Climate Change Theatre Action 2025
The Time is Now!
Launched in 2015, Climate Change Theatre Action is a worldwide festival of short plays about the climate crisis presented biennially to coincide with the United Nations COP meetings.
For 2025, Venue 13 hosts a special series of CCTA plays, marking 10 years of bold, climate theatre. Across 20 events, audiences will experience a curated selection of short plays including 40 of the audience’s favourites from the past festivals, alongside 10 new works in a final set of commissions. This international showcase brings together artists, activists and change-makers to explore the climate crisis through urgent and inventive storytelling. In partnership with Culture for Climate Scotland and the Traverse Theatre, the CCTA at Venue 13 offers a resonant and reflective send-off to a transformative global project.
Connect with the CCTA
Daily CCTA Events at Venue 13
Week 1
Friday
August 1
Capturing Creativity in the Climate Crisis: A Reading and Discussion Hosted by Alchemy Theatre Paris
Hosted by
Alchemy Theatre
Chantal Bilodeau
CCTA Plays
- there are many stories you can tell about humanity
- by David Finnigan
- Space Cat
by Lewis Hetherington - Science is Dead!
by David Geary
Saturday
August 2
A Eulogy for the Future is a Climate Change Theatre Action Showcase by The Blue Loop Group with Artsake Theatre Co
Hosted by
The Blue Loop Group with Artsake Theatre Co.
PART ONE
A climate cafe held outside of Venue 13
PART TWO
A theatrical performance inside Venue 13
CCTA Plays
- Here in the Long Now
by Isla Cowan - Six Polar Bears Fell Out of the Sky This Morning
by Alister Emerson - Eat the Rich
by Tira Palmquist - The Presentation
by Juan C. Sanchez
Sunday
August 3
Tango in Silk
by Xi Liu (choreographer and performer) featuring Mingcong Hu
Sea: The Breathing Matter
A sensory performance
Snowflake’s Special
A sweet, funny solo piece that reaffirms the beauty, wonder and feel of the natural world
Hosted by
Xi Liu
Mingcong Hu
Siho Park
Maria Tivnan
Wren Brian
CCTA Plays
- Now
by Wren Brian - The Mermaid
by Nikhil Katara - A Letter from the Ocean
by Caridad Svich - Single Use
- by Marcia Johnson
Snowflake’s Special
by Kevin Matthew Wong
Laila Pines For The Wolf
by Hassan Abdulrazzak
Week 2
Tuesday
August 5
Ice and Leaves
Hosted by
Fregoli Theatre
CCTA Plays
- The Polar Bears
by Nicolas Billon - All Its Tainted Glory
by Georgina Escobar - Ranger
by Yvette Nolan - A Little Green
by Charly Evon Simpson - Snowflake’s Special
by Kevin Matthew Wong
Wednesday
August 6
Ashes of Verdant Light:
A Live D&D Campaign based on the CCTA
Hosted by
Urban Arcane Games
CCTA Plays
- Not Because We’re Good
by Chris Thorpe - Love Out Of The Ruins
by Zoe Svendsen
Thursday
August 7
Carnival of Ineffectual Climate Actions:
An Immersive Experience
Hosted by
Switchboard Operations
CCTA Plays
- Appreciation
by Katie Pearl - Not Because We’re Good
by Chris Thorpe
Friday
August 8
Climate Theatre Workshop:
How Climate and Environmental Plays Have Changed Over Time
Hosted by
Theatre Green Book
The Carbon Literacy Project
Wise Ram
CCTA Plays
- Friends for Life
- by Himali Kothari
- Blood on the Leaves
by Madeline Sayet - Brackendale
by Elaine Ávila
Saturday
August 9
Playing with Fire:
An Ecosexual Emergency
A film by Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens
Hosted by
The Centre for Sustainable Practice in the Arts
CCTA Plays
- Eco-Abortion
by Darrah Teitel
Steamy Session in a Singapore Spa
by Damon Chua
Sunday
August 10
Old McDonald Had a Farm: 01000101 01001001 01000101 01001001 01001111
Hosted by
The Centre for Sustainable Practice in the Arts
CCTA Plays
- Absolutely Nothing of Any Meaning
by Sunny Drake - Listen to Vanessa Nakate
by Aleya Kassam
The Arrow
by Abhishek Majumdar
Landforms
by Andrea Ling
Week 3
Tuesday
August 12
Earth Quadriptych
Hosted by
Susana C. Gaspar and Paula Pedregal representing Companhia de Teatro de Sintra – Chão de Oliva
CCTA Plays
- Homo Sapiens
by Chantal Bilodeau - Earth Duet
by EM Lewis - Original Fire
by Kevin Loring - Pond Life
by Elyne Quan
Wednesday
August 13
Hot Mess
A Comedic Reading and Panel Discussion on Climate Change
Song Society
by Florencia Iriondo
The Sound of Water
by Julia Ott
Now
followed by a Circle Discussion on Climate Change, Accessibility and Theater
Hosted by
Missed the Mark Productions
Florencia Iriondo
Center Heart Theater
Full Circle Theatre
CCTA Plays
- Laila Pines For The Wolf
by Hassan Abdulrazzak - The Polar Bears
by Nicolas Billon - The Donation
by Jordan Hall - Lifeday
by Jessica Huang - Ranger
by Yvette Nolan - A Letter from the Ocean
by Caridad Svich
Now
by Wren Brian
Thursday
August 14
The Penguins
Read by the Largest Venue 13 Cast Ever!
