my work as a Climate Artist.
Sowing Sounds
Sowing Sounds was a project working with year 7-10s at Falinge Park High School. As project lead for Ergon Theatre, I led on the development of 8 short audio pieces focusing on the young people’s connection to and understanding of climate change, nature, and green spaces. These audio pieces will be available to listen to in the new school garden when it is completed. I created and led the workshops, supported the writing, recording, and performing of the pieces, and did the sound design.
This project was a Neighbourhood Commission supported by Falinge Park High School, Arts Council England, Curious Minds, BeeWell.
You can watch the video on this page that summarises some of the project and its impacts.
In the “What were your successes?” visual on this page, you can see some of the positive impact that Sowing Sounds had on it’s participants.
You can also listen to a couple samples of the climate art audio pieces created with the young people.
The Wicked Problem
The Wicked Problem was commissioned by Julie’s Bicycle, Arts Admin, Arts Council, Contact Theatre, Urbact C-Change, Paul Hamlyn, and Manchester City Council, as a part of the Julie’s Bicycle Season For Change. Robin wrote and co-performed the show.
The show is about climate justice. Set in the year 2061, in a new eco-restricted society, the audience are invited to play the part of jury in a trial. On trial is an individual from Moston, Manchester who has broken a climate law. The decision the audience have to make is, does this individual deserve to be punished?
The central question of the show is: What would you put first, the future of the planet, or your family?
The show features stories from around the globe, as well as stories in the UK, all of which informed by research with global stakeholders. The show focuses on the human impacts of climate change. The ending of the show is determined by the audiences decision…
“While the play is informed by climate science – and by political science – it is far from being a lecture. Instead, we’re constantly being reminded to look at the individual stories as examples of the various tolls climate crisis will have (is already having) on human existence and life as we know it.”
Time Seismologist
The Time Seismologist is a bespoke, climate arts intervention piece commissioned by the Carbon Literacy Project for the corporate space of the Carbon Literate Organisations awards 2024 at Contact Theatre. This is an inspirational piece about climate action and community. The piece recieved a second, edited run at HOME Theatre as a climate art intervention piece for the community celebration event for In Our Nature and Manchester Climate Change Agency. One audience member was brought to tears by the piece, and is quoted as saying it was the first time they had ever felt heard.
“It was the first time I have ever felt heard in the climate space”
It’s debut at Contact Theatre was a sell-out run and it has since been performed in multiple other venues, including in 2023 when Ergon Theatre took-over the ‘Living Worlds’ exhibits pre-show in Manchester Museum and adapted them to be a part of the Ergon world in 2061. Robin led this additional take-over initiative, in collaboration with students from University of Manchester.
“This show is a chilling reality of what could happen if we don’t make a change. It’s thought-provoking, urgent, quirky and terrifying.”
“An urgent invitation to the climate debate”
The Wicked Problem was a finalist in 2022 and a contribution to the winning entry in 2023, for “Best in Promotion of Environmental Responsibility” at the Manchester Culture Awards.
“To see all of this thinking in one session is quite incredible and reassures me about the future of art!”
Originally commissioned by The Lowry, Threads is a climate art for radio piece exploring our relationship to consumerism, following the journey of a t-shirt’s creation, from cotton fields in Texas, all the way to our doorstep in the UK. It follows the many hands our clothing goes through, and the climate impacts in each of these regions.
Since it’s initial commission, the piece has grown into an interactive climate art installation, with the audio itself now joined by items of clothing representing some of the people involved in the creation of the t-shirt. Each item of clothing has a QR code on which reveals further learning and story about climate change in the region, and how the clothing industry relates to this.
The installation has featured for such events and organisations including British Textiles Biennial, Blackburn Museum, Manchester Fashion Movement. The audio piece itself also features regularly in Robin’s Carbon Literacy and Climate Leadership Training sessions as an engaging and creative way for participants to consider the complexity of carbon emissions and the importance of considering our supply chains environmental impact.
Robin was project lead on the original piece and the installation version, devising the project, sound designing, as well as co-writing and co-performing.
Climate Storytelling Workshops
Robin has delivered climate storytelling workshops to university students, community groups, arts organisations, and even in more corportate settings!
Most recently, Robin has been delivering a programme of climate storytelling workshops for In Place of War as a part of the 100 agents of change programme. Many of the young artists involved have since been citing Robin in their work, and many have also been asking Robin to be their mentor.
