We are delighted to be holding our fifth annual Manifesto For Essex Eco-Gathering. It will be taking place at Chelmsford Theatre Studio on the morning of Saturday 28 February 2026.

This is your chance to hear about local eco-projects and how to get involved, participate in creative eco-workshops to learn new skills, and connect with like-minded individuals who share your passion for climate action, culture, and community.

Workshops include eco-podcasting, eco-script writing and eco-journalling.

The Eco-Gathering is aimed primarily at 13-25 year olds living in Essex.

This event is funded by Arts Council England and is free to attend. Places are limited so reserve your place today to avoid disappointment.

Reserve your spot today at eventbrite.co.uk.

The Eco-Gathering is part of Manifesto For Essex, a multi-form creative platform run by Essex Book Festival for young people living in Essex and beyond to express their ideas about climate action.

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We were particularly pleased to welcome Fousseny Traore, a Climate Refugee from Mali, who spoke about the environmental devastation that is already happening in parts of Africa as a result of the Climate Emergency, and the very real threat to those who speak out about it.

Read a copy of Fousseny’s deeply moving speech here.

Participants took part in a range of workshops during the day led by Eco-educator/Dramaturg Dr Andrew Burton (University of Essex), Theatre Director/Founder Wise Ram Theatre Company Sofia Bagge, Radio Producer/Presenter Michelle Durrant (Chelmsford Community Radio) and Theatre Director/Founder Mad, Who? Theatre Marina Cusi. This was followed by a feed-back and ‘what next’ brain-storming session.

It was, as ever, a very positive day. To have so many eloquent and motivated young people in one space was inspirational and a real credit to Essex. To welcome Climate Refugee Foussney Traore to speak about his journey from Mali to Colchester, and the personal sacrifices he has made along the way, was both a privilege and deeply moving (see attached photograph c. Essex Book Festival).

Ros Green, Festival Director

The Manifesto for Essex, which was set up in 2020 as part of Essex2020, goes from strength to strength. This year will be working with young people from Harlow to Harwich to help raise awareness of the positive actions everyone can take to mitigate the Climate Emergency. We look forward to celebrating their work as part of this year’s Essex Book Festival.

Thank you to Young Reporter, Ellious Woodroof, for this great write-up about the Youth Climate Summit:

Manifesto For Essex: Art and the Climate Emergency

By Ellious Woodroof,
Colchester Sixth Form College

This article was written by one of our Young Reporters, a scheme that gives 14 to 18-year-old school students a chance to write for a real newspaper. Find out more at the Young Reporter website.

This January I attended ‘Manifesto for Essex’ at Headgate Theatre for my third year.

This event aims to help young people tackle the climate emergency through all forms of art – the focus of this year was theatre.

The opening speech from Foussney Traore (a climate refugee from Mali) was incredibly powerful – he spoke in French with translation to English.

He described how women and girls spend days searching for food and water; how Mali and the Sahel have become Climate Change warzones; how his peoples’ subsistence life is collapsing; and how the work of multinationals is destroying the environment, his home.

There were references to the beauty of nature that his uncle taught him to appreciate, countered by the fragility of how the lakes he used to bathe in had become football pitches.

To combat this, he started an online movement ‘Action Sahel’ and is taking his activism international, warning that although extreme impacts of climate change do not reach the UK currently, it is only a matter of time.

I found someone recounting personal experiences brought home the reality, showing how stories shape our view and therefore our actions.

This was followed by a panel discussion on tackling the Climate Emergency through performance, chaired by Marina Cusi.

The panel included a representative from SPARK Chelmsford (a group giving young people a role in shaping Chelmsford’s cultural identity); Richard from Headgate Theatre’s youth troop; Hattie Philips (studying for a degree in Sustainable Futures, and with experience in many areas of activism such as being a youth ambassador for WWF); and Sofia Bagge from Wise Ram Theatre (a group using theatre to explore the climate crisis in ways which are funny and heartfelt).

There were discussions of how theatre can be a space for play and fun while trying to untangle the mess of the climate emergency.

Theatre is also accessible, only needing a space and an audience to bring people together, communicate ideas and create connections.

Hattie highlighted that simple communication is a creative practice and engaging people on issues is an artform itself.

The discussion also explored how interdisciplinary ideas are becoming more important in education, which is particularly significant for the climate crisis which is a huge web of linked issues.

I then did an Eco-Script writing workshop with Andrew Burton where we generated ideas through questions about emotions – what makes us angry, sad, gives us hope – and then linked these to anecdotes of our own, which was a great exercise in being creatively free with writing.

My final workshop was Eco-Podcasting with Michelle Durant from Chelmsford Community radio, and we interviewed Peter Donaldson (chair of Essex Book festival) about climate and books.

This was a great experience of how immediate and responsive audio journalism can be.

The other workshops included Eco-Performance with Sofia Bagge and Eco-Poetry with Marina Cusi.

I found the event extremely valuable for the discussions it sparked, the community it created and the hope it gives me that action is possible.

The post Manifesto for Essex Climate Action Youth Summit appeared first on Essex Book Festival.

Free to attend although booking is essential, the Youth Summit provides a platform for young people aged 13-25 years who are passionate about culture and the environment to have their voices heard, build new networks, and explore creative solutions to the Climate Emergency.

This year we will have a strong focus on theatre and performance. If you are a young person or know someone who might be interested in attending the Summit, would like to come along and volunteer on the day, or simply want to find out more about the day, visit the Climate Action Youth Summit event page at essexbookfestival.org.uk.

