Changelings: Neurodiversity, Mythology and the Climate Crisis
Changelings gives a voice to neurodiverse young people who share their own unique powers which stem from their sensitivities to the climate crisis. The show will be performed by its creators, Cath Heinemeyer and Gemma McDermott, at the Yorkshire Festival of Story on the 19th of November.
Click here to book your in-person tickets for this event.
If you can’t make it to Settle to watch Changelings in-person, we’d still love to see you gebpqrt of our online audience. Click here to get your tickets to watch online.
We were lucky enough to sit down with Cath and Gemma ahead of their performance and delve into some of its themes and objectives. Read on to discover how Changelings is unique in its use of mythology to tell the stories of now, and why it promises to be a go-to event at this year’s Yorkshire Festival of Story!
A blend of mythology and real-world issues
Drawing upon Irish and Scottish mythology, Changelings brings life to Danu, the earth mother known for controlling climates and kidnapping children. In the story, Danu is angry with humans for usurping her power and causing the climate crisis. She enacts her revenge by stealing children and transporting them to her mountain, which becomes a fictional space for them to share their perspectives and worries regarding real-world issues.
Neurodiverse perspectives on the climate crisis
The ‘changelings’ in this story are neurodiverse young people who feel the impacts of the climate crisis deeply. The narrative follows the mother of one such child as she embarks on a journey to find her daughter and better understand her sensitivities to the world. It encourages us to listen to neurodiverse perspectives such as these and recognise their value, particularly when it comes to finding creative solutions to the climate crisis.
The young climate activists who inspired the creators of Changelings
Cath and Gemma both named Greta Thunberg as a source of inspiration for them in the creation of this story, describing her autism as a source of strength in the face of the climate crisis. Greta’s inability to shut out the world’s problems mirrors the experiences of other neurodiverse individuals that Cath and Gemma know. This shared depth of emotion becomes a driving force behind the creation of the mythical space where these individuals unite.
Ongoing crises and unfinished stories
Changelings is set in the present tense, a choice which holds significance in a world grappling with an ongoing climate crisis. While Gemma and Cath acknowledged the difficulty in narrating stories that are not yet finished, they stressed the importance of telling them to help people make sense of what is happening in the world and take useful action to achieve justice in it.
It’s not all doom and gloom
When asked about their hopes for the show, Cath and Gemma stated that they’d like the audience to enjoy watching it as much as they enjoy performing it. They seek to counteract the doom narrative which often dominates reporting of the climate crisis through lighthearted, humorous storytelling. By incorporating song, music and humour into their performance, Changelings promises to be as entertaining as it is moving.
Click here to visit Cath and Gemma’s Facebook account to keep up with events that they have going on in the future.
