Encouraged by my tutor at Plymouth College of Art I have developed a performance in collaboration with friends entitled ‘Drowning in Plastic’. I am trapped within a wire cage resembling a giant rubbish bin and become buried in plastic rubbish – discarded containers, bottles, trays and wrapping – the ‘convenience’ plastic that we all take for granted in our fast track lives. The fish head mask is made from the films from the top of food containers and plastic bags that are currently not recycled, but end up in landfill or are incinerated. I have also made a long cloak with a fish tail from these films. The soundscape is the haunting sounds of whales calling underwater. In the second part of the performance I re-emerge as ‘human’, horrified at the plastic in which I am trapped.

We encourage the audience to participate in throwing the plastic into the cylinder. Most people are reluctant to do this, and hopefully it will make them think twice about how they discard plastic in the future. Our future and that of the wildlife on this planet depends on it.

We have already performed on Plymouth Hoe at a Plastic Free Picnic organised by Jackie Young of Environment Plymouth, with the beautiful backdrop of Plymouth Sound (see  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReDrzFWnXNE) and for a plastic themed evening at the Marine Biological Association Laboratories.

Look out for us in the Piazza, Armada Way, Plymouth on Sun 12th August 2018 from 11am. We hope to perform at 11, 12.30, 2 and 3.30pm.