when I will be a bird
Coming in 2027
A rock out at sea.
Three birds with stories to tell.
The tide is rising but they’re unflappable: they’ve come far, seen a lot, and they will have their say.
Will we listen?
when I will be a bird is about humans, animals, the world we share, and the stories that help us imagine how we live alongside one another. In an era of ignoring science, this is truth-telling from the world of myth. In a time of panic and paralysis, this is a call for a calm and focus. In a moment when it seems we might never change, this is a reminder that we always have.
In partnership with the Open University and CoastARTS
when I will be bird in development
In 2021 we released The Gentlest Work, a show that became an online installation because of a global pandemic. We all have vivid memories of developing that project in 2019 amidst the sweltering temperatures of that summer’s heatwaves. The ten warmest years in the historical record have all happened in the time we’ve been working together as a company. Coming out of lockdown, we wanted our next show to address the climate emergency. To develop that show, we’ve got involved in two big research projects.
With the Open University, we are part of a research impact project called Mythic Storytelling and the Changing Environment. It explores how mythic forms of storytelling can become an access point to discuss our relationship with the natural world and the changing environment. It’s led by our co-artistic director Dr Christine Plastow alongside earth scientist Dr Marcus Badger. Getting involved in that project allowed us to develop the initial ideas that eventually became when I will be a bird. This included research trips to Liverpool and Belfast to explore how local environmental issues could be addressed through myth and folklore from the area.
Along with the National Maritime Museum and Border Crossings, we are UK cultural partners with CoastARTS, a project connecting artists and academics working to address coastal crises in five European countries. As part of CoastARTS, we have undertaken research trips to Norway to learn more about threats to seabird populations and developed workshops for the National Maritime Museum that engage the public with seabird conservation through puppetry. You can find out more about these on our workshops page.
Building on all our research, we have had four periods of studio-based research and development (Royal Holloway, May 2024 and November 2025; Battersea Arts Centre, June 2024; Theatre Deli, December 2025) and are heading for our first public performances in spring 2027.
