Skip to main content
close x

Young people’s views on climate and nature emergencies to be portrayed in theatre show based on New Forest folklore 

Young people’s views on climate and nature emergencies to be portrayed in theatre show based on New Forest folklore 

PUBLISHED ON: 3 FEBRUARY 2025

A brand-new youth-led theatre performance centred on themes of climate and nature will debut at Southampton’s MAST Mayflower Studios this summer, brought to the stage by community arts organisation, Theatre for Life, also based in the city.  

The play, titled Bringing The Outside In, is inspired by Southampton’s urban landscape and draws influences from New Forest folklore to explore the topics of climate anxiety in young people and local issues like air pollution through a combination of music, puppetry, and digital storytelling. 

The production will debut with two performances on 15 July. Tickets are on sale now at: https://www.mayflower.org.uk/whats-on/bringing-the-outside-in-2025/.

Bringing The Outside In is a soul-stirring exploration of fear, hope, and the importance of community in a changing world, told from a local perspective that follows Amber – a sixth form student who has started missing school because of her growing fears around the climate crisis. 

Enter Yerna, a three-thousand-year-old giant inspired by New Forest folklore, who could offer the potential of a solution for Amber. But what can an ancient story teach a girl that she doesn’t already know? 

Theatre for Life’s Bringing The Outside In comes as part of the Youth for Climate and Nature (YouCAN) scheme – a partnership project led by the New Forest National Park Authority and supported with a Climate Action Fund grant from The National Lottery Community Fund which is the largest community funder in the UK. 

The YouCAN scheme, made possible thanks to National Lottery players, is aimed at 11- to 25-year-olds to encourage more community-led action to tackle the nature and climate emergencies. It supports green skills and jobs, and an outdoor learning programme for young people from all backgrounds to explore urban, rural, coastal, and freshwater areas. 

Theatre for Life stars in rehearsal for ‘Bringing The Outside In’ from left to right: Ri Baroche (she / they), Kit Miles (they / them), Poppy Lowles (she / her), and Imani Okoh (she / her).

Photo credit: Theatre for Life.

Young people aged between 14 and 25 have been involved in all stages of the Bringing The Outside In show, including the initial concept, script, and design.    

Theatre for Life delivered 12 interactive and site-specific sessions with climate scientists, marine biologists, rangers, creative practitioners, and partners, including the Freshwater Habitats Trust and the Countryside Education Trust during the first year of the scheme, which helped shape early concepts for the performance.  

Theatre for Life will take Bringing The Outside In on a tour of venues in Hampshire and Dorset after performances at Southampton’s MAST Mayflower Studios, beginning in 2026. 

Theatre for Life Artistic Director, Michelle Smith (she/her), said:  

‘We are incredibly proud to present the Bringing The Outside In production, which combines the insights and discoveries of our youth communities into the pressing issue of climate change.  

‘By focussing on air pollution, we aim to shed light on how this crisis affects the most vulnerable and marginalised communities in our local city of Southampton.  

‘Due to increased respiratory issues and asthma from air pollution, it’s crucial to address these health concerns.  

‘Simultaneously, we want to acknowledge nature’s importance in improving community action and helping to mitigate pollution, whilst supporting our overall health and wellbeing.’ 

Southampton-born writer of ‘Bringing The Outside In’, Kit Miles, 23 (they/them), said:  

‘Bringing The Outside In is a play born out of conversations with young people, their families, and local experts in ecology and conservation about climate issues. We discovered that people in all walks of life feel anxiety around air pollution and people – particularly young people – feel a growing pressure around the issue.  

‘This play is an attempt to find hope in what can feel so hopeless. It gives voice to this anxiety and shows young people they are not alone in their worries. Most importantly, it offers another avenue away from despair. 

‘As a writer, I’ve found it so inspiring to work on this project. It feels refreshing to work with such a wide range of talented, inquisitive people who are thinking so deeply about the work, the story that we tell, and why it needs to be told.’ 

New Forest National Park Authority member and Chair of the Youth for Climate and Nature (YouCAN) partnership board, Brice Stratford, said:  

‘Working alongside YouCAN partners like Theatre for Life on projects such as this helps us to engage with the climate conversation in an active, ambitious way through an experiential, localised lens. 

‘The Bringing The Outside In performance is particularly powerful, enabling young people to take a lead role in the climate and nature narrative, with their voices and perspectives truly heard. 

‘There are deep connections between the environment and folklore in the New Forest National Park and its surroundings – as Bringing The Outside In explores. It is fascinating to see a folklore revival blossoming just as the area finds itself on the frontline of such climate and nature pressures.’    

Show information: 

  • MAST Mayflower Studios, Southampton 
  • Tuesday, 15 July 2025 
  • Performances at 2pm and 7pm 
  • Running time – 1 hour and 35 minutes including an interval 
  • Age advice – suitable for 11 years +   
  • Warnings  
    • Mild trigger – climate anxiety, mental health, and respiratory health 
    • This production includes strobe lighting

Tickets:  

  • £12.50 full price 
  • £8 concession 
  • Tickets will be available on the MAST Mayflower website (www.mayflower.org.uk) or via the box office number 023 8071 1811. 

‘Bringing The Outside In’ credits:   

  • Director – Michelle Smith   
  • Writer – Kit Miles   
  • Music composition – Sharifa   
  • Company – Ri Baroche, Imani Okoh, Poppy Lowles, and Ella Clarke   
  • Set, media, and costume design – James Henderson   
  • Lighting design – Joseph Jennings   
  • Tour manager – Sarah Banerjee   
  • Producer – Emma Gaynor  
  • Education lead – Naomi White  

Find out more about the Youth for Climate and Nature (YouCAN) scheme on our website: https://www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/communities/young-people/youth-for-climate-and-nature-youcan/

Newsletter Image

Email

Newsletter

6

Free

Six free walking routes when you sign up for New Forest Newsletter


Subscribe to New Forest National Park Authority

By entering your email below you are consenting to us sending you newsletters. To unsubscribe, email communications@newforestnpa.gov.uk. More info: www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/privacy-cookies


I think you mistyped your email
Your interests (tick at least one)










Please select one

By signing up to this form you are consenting to receive emails from us. Each email will contain a link to your personal reference settings where you can opt-out or change which emails you receive from us. Please read our Privacy Policy for more information about how we use data.

Subscribe to New Forest National Park Authority

Thanks, your subscription has been confirmed. You've been added to our list and your New Forest walking pack is on its way to you, including a link to download our free app.