Child psychologist and philosopher Alison Gopnik contends that caring for children is not about shaping them to turn out a certain way, like a carpenter, but rather about creating the conditions for them to flourish, like a gardener, understanding that you are making space for them to become themselves. Kristina Watt Villegas and I have not talked about this, but I think she understands it intuitively. In her work with youth, she is keenly attentive to the particular questions, concerns and curiosities of the young ensemble, and she helps them build skill and capacity as artists and as the people they are becoming in the world. She credits their potential. 

The youth in this show are speaking about the greatest threat to the human race, and also about the wonder of the world. They meet us with ingenuity, imagination, challenge and hope. There is no room for despair. Their call is an affirmation of life. 

My thanks to Sofia, Sébastien, Olivia, Ethan, Anna, Marisol, Sophie, Ana Clara, Jax, Natasha, Brianna, and Taiya for spending the season with us, and for calling out with hope from this stage. My thanks to every friend, parent, accomplice and past participant who put their hands in the earth to make room for this flourishing. 

And especially to Kristina, master gardener, who tends this so diligently, and asked, could this happen here?

Thanks to you too, the audience, for coming. 

Sarah

Thank you for your time.

In the depth of the pandemic, I was asked, “Why do you miss live theatre?” I blurted out, “Because it makes me stop.” It makes me stop. The noise outside me and the noise inside. With theatre, I don’t have to stop alone. In a simple space full of other people, together, time suspends and we ride through one story. For 12, a group of youth are our drivers; they gather us together, they invite us to listen and take an honest & playful look at our relationship with the planet and each other. I know, the big two heavy words within 12 are Climate Change (cue dire music) ... but we (the youth and I) are realizing that the story within this story is one of how we get along–and that how we treat the planet and how we treat each other are one and the same.

Speaking of change, I just said “new version”. 12 is never the same. The production you are experiencing today is the only possible 12 for you now. Every version is different since its beginnings in 2018. It changes along with changes in the youth, with changes in climate science, and with changes in the audience–you. Perhaps also with changes in me.

In closing, I want to share something I was told last week when I was feeding my beautiful mother. “The most generous thing one can give another is your time.” The youth of 12 are giving you their time in this offer to stop and listen. In coming to the theatre, you are giving of your time–to us all and to each other. With 12, we give the planet our time. Solo por hoy. Just for today. We then just take it from there.

Kristina

Introducing A New Affordable Housing Option for Senior Arts Workers

Have you heard? Affordable housing designed for senior artists and arts workers is coming to Ottawa! PAL Place, an affordable housing project with 86 units will provide aging artists access to safe and comfortable living, while allowing them to keep creating the wonderful art that inspires and enriches our communities.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY TO LIVE AT PAL PLACE?

Canadian residents whose:

- Professional artistic practice involves any artistic discipline

- Artistic occupation is/was a primary source of income for (minimum) 15 years

- Age is 40 (minimum) when applying, understanding resident acceptance begins at age 55

- Proof of residency (identification) can be verified

For more information on PAL Place, please visit www.palottawa.org/pal-place

a chat with Sofia

Q: Can you please introduce yourself?
I’m Sofia! I play Character #1 and Jamie Margolin. I’m in Grade 11 and I live in Ottawa.

Q: What does being in 12 mean to you?
For me, 12 is a space where I feel I’m able to be vulnerable and talk about issues, like climate change, that really matter to me and to be very honest about these issues. I can say what I really feel and have people understand, to take off my mask and not be judged.

Q: What’s your favourite part of the natural world?
The Northern Lights — Aurora Borealis. And sunsets. It’s so beautiful when the different amazing colours fill the sky every night. It’s such a happy end to the day.

Q: What’s one of your specific Climate Change concerns?
A lack of hope, resulting in a lack of action. That people fail to take the actions necessary to make a difference. As a result, they just make plans and empty promises while taking little or no concrete action to address the emergency.

Q: What’s a question you would like to ask someone about Climate Change?
What do you do for climate justice? Is it enough? What do you think is enough?

Q: When the audience leaves 12, you hope they will–
Feel hopeful, inspired and see that they can do something to make a change.