Climate Action Youth Summit
Saturday 25th January, 10am – 3.30pm
Headgate Theatre, 14 Chapel Street North, Colchester CO2 7AT
Tickets: Free, places limited so booking essential

Registration Link: Climate Action Youth Summit

The post Manifesto for Essex Climate Action Youth Summit appeared first on Essex Book Festival.

Saturday 28 February 2026, 9.45am – 1.30pm
Chelmsford Theatre Studio
Tickets: Free, places limited so booking essential

Book your free place here.

Get involved, share ideas, and make a difference in your local community and beyond.

We are delighted to be holding our fifth annual Manifesto For Essex Eco-Gathering. This is your chance to hear about local eco-projects and how to get involved, participate in creative eco-workshops to learn new skills, and connect with like-minded individuals who share your passion for climate action, culture, and community.

Workshops include eco-podcasting, eco-poetry writing and eco-journalling.

The Eco-Gathering is aimed primarily at 13-25 year olds living in Essex.

This event is funded by Arts Council England and is free to attend. Places are limited so reserve your place today to avoid disappointment.

The Eco-Gathering is part of Manifesto For Essex, a multi-form creative platform run by Essex Book Festival for young people living in Essex and beyond to express their ideas about climate action.

If you have any queries about the Eco-Gathering or other Manifesto For Essex activities, just get in touch – hello@essexbookfestival.org.uk.

Follow us @manifesto4essex

The post Manifesto For Essex Eco-Gathering appeared first on Essex Book Festival.

Featuring a mix of live podcasts, networking, and workshops, a range of topics will be covered over the two days, including music, sport, comedy, witches, lifestyle, climate change, business creativity and more.

See the full programme and details, plus book your tickets at chelmsfordforyou.co.uk.

Essex Podcast Festival – An Audience with Manifesto for Essex

An Audience With Manifesto For Essex
Hosted by Marina Cusí with special guests Ada Mazi and Steve Mortimer
Part of Essex Podcast Festival

Starting with humble beginnings at the Essex Book Festival in 2020, Manifesto for Essex is a response to festival director Ros Green’s question, what is the most pressing issue of the day and who is most affected by it?

The discussion will be chaired by Marina Cusi who is joined by Ada Mazi, one of the outstanding young people who have been part of their Writing and Talking National Saturday Club based at ARU. We will also be welcoming Steve Mortimer to the panel, producer of the film Connect: A Creative Response to Climate Change, which was selected for over 140 international film awards. Steve is also the founder of The Black Chapel Collective, which is a creative group of musicians, video artists, film makers, DJ’s, rappers, poets and dancers that create exciting, transformative and contemporary live art projects around climate change.

This event is part of the Essex Podcast Festival, featuring a jam packed line-up of Essex inspired podcasts staged in front of a live audience. For more information, visit chelmsfordtheatre.co.uk.

Saturday 28 September, 2.30pm (Duration: 45 minutes)
Venue: Chelmsford Theatre Studio, Fairfield Road, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 1JG
Tickets: £5.00 A £2 fee is applicable per transaction
Box Office: chelmsfordtheatre.co.uk/events/an-audience-with-manifesto-for-essex/

Wheelchair accessible and essential companion tickets must be booked via the Access Scheme

The post Essex Podcast Festival appeared first on Essex Book Festival.

As the first and, still, only Green Party MP to be elected in the UK, Caroline Lucas will bring valuable insight to our panel discussion which will be chaired by local young environmentalist, Hattie Phillips.

This is a wonderful opportunity for local young people, aged 13-25, who are passionate about the environment, culture and nature to hear from a true green icon. The Youth Climate Summit is free to attend but places are limited so booking is essential.

The post Announcing Caroline Lucas MP as special guest at Youth Climate Summit appeared first on Essex Book Festival.

Looking at the 70th Anniversary of the East Coast Floods and reflecting on the climate crisis they learnt how to research and write content, undertake interviews and join them all together to make an impactful podcast.

With the opportunity to interview environmental activists, environmental science experts and climate advocates they discussed the importance of connecting with nature, careers in environmental science and the challenge for businesses in becoming more eco-friendly.

Visit our Podcast page to listen to the latest episodes.

The post 2023 Eco-cast podcast – new episodes released appeared first on Essex Book Festival.

Essex Book Festival is hosting its 2nd Manifesto for Essex Youth Summit as part of EASUSTAIN: a new festival focusing on the Environment, Culture & Entrepreneurship, which is taking place at Firstite Gallery in Colchester, 14th & 15th January 2023.

EASUSTAIN’s mission is to increase knowledge and awareness of environmental issues via a series of talks and performances by leading environmentalists and environmental artists. It has a formidable line-up of speakers. These include Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England; Costa Book Award Winner & Naturalist Helen MacDonald; Charles Clover, Writer & Director & Founder, Blue Marine Foundation; Veronika Sekules, Director of GroundWork Gallery specialising in contemporary art and environment; Lord Deben, Member House of Lords & Chairman of the UK’s independent Committee on Climate Change.

We are hugely excited to be part of this event. We are even more excited to invite young people living across Essex who are passionate about culture and the environment to help shape our 2nd Manifesto for Essex Youth Summit, which in turn will feed into next year’s Essex Book Festival programme of activities.

If you are interested in being involved or want to know more, please join our Hear My Voice zoom event at 6pm on Wednesday 16th November. Go to our eventbrite page to reserve your place on the zoom.

You may have an idea for a long table discussion about rising waters and flooding involving other festival speakers, an idea for a workshop based around re-wilding local habitats. You might like to take part in a panel discussion, stage a performance, or make a podcast/film of the day. This is your chance to lead the debate. For more information, email Ros ros@essexbookfestival.org.uk

We can’t wait to meet you and hear your ideas

#HearMyVoiceEssex

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