Seven Poets Trees
Seeds
It is reputed that under her reign, Queen Elizabeth I picnicked under an oak tree on One Tree Hill in Honor Oak History and gave royal permission to two Englishmen to colonise north America
This began the journey of colonial expansion, industrialisation and the unsustainable extractivism that has led us to where we find ourselves today.
Rooted in the the history urbanisation of The Great Northwood which once covered 70% of the borough and the science of how trees improve neighbourhoods, protect against rising urban temperatures and flooding, Seven Poet Trees will plant poets in Schools, community action and youth support groups to co-create a mid-scale spectacle installation and spoken word poetry performance that will reimagine and envision a green future where all may thrive.
Verse 1. THE OAK
Branches
Verse 1. THE OAK is an ambitious pilot for "Seven Trees Seven Days", an even more ambitious borough wide environmental installation and spoken word project offered to Lewisham London Borough of Culture 2022.
At its inception, Visual Artist Heather Ackroyd invited poet and curator Zena Edwards to perform solely to perform at heightened art installation of the planting of The Oak . The evolution of the project from the planting into a four partner collaboration participation project was a journey to a more courageous eco and climate conscious adventure with the culturally rich and dynamic residents of Lewisham.
Participation
Nurture: Eco-Arts In Education
The goal is to highlight how the art is a powerful tool for crucial knowledge sharing and mindful engagement with some of the big themes around climate change and environmental challenges that can overwhelm. It is well known that creativity can re-imagine and reframe the narrative of human doubt around the ecological crisis into empowered and actionable ideas that are currently manfesting across the borough of Lewisham, and across of the UK.
How is Seven Poet Trees going to do this work? Read more for the participation program.