Check out the vid to see it being put together:
Founded by Something & Sons, the agriculture centre run by volunteers demonstrates different ways of growing food in Hackney (and London in general); with a chicken pen (for eggs) on the roof, fish tanks (providing nutrients for plants) at the front of the community café, vegetables growing in the greenhouse out back, and mushrooms all around the shop. A pure green hub – a perfect spot on May 12 for The Greenhouse Effect; a spoken word poetry, music, and panel discussion night tackling that evergreen issue: climate change.
Catherine Brogan (above, who I’ve caught a few times performing alongside her Rhymes Won’t Wait Collective companions) opened the show inside the greenhouse, easing the audience in with some humorous bits of poetry.
The panel discussion followed (see pic below), compared by the lovely Maleena Pone – a session that pitted three sides of the climate action spectrum: Laura Trevelyan from Christian Aid who engage politicians and other networks in climate justice for the developing world, Raj Malhi from the UKYCC (UK Youth Climate Change Coalition) who rally up and educate young people on the issue, and Dan Glass, representing for Plane Stupid who take a direct action approach (meaning occupying power stations and airport runways is no qualm for the Plane Stupid activists).
Expertise in the different fields shone through, each stating personal struggles, successes, hopes and apprehensions. In the end, there was no gold, silver or bronze medals awarded, just three golden stars as each panellist stated different methods work for different audiences, and that we’re on the right track as long as the climate action movement is growing and constantly on the radar.
Recycle? Lobby your MP? Cycle to work? Create a youth-led flashmob? Convert the naysayers? Educate the ignorant? Get climate change in the national curriculum? Shut down a carbon spewing factory? The ball’s in your court.
The rest of the night was a music and spoken word fest – as I shed weight trying to catch each act running from the greenhouse in the garden to the room upstairs. Nick Lee provided some acoustic tunes, Becca Bland set a nice vibe with extracts from her upcoming novel, Pete the Temp (above) rocked the greenhouse with some sing-a-long anthems, there was a bit of folk by Martha Rose, some brilliant poetry by carbon footprint analyst and writer Danny Chivers, Yomi aka G.R.E.Ed.S (below) got everyone swaying with his guitar accompanied poetry, and finally (but far from least), Nick Mulvey closed the evening with a show-stopping (literally) set – which included his version of a Congolese beat; I doubt anyone understood a word of the Lingala verses – but it was soul-filling nonetheless.
The after party at Favela Chic in Old Street, together with Brazilian hip hop and rounds of Mojitos, meant it was a fabulous Thursday - albeit a heavy one, with a painful Friday morning as a follow-up.
£4 entry? For the Greenhouse Effect? Well worth the hangover.
Photos: Tekla Balfour
If you’re into the green life (in any way) I recommend checking out the Farm: Shop:
20 Dalston Lane
City of London
E8 3AZ
Or call:
020 3490 5124
This is also published on the Media Trust Community Channel
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