Call for performers

Read Letters To The Earth on London’s stages during the International Rebellion

Letters To The Earth is part of the movement Culture Declares Emergency, supporting the call of Extinction Rebellion that Governments should declare a climate and ecological emergency.

Over 1000 Letters were submitted by writers, including Yoko Ono, Nick Drake, Rebecca Solnit and Kate Tempest in response to the current climate and ecological emergency, and were read by the public and performers including Andrew Scott, Alison Steadman, Tamaryn Payne and Alex Lawther, at more than 50 venues on April 12th and online.

A Book Of Letters including individual Letters as well as a specially curated 20 minute text will be made available for performance on stages during the Rebellion in London from April 15th to 28th.

The stages will be set up at Marble Arch, Piccadilly Circus, Waterloo Bridge, Parliament Square and Oxford Circus for cultural performance and debate about the emergency, and the urgent need for truth, action and justice. Thousands of rebels will be converging on London from all over the country. Emma Thompson, Ellie Goulding, Nick Mulvey, Martha Tilston and Paloma Faith have joined and will be there on stage. The XR HQ office in London is on overdrive 24 hours a day. Something historic is about to happen!

If you would like to be reader of Letters To The Earth see our briefing and our performance slots below for you to come along to. There is no limit to the number of speakers; you are welcome to invite others to join you!

Letters To The Earth performance slots

Monday 15th

17.00 - 17.30 Piccadilly Circus (Stage Coordinator: Ella)
20.00-20.30 - Waterloo Bridge (Stage Coordinator: Abi, Leslie or Kate of Earth Speaks)

Tuesday 16th

11.30-12.00 - Waterloo Bridge (Stage Coordinator: Abi, Leslie or Kate of Earth Speaks)
13.45-14.00 - Marble Arch (Stage Coordinator: Maddy or Joel)
13.45-14.14 - Parliament Square (Stage Coordinator: Linda)
19.30-20.00 - Waterloo Bridge (Stage Coordinator: Abi, Leslie or Kate of Earth Speaks)

Wednesday 17th

11.00-11.30 - Oxford Circus (Stage Coordinator Clarissa)
13.45-14.15 - Waterloo Bridge (Stage Coordinator: Abi, Leslie or Kate of Earth Speaks)
16.00-16.30 - Parliament Square (Stage Coordinator: Linda)
19.30-20.00 - Waterloo Bridge (Stage Coordinator: Abi, Leslie or Kate of Earth Speaks)

If the demands of the Rebellion are not met by the end of Wednesday, the event will be continued.

Key information

All information about being an active participant is here, including legalities: https://rebellion.earth/get-active/international-rebellion-a-guide-for-participants/
Arrive at least 20 minutes before your chosen performance slot. When you arrive at the site you will find a “Welcome Table” where there will be information and questions answered, as well as multiple inductions and trainings happening throughout the day. This Table will signpost you towards the Stage Coordinator who will provide you the Book of Letters to read from with others.
When your performance slot begins, take a stand on stage with the Book of Letters (there is one per stage). Unless you have decided to read the 20 minute performance text, any page can be read from, in no particular order. We suggest reading one letter each. You are welcome to invite others to the stage to join you.
Please honour the end time of the performance slot.
Stick around and enjoy the rest of Rebellion!
The Facebook event for 15th April onwards is here https://www.facebook.com/events/126622414898833/

Why is this important?

We are facing an unprecedented global emergency, the planet is in crisis and we are in the midst of a mass extinction event. Scientists believe we have entered a period of abrupt climate breakdown. Carbon emissions and temperatures keep rising; ecological collapse has begun. On this course we are likely to see abrupt and irreversible devastation. The time for denial is over – we know the truth about climate change. It is time to act. Find out more here https://extinctionrebellion.org.uk/the-truth/the-emergency/ and this video.