Presented by
Mike Fallek & Bill Moore /
Big Weasel Lil Weasel
from The Lawn Con
Hosted by
Bill Moore & Mike Fallek
CCTA Plays
- The Penguins
by Elspeth Tilley
Undertow
by Keith Barker - SCARY-scary
by Klae Bainter - We’re Running Out of Chairs
by Kirby Vicente
Friday
August 15
OUDH: origin
Written & Performed by
Aisha Lesley Bentham
Narrated by
Alicia Lewis
CCTA Plays
- Consultation
by Dylan Van Den Berg
Saturday
August 16
JOY CENTERED Nosh Activation (Edinburgh Edition)
Hosted by
Geon Nativa: Institute of Conjure
CCTA Plays
- The Polar Bears
by Nicolas Billon
Sunday
August 17
Nature’s Calling at the Fringe
Hosted by
Nicole Bates
Naomi Johnson
CCTA Plays
- The Project Hope
by Catherine Banks - Starving to Death in Midtown
by Mindi Dickstein - So Beautiful Today, So Sunny
by Marcus Youssef with Seth Klein
Week 4
Tuesday
August 19
Climate Cabaret: Songs for Scientists and the People
Hosted by
Lynda Williams
The Physics Chanteuse
CCTA Plays
- Here in the Long Now
by Ilsa Cowan - Gaïa
by Hiro Kanagawa
Wednesday
August 20
Climate Voices:
Short play readings from Climate Change Theatre Action and Arctic Lion Theatre
Hosted by
Hamish Muir from Arctic Lion Theatre
CCTA Plays
- The Polar Bears
by Nicolas Billon
Undertow
by Keith Barker - Here in the Long Now
by Isla Cowan
The Launch
by Angie Farrow - Earth Duet
by EM Lewis
Thursday
August 21
Comedy, Creatures and Posthuman Perspectives
Hosted by
Tess Carruthers & Rosa Thomas
CCTA Plays
- Brackendale
by Elaine Ávila - The Penguins
by Elspeth Tilley
Friday
August 22
Act for Climate
Hosted by
ECCAN featuring Active Inquiry
&
Tim Honnef
CCTA Plays
- Now
by Wren Brian
Appealing
by Paula Cizmar
Starving To Death In Midtown - by Mindi Dickstein
Saturday
August 23
A Teapot in Tempest:
an afternoon of climate justice tea time and play reading open jam
Hosted by
Haeweon Yi and Francine Dulong representing Blooming Ludus
&
Jaehyun Nho representing
I Moment
CCTA Plays
- Canary
by Hanna Cormick - Us in The Past
by Nathan Ellis - Bare Spaces
by Angie Emurwon - Earth Duet
by EM Lewis - A Letter from the Ocean
by Caridad Svich - So This is the Last Apple Pie
by Haeweon Yi
CCTA 2025 Playwrights
Climate Change Theatre Action 2025 News
- Episode 6 – We’re Back: Fringe Preparations, Cultural Futures and What’s Happening in Scotland This March + Laila and the Wolf by Hassan Abdulrazzak
Ian and Vanesa continue their UAE journey after World Stage Design 2025, reflecting on Ian’s NYU Abu Dhabi talk and exploring the university’s performance spaces. They also visit TeamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi’s vast immersive environment, sparking ideas about ecological and hybrid design, and share this week’s CCTA reading, Earth Duet by E.M. Lewis. - Episode 5 – A Venue 13 Carol: The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future 13 + Appealing by Paula Cizmar
Ian and Vanesa continue their UAE journey after World Stage Design 2025, reflecting on Ian’s NYU Abu Dhabi talk and exploring the university’s performance spaces. They also visit TeamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi’s vast immersive environment, sparking ideas about ecological and hybrid design, and share this week’s CCTA reading, Earth Duet by E.M. Lewis. - Episode 4 – Inside the Theatre Green Book + So Beautiful Today, So Sunny by Marcus Youssef and Seth Klein
Ian and Vanesa continue their UAE journey after World Stage Design 2025, reflecting on Ian’s NYU Abu Dhabi talk and exploring the university’s performance spaces. They also visit TeamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi’s vast immersive environment, sparking ideas about ecological and hybrid design, and share this week’s CCTA reading, Earth Duet by E.M. Lewis. - Episode 3 – teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi and NYUAD + Earth Duet by E.M. Lewis
Ian and Vanesa continue their UAE journey after World Stage Design 2025, reflecting on Ian’s NYU Abu Dhabi talk and exploring the university’s performance spaces. They also visit TeamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi’s vast immersive environment, sparking ideas about ecological and hybrid design, and share this week’s CCTA reading, Earth Duet by E.M. Lewis. - Episode 2 – Venue 13 at WSD2025 in Sharjah UAE + Space Cat by Lewis Hetherington
