Planet B is a new and exciting initiative that has grown out of one of the largest environmental festivals in the UK. Running from Saturday 29th July through to Saturday 12th August 2017, the programme of events will be held at various locations across the city.
Commissioned artists, both local and national and from various art backgrounds, comprise: Emily Tracy, The Poly-Technic, Claudia Friend, Charley Genever, Keely Mills, Francis Thorburn, Scottee, Talia Randall, and Eric MacLennan.
Through the artwork, Planet B looks to focus on the questions: ‘What needs to happen for people to understand the issues around sustainability, become more resilient together and to take positive actions?’
For the hoarders amongst us, you can visit Emily Tracy’s Clutter Bank, where you are invited to consider the 300,000 objects we each have in our homes and perhaps donate one to the project yourself. Claudia Friend welcomes you to her Museum of Future Now, set in 2525, viewing objects excavated from 2017. What might future generations make of our waste?
Often, the best conversations, even the best ideas, come about whilst sitting together over food. Scottee invites you to his commune at Chauffeurs Cottage for any of four meals. You can climb aboard the Pickers, Packers and Pluckers bus with poets Keely Mills, Charley Genever and six new female Peterborough poets for a look at seasonal work in the city. Francis Thorburn’s The Beast procession embodies the romance of epic journeys, depicting tribes of travellers, yet highlighting the reality of the immigrant experience.
In Question Time Cabaret Talia Randall brings us an evening of hilarious, gut-wrenching performances slammed together with a panel of Britain’s foremost journalists.
Over the last month, artist Eric McLennan has been inviting residents of the city to take out shares in the Earth. The shareholders convene for a performance called ‘A Drop in the Ocean’, harnessing the collective effort. Taking a hands-on approach are Poly-technic who will help you to make your own protest poster.
Claudia Friend, said: “By dispensing with dry facts and figures and tapping into our imagination, which is where change can take place, art can take concepts around the themes of sustainability and make them interesting and accessible, allowing for a wider view.”
Throughout Planet B there is plenty to get involved in, including: events, debates, live performances, film screenings, workshops, and a Day Gathering which explores the themes of the programme in greater detail. Planet B is aiming to offer something for everyone, to encourage people from across the city to start discussing and debating the issue of sustainability.
The programme has been arranged by the environmental charity PECT, working alongside arts organisation Metal and The Green Backyard, and with funding from Arts Council England.
For more details about Planet B, visit www.pect.org.uk/PlanetB and see the Facebook page @PlanetBPeterB or call 01733 568408.