Q: What’s your favourite word?
Waffles.

a chat with Sebastien

Q: Can you please introduce yourself?
I’m Sebastien and I play Character #2 and Jayden Anthony. I’m in 11th grade at Ecole Secondaire Mont-Bleu and I live in Gatineau. I’m on a TV show named Famille Magique in Quebec. I was in A Christmas Carol at the NAC.

Q: What does being in 12 mean to you?
It means learning. There isn’t an easier way to learn about the climate crisis than being a part of a play with a fully formed script about it. We learn about stats, activists, other plays about the subject and of course we learn about theatre.

Q: What’s your favourite part of the natural world?
Anything to do with water. I love it because of the myths and legends surrounding it. I love reading about old sailor superstitions.

Q: What’s one of your specific Climate Change concerns?
The effect of loss of wildlife on people. They say that cases of suicide and depression spike up during winter because of the lack of sunlight and the desolate landscape. If we keep ruining beautiful things, we’ll be left with an ugly world. Ugliness affects our morale.

Q: What’s a question you’d like to ask anyone about Climate Change?
If we all try our best, do you think we can get out of this thing?

Q: What’s your favorite word?
Ostrogoths. It’s an old Flemish word meaning someone who lacks culture and refinement, but I just like the way it sounds.

a chat with Olivia

Q: Can you please introduce yourself?
I’m Olivia and I play Character #3 and Howey Ou. I’m in grade 11 and I live in Ottawa.

Q: What does being in 12 mean to you?
It means so much to me. I can’t imagine not being in 12, or at least not being a part of it in some way. It means to me that I’m actually doing something. We’re creating art that’s impactful.

Q: What’s your part of the natural world?
Definitely moss. I love how like squishy and fluffy it is. And it’s always a nice shade of green

Q: What’s a specific climate change worry of yours?
That none of the little, everyday things that I do actually makes a difference. Does me recycling even do anything?

Q: What would you like to ask someone about Climate Change?
I’d probably ask my parents “Do you think that 12 is actually making a difference?”

Q: When the audience leaves 12, you hope they will -
I hope they will have heard a line that really spoke to them. And that they’ll think about that line for a long time. Even if it’s just as simple as “I do, what a strange promise to make the person you love”

Q: What is your favourite word?
pearl

a chat with Ethan

Q: Can you please introduce yourself?
I’m Ethan and I play Character #4 and Khalid. I’m in 11th grade and I live in Ottawa.

Q: What does being in 12 mean to you?
12 is a way for me to express my concerns for my future

Q: What’s your favourite part of the natural world?
The beach. I love how it’s the separation between land and water.

Q: What’s one of your specific Climate Change worries?
How the next generation will have to go through worse.

Q: What’s something you’d like to ask anyone about Climate Change?
How big of an issue do you think global warming is?

Q: When the audience leaves 12, you hope they will–
Listen, think, question

Q: What’s your favourite word?
Hippopotamus.

a chat with Anna

Q: Can you please introduce yourself?
I’m Anna. I play Character #5 and Marinel Ubaldo. I’m in grade 12 and I live in Ottawa.

Q: What does being in 12 mean to you?
It’s a chance for me to create and inspire social change through art.

Q: What’s your favourite part of the natural world?
Probably stars because they make me feel alone in the world and sometimes that’s comforting.

Q: What’s a specific Climate Change concern for you?
That the majority of our world’s climate literature is written entirely in English, making it inaccessible to approximately half of the global population.

Q: When the audience leaves 12, you hope they will–
Realize that they weren’t just spectators of another play, but that this is all very real.
Stop making excuses.

Q: Do you have a hobby?
I really like writing, singing, and watching movies.

Q: What’s your favourite word?
Simultaneously.

a chat with Taiya

Q: Can you please introduce yourself?
Hi! My name is Taiya and my role in 12 is the swing understudy for all 11 parts. I’m in grade 9 and I live in Ottawa.

Q: What does being in 12 mean to you?
Being in 12 is impactful for me because it allows me to not only voice my rage and sadness on the climate crisis but to also share that emotion with others. Drama is such a great outlet for what you feel, and it’s even more an outlet when you focus on certain global issues.

