ABOUT:
The 'Climate Change Fables' project is designed to be a Short Form, half hour Animation of a new collection of modern day fables + poems with The Climate Story at their heart.
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Created along side our local film director Bill Bristow, we submitted the fables, along with the below 1min promotional video, to the Climate Change Story Lab Competition in Dec 2019 (pre-pandemic).
These fiction based reality/real situations, using One-Step Removed + Personification ‘Fable’ techniques to encourage CHOICE + CONTROL + TIMELIMIT = CHANGE.
The Climate Change Fables links the collection of new modern day fable-based poems together as climate characters appear within each fable – taking on different guises, stances, positions, situations and challenges. A range of emotions naturally wax + wane throughout to mirror and reflect the mixture of social emotions including the feeling of being overwhelmed, angry, activated, passively engaged or indifferent, but with an overriding beat of energy and Global momentum.
Below are a new collection of modern fable-based poems written by our Team writers, which (before the pandemic) was going to be used as the basis for creative workshop groups who would work together to animate and bring these stories to life.
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However, at this stage (mid-pandemic) we see the below Modern Fable Poems as a way to re-introduce the fables to future animation workshop groups, as it is intended that the groups will create their own fables as they develop confidence and techniques, whilst emerging from the pandemic.
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Examples/illustrations for Modern Fable Poems with Climate Change at its heart, copyright TimeSlide Studio Productions:
THE DARK
The Dark.
How quiet is seems.
In the road,
a few moonbeams.
Though the light
ebbs and flows
whilst darkness
grows and grows...
...the battle between
Light and Dark
has only just
begun to start...
NOFM
The Rabbits
Here we come
in twos and threes
hopping about
dancing with glee
“Enjoying Life! Merrily”
“Hey, what’s that?”
“Not You or Me.”
“Let’s leave it there, no one will see”
Dashing down
safe and sound
into the burrow
down down
under ground
even though
our foe’s not gone,
here we’ll stay
for the rest of the day
as if nothing is wrong.
NOFM
Fit To Drop
I’m busy, soooo busy
as I flit from here to there
whilst you watch with fascination
I worry with many a care
I have lots of brothers and sisters you see
who are waiting at home, just for me
to return with lots of pollen to make
the most delicious honey cake;
but when it rains, or if I’m trapped
I’m delayed with my grocery pack
and waiting at home so anxiously
the most important of all
‘OUR QUEEN BEE!’
Then she’ll ‘bee’ angry because I’m late
tapping her feet, concerned for my fate
The buzz of the hive will seethe and writhe
So I mustn’t stop to chit or chat
this load is heavy upon my back
Let me pass! Don’t stand in my way!
I really, YES REALLY, don’t have all day!
I wish I were you with time to stop
to gaze at us bees who are fit to drop
So DON’T pick up, poke or spray us
OR Shut that door,
‘cos I must be home,
by half past four!
JOFM
The Honey Grove
The rare Honey Grove
leaned against the wind
Light-footed Peacocks
equipped for fishing
ran all about the hill
The sunny boats were spun,
scattered all about they lay,
whilst Dog and Goat drank their fill
the Honey Grove blew away.
ECHOS
CAN YOU HEAR IT?
Can you Hear it...?
IT’S AN ECHO!
It’s an echo...!
FIRE IS BLOWING
​blowing...blowing...
GRASS NOT GROWING
Growing...growing...​
ECHOS ALL OVER THE WORLD
​World...world...world
​ECHO!
Echo
echo
GONE!
​
I CAN Hear My Echo
I CAN Hear MY Echo
SHOUT HIGH!
Shout high
SING low
sing low
From Near and Far
From Cliff and Scar
I can hear my echo...echo
I Can Hear YOUR Echo
ECHO, ECHO, ECHO
From End to End
from You, a Friend,
to Me, a lonely hero
ECHO LET’S GO!
Echo let’s Go!
Hitting Walls and Bouncing Back
Me to You
then
You to Me
A Rippling Wave of
In-vis-ibil-ity
Connects us both
our Living sounds
which
Re-bounds, Rebounds, Rebounds...
Inside
Inside an apple is a seed,
​
Inside a seed is a tree,
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Inside a tree is a trunk,
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Inside a trunk is a record,
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Inside a record is knowledge,
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Inside knowledge is a thought,
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Inside a thought is time,
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Inside time is a second,
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Inside a second is life,
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Inside life is a cell,
​
Inside a cell is the universe,
Inside the universe is an apple with a seed inside
SO…
Inside a seed is a tree with a trunk,
inside a trunk is a record of knowledge with a thought,
the thought has time and time has a second,
the second sparks life and life makes cells,
the cells hold the universe and the universe is...
​
A Seed
​
to expand, nurture and cherish the next generation
​
​
NOFM
22 JUN 2018
The Roan Hare
The Cosy Fox
upon the quay
but sat in pity
upon its knee
a Fawn
Ahey! Aho!
The Fox, his foe,
was glad to hear
the Hare had gone
to give his love to Mother Earth
Roan Hare had belted across all lands:
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Shards of Soil, Hot Dry Sands,
Hard Baked Clods,
where once had stood
Long Fields of Crass to Cut and Mow
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YES! To Cut and Mow!
then Spray with Oil,
Left in Ruin,
THEY came,
now Gone.
All Gone but ONE:
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Swift of Paw
Eyes Intense
Ears Alert
Heart IMMENSE
The Quest?
...To Serve
Our Mother Earth...
Joined now
by more and more,
Each Paw
pounding sounding grounding
Each Claw
digging down deep, not drowning
Each Jaw
snapping, biting, fighting
Not one,
but two then three and four
joined with:
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Hurricane Force and Energy
Call more!
Call more!
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Lighting Strike!
1, 2 and 3!
‘Heave up!’ Earth Quake
Shake Mother Earth Free...
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NOFM + JOFM
​
And The Cockerel Crowed
He Crowed to tell you it was morn
the light was up, for it was dawn
yet you despised His voice,
His Crow,
telling you, ‘Get up it’s time to go!’
He Crows to tell you it is light
He Crows, declaring, he’s ready to fight
to protect his hens who lay the eggs
to sustain new life
Or to call you when there is strife...
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Yet you despise his voice -
The voice 'you' helped to create?
DNA carved, etched out, that sound:
Loud, cutting, right through your dreams
to make sure you couldn’t rest whilst sun beams
scattered the day from every leaf?
Despise his voice still?
​
Ignore his voice, at your peril...
​
and the Cockerel Crowed twice
Once to awaken you
Once to summons you
Dare you Ignore Nature’s Calling?
Out of your slumber, you stagger, wobbling
‘Shut Up!’
‘Too Noisy, Give Up Your Screeching!’
‘I don’t want to hear you!
I don’t care why you’re Squawking!’
and the Cockerel Crowed thrice
Once to waken you
Once to summons you
Once to call you to action
as The Climate
rained down
from the heavens,
slipped silently,
under your door,
rose up,
from beneath your floor...
to wet your toes,
soak your ankles,
surround your hips,
kiss your nose...
The Climate Calls
​
gently
Whispers in your Ears...
“Is This
the Way
you Wish
to be
Woken?”
JOFM
01 DEC 2019