On The Edge: young people aged 18-26 from the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain’s national network present a creative exploration of young people’s eco-anxiety in the face of climate uncertainty through a performance of spoken word, poetry, music and short film.

National Youth Theatre (NYT) is enabling the voices of young people from marginalised communities to be heard in this international setting, building their agency to manage the competing challenges of flood risk, high socio-economic deprivation and unemployment, and to develop youth-led solutions to help them build resilience in their communities and adapt to climate change.

“On The Edge” incorporates the double meaning of young people’s eco-anxiety and of coastal communities, both their marginalisation and their ability to look outwards (to the sea and the windfarms located there) to where the solutions may be found, with an emphasis on green recovery jobs.

On The Edge will be led by Adeola Yemitan, NYT Member, Actor, Writer & winner of the 2021 Samsung Spotlight competition for young performers; Paul Roseby OBE, NYT’s Chief Executive & Artistic Director; and Professor Briony McDonagh, Professor of Environmental Humanities at the University of Hull’s Energy & Environment Institute.

On the Edge is a crucial part of MELT, NYT’s major three year programme launched in 2020 to platform the voices of young people on climate change. MELT is working with climate scientists, academics and the renewable energy sector to provide creative provocation and outputs. With the University of Hull’s Energy & Environment Institute, we are addressing flood risk (through the AHRC funded research programme, Risky Cities, led by Professor Briony McDonagh) and community impact; and the needs and skills gap of the renewables sector to diversify and build awareness of sustainable energy employment opportunities for young people. MELT is supported by an Industry Advisory Panel that includes Jane Cooper of Ørsted; Melanie Onn of RenewableUK, and Danielle Lane of Vattenfall.