Q: What’s your favorite part of the natural world?
Tectonic plates. I enjoy the thought of everything constantly moving and changing. I gives me hope.

Q: What’s one of your specific Climate Change worries?
Although broad, I worry that some people think it’s too late to even try to do something. That mindset is even scarier than any natural disaster or pollution because it continues the cycle and doesn’t stop the problems.

Q: What’s a question you’d like to ask anyone about Climate Change?
To what extent would the negative effects of climate change have to go before we take substantial action?

Q: When the audience leaves 12, you hope they will–
I hope you leave in reflection, and with hopefulness and adaptability in your hearts. I hope our show will encourage you to take action and not give up.

Q: What’s your favorite word?
Perishability.
(things last temporarily….there’s a due date)

a chat with Sophie

Q: Can you please introduce yourself?
I’m Sophie and I play Character #7 and Boyan Slat. I’m in my first year at Algonquin College and I live in Ottawa. I’ve been a part of a few plays and performances with Kristina, like Emily Brontosaurus: Tales of the Northern Swamp and I’m currently part of STUFF!

Q: What does being in 12 mean to you?
It’s a wonderful, safe space with people I admire. 12 is a show that pushes for a greener, healthier world, one that I want to see happen. Being in 12 gives me a place where I and the ensemble can reveal who we are. It feels good to be a part of something that is so unapologetically vulnerable.

Q: What’s your favorite part of the natural world?
RAIN! Especially in the fall. Everything is grey except the leaves which are beautiful, bright, vibrant reds, oranges and yellows. They pop against the dark greys of wet concrete, and the after-rain smell just…EVERYTHING! Bonus points if it was a thunderstorm.

Q: What is one of your specific Climate Change concerns?
Will people–hell, will I–care enough to ACTUALLY take action?

Q: What’s a question you’d like to ask anyone about Climate Change?
Why do you think it doesn’t exist? Even if it ends up being false, wouldn’t you rather have had the world united to make sure it DEFINITELY doesn’t happen?

Q: When the audience leaves 12, you hope they will–
Have the courage to tell their loved ones to take action, and take action themselves.

Q: What’s your favourite word?
Description, corruption, iris, “pantoufle,” pantheon, vivarium…

a chat with Ana Clara

Q: Can you please introduce yourself?
I’m Anna Clara. I play character #8 and Andre Amaru Oliveira. Last year I was the swing understudy for the whole cast. I’m in my third year at the University of Ottawa. 

Q: What does being in 12 mean to you? 
It’s an honour as I get to work with other like-minded youth who have same concerns about our future. 

Q: What’s your favorite part of the natural world?
Trees. They are like peaceful and wise beings that remind me of the good in life. 

Q: What’s a specific Climate Change concern for you?
I’m most concerned about pollinators because, like all wildlife, they are affected by climate change, but bees and butterflies have no possibility of adapting to their changing habitat. 

Q: What’s a question you’d like to ask someone about Climate Change?
What will it take for us to all work together against climate change? Do people simply not care enough, or is it not something that we, as humans, are incapable of doing?

Q: When the audience leaves 12, you hope they will–
Feel heard and seen, if they are youth like me, or know that youth care about such things and are willing to fight for what they believe is right, not only by hard actions.

Q: What’s your favorite word?
Nightingale.

a chat with Jax

Q: Can you please introduce yourself?
I’m Jax and I play Character #9 and also Greta Thunberg. I’m in my second year at Algonquin College (Creative Writing) and I live in Ottawa/Metcalfe.

Q: What does being in 12 mean to you?
Being a part of 12 makes me feel like I’m doing something to help. It’s easy to feel useless when faced with an enormous problem like climate change, and 12 kind of comforts me in a way.

Q: What’s your favourite part of the natural world ?
Probably mountains. Although I don’t like climbing them, I do think they’re very beautiful.

Q: What’s one of your specific Climate Change worries?
I’m worried about where people are going to go. So many are being displaced by storms or floods because of climate change and I’m afraid we don’t have enough room.

Q: What’s one question you’d like to ask about Climate Change?
To those making corporate decisions that accelerate climate change: which is more important to you, money or human life?