Ian and Vanesa take you inside World Stage Design 2025, sharing seasoned insight and first-time impressions from this global gathering of scenographers and artists. They reflect on collaborations, inspirations from the Scenofest Research Symposium, and how WSD’s creative energy connects to their ongoing work at Venue 13. - Episode 1 – What Happens When Two People Decide to Have a Venue (and a Podcast)
In the first full episode of Podcast 13, Ian Garrett and Vanesa Kelly conclude Climate Change Theatre Action 2025 with readings of works by Klae Bainter, Keith Barker, and Kirby Vicente. They also reflect on Venue 13’s debut as a fully vegan Fringe venue, the premiere of A.I. Campfire, and sustaining year-round conversations on theatre and climate. - CCTA at Venue 13: A Global Climate Theatre Movement Takes Root in Edinburgh
This August, Venue 13 becomes ground zero for one of the most urgent and imaginative undertakings at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe: the debut of the 2025 Climate Change Theatre Action (CCTA). In celebration of its 10th anniversary, CCTA arrives in full force with an unprecedented three-week residency featuring 50 short plays and artistic encounters that grapple with the defining issue of our time — the climate crisis. Presented daily at 4:00 PM from August 1st through August 23rd (with Mondays off), this living, breathing programme is anything but a traditional festival lineup. It’s a ritual. A provocation. A gathering place… Read more: CCTA at Venue 13: A Global Climate Theatre Movement Takes Root in Edinburgh - Venue 13 Returns — Stronger, Braver, and Ready for the Future
We’re back — and we’re officially incorporated! We’re thrilled to announce that Venue 13 Fringe Ltd is now an official company registered with Companies House. After decades of supporting independent and international artists at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Venue 13 is stepping into an exciting new era — with a year-round vision, a nonprofit trust in development, and a model rooted in care, sustainability, and community. A Legacy Worth Building On Since 1980, Venue 13 has provided a launchpad for emerging and risk-taking performance. Originally founded by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and later managed by the Royal Welsh College… Read more: Venue 13 Returns — Stronger, Braver, and Ready for the Future - Venue 13 Welcomes Climate Change Theatre Action 2025As we announce the 2025 programme for Venue 13, we are especially proud to present Climate Change Theatre Action 2025 (CCTA 2025). This is more than just another production on our calendar—it marks the culmination of a decade-long project that has connected artists and audiences around the world through the power of theatre and the urgent need for climate action. Founded in 2015 by Elaine Ávila, Chantal Bilodeau, Robert Levitow, and Caridad Svich, CCTA has grown into a global movement, sparking over 500 events across six continents. Managed by the Arts & Climate Initiative in partnership with the Centre for… Read more: Venue 13 Welcomes Climate Change Theatre Action 2025
- Venue 13 Attends CCTA Launch in NYC, Marking the Announcement of CCTA as Part of Venue 13’s 2025 Program
New York, 1st March 2025 – Today, at Theatre Row, the Venue 13 team joined Climate Change Theatre Action (CCTA) as it proudly celebrates its 10-year anniversary with a preview of the 2025 festival and the launch of its latest anthology, “All Good Things Must Begin,” containing the 50 original plays commissioned in 2023, This celebration marks the official launch of Venue 13’s 2025 programme, with a selection of plays confirmed to grace Harry Younger Hall this August. During their milestone event, CCTA announced the writers of 10 newly commissioned plays, which will join a selection of works from the… Read more: Venue 13 Attends CCTA Launch in NYC, Marking the Announcement of CCTA as Part of Venue 13’s 2025 Program
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