Q: When the audience leaves 12, you hope they will–
Realize that youth are more powerful than they think.

Q: What’s your favourite hobby?
Puzzles.

Q: What’s your favourite word?
Crooked.

a chat with Natasha

Q: Can you please introduce yourself?
I’m Natasha. I play Character #10 and Sofia Oliveira. I’m in 11th grade and I live in Ottawa. I’m on my school’s improv team.

Q: What does being in 12 mean to you?
I find it really special to be in 12. I’m always learning new information about climate change. With “12”, I feel like I can express myself about my worries and hopes.

Q: What’s your favourite part of the natural world?
The Amazon rainforests. They’re fantastical! Magic.
Trees. They provide and we should return the favour.

Q: What’s one of your specific Climate Change worries?
I worry about the increase in natural disasters

Q: What’s a question you’d like to ask anyone about Climate Change?
Do you worry about climate change? Do you keep yourself informed?

Q: When the audience leaves 12, you hope they will–
Reflect on what they watch and on themselves

Q: What’s your favourite word?
Aurora.

a chat with Brianna

Q: Can you please introduce yourself?
My name is Brianna and I play #11. I am in 11th grade and live in Ottawa.

Q: What does being in 12 mean to you?
I am so happy, excited and honoured to be in 12. It’s about a powerful subject I deeply care about. I think it’s wonderful that 12 is not only for entertainment because it affects us all right now.

Q: What’s your favourite part of the natural world? Why?
I really love forests. I take walks in the woods and hear the sound of the wind blowing, moving the trees, the cracking sounds of branches, the sounds of animals close to me, the water in a stream… I love the serenity and the calming presence of the forest.

Q: What’s one of your specific Climate Change worries?
La déforestation excessive. | Excessive deforestation.

Q: What’s a question you’d like to ask anyone you could about Climate Change?
C’est quoi le changement climatique ? Chaque réponse est différente. Pas tout le monde sait que le changement climatique existe et/ou ce que c’est vraiment et/ou son impact! | What is Climate Change? Not everyone even knows that Climate Change exists or what it really is and what it does. And, every answer is different!

Q: When the audience leaves 12, you hope they will–
Take it as an opportunity for introspection, outrospection and action. I hope they talk about it with everyone they know. I hope seeing this play changes them, even if just a little.

Q: What’s your favorite word?
Amour.

a chat with Marisol

Q: Can you please introduce yourself?
Hello. My name is Marisol. I play character #6. I’m in grade 9 and I live in Ottawa.

Q: What does being in 12 mean to you?
Being in 12 means so, so, so much to me. It means that I can better learn about climate change and how us humans impact the world.

Q: What’s your part of the natural world?
I really love rain and snow and all the animals. Rain is very calming. Snow is so beautiful when it falls from the sky. Animals are so diverse and cool.

Q: What’s a specific climate change worry of yours?
One of my specific worries is that all the beautiful animals will die as a result of our warming planet.

Q: What would you like to ask someone about Climate Change?
I would like to ask, “Is there anything more that I can do? Why haven’t we done more?”

Q: When the audience leaves 12, I hope they will–
Understand more and reflect on it.

Q: What is your favourite word?
It’s a word in French: “Encyclopédie”.

a chat with AL

Q: Can you please introduce yourself?
I'm AL Connors, I'm a proud Lowertown resident who's lived in Ottawa my whole life. I love improvised comedy, festivals, and kitty cats. I'm an award-winning theatre creator and the best wedding DJ in Ottawa.

Q: What does being in 12 mean to you?
I'm passionate about communicating the urgency of climate change and I'm proud to have the opportunity to help put work like this in front of audiences. 

Q: What’s your favorite part of the natural world? Why?
I love the woods, wandering down paths through dense boreal forest. I love the smell and the sounds.

Q: What’s one of your specific Climate Change worries?
Civil unrest due to scarcity of resources.

Q: What’s a question you’d like to ask anyone you could about Climate Change?
I'd like to ask older folks how they think their lives might be different if they were growing up now instead of then.

Q: When the audience leaves 12, you hope they will–
Know that the choices they make in regards to their footprint matter.

Q: What’s your favorite word?
Kitchenette.

a chat with Carmelle

Q: Can you please introduce yourself?
My name is Carmelle Cachero.  I am one of the ASL interpreters for the production of 12.  I live on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabe (Colonially known as Ottawa).

Q: What does being in 12 mean to you?
I feel honoured to be invited to share the stage with these amazing youth who are sharing their message to the world.  It means a lot that the whole team involved in 12 recognizes the importance of making their message accessible to the Deaf community.

Q: What’s your favorite part of the natural world? Why?
Being alone and looking on when the sun in just rising starting a new day and the smell of an early summer morning.

Q: What’s one of your specific Climate Change worries?
I am worried about the amount of waste we produce as humans and that we are running out of time to remedy the situation.

Q: What’s a question you’d like to ask anyone you could about Climate Change?
What can you do to reduce waste and encourage others to do the same? 

Q: When the audience leaves 12, you hope they will–
Make a real effort to make the changes they can as an individual to be more mindful of their impact on the whole.

Q: What’s your favorite word?
Believe.

a chat with Drea

Q: Hi! Can you introduce yourself to us, Drea?
Hi. I’m a theatre creator, stage manager, dramaturge, disability consultant and scholar. I am the rehearsal stage manager for 12.

Q: What does being in 12 mean to you?
12 means so much, a return to making theatre, and making connections. The show itself is a hopeful and important call from youth to all of us to examine where we are right now. It asks us to reconsider our actions for climate change so that we can all enjoy the wonder this earth can offer for generations to come. This project invigorates me and gives me hope. 

Q: What’s your favorite part of the natural world, Drea?
That would be water. It is so fascinating the cycle it goes through. It is transformative. It isn’t afraid of changing states, it brings things along the way that it picks up, it is soft and soothing. It is hard and dangerous as it changes landscapes too. It is sustaining us, but is also moving us. It is so precious as a resource and can be a dangerous element as well.

Q: What is one of your specific Climate Change worries?
My worry for climate change is that we’re not listening and acting on the calls from scientists’ and youth’s plea. That as much as we can do individually, it can’t outweigh the mega corporations packaging and pollution. I worry that we will not get them on board with us. 

Q: What’s a question you would like to ask someone about Climate Change?
My question would be to governments: what will it take to stand up to the corporations and demand they work with us instead of against us? You are supposed to work for the people, not the corporations. 

Q: Do you have a favourite hobby?
My favourite hobby is baking; it is fun to create something that you can share. I love learning and trying new recipes. 

Q: What’s your favourite word?
Smooth.

a chat with Jo-Anne

Q: Can you please introduce yourself?
I’m Jo-Anne, ASL interpreter, Ottawa.

Q: What does being in 12 mean to you?
Personally, I feel like I am behind with the information about what’s going on with the global crisis we are breathing/living into. I am mindful of the climate crisis, especially with social media.

Q: What’s your favorite part of the natural world? Why?
That would be a mountain along with a lake and forest. It is where I can appreciate the beauty of nature/animals.

Q: What’s one of your specific Climate Change worries?
Fashion clothing (Fast Fashion or Sustainability Clothing): I am aware of how much we contribute to global emissions.

Q: What’s a question you’d like to ask anyone you could about Climate Change?
How can we use our clothes as upcycling and use them differently?

Q: When the audience leaves 12, you hope they will–
Check out all young environmentalists are doing so far and their messages for us.

Q: What’s your favorite word?
Self-educate/self-aware.

a chat with Kristina

Q: Can you introduce yourself?
Hi. I’m Kristina. I’m a theatre artist (performer, creator and director). I built 100 Watt Productions, a small independent theatre company.  I currently live in Ottawa, with part of my heart always in Colombia. In Canada, I’ve been fortunate to work at the National Arts Centre, here at the GCTC, St Lawrence Theatre Festival and Undercurrents Festival, and of course the 100 Watt Ensemble. I build theatre that carries the voice of youth. I love to create work that looks at our relationship with one another and with the planet.

Q: What does being in 12 mean to you?
It means that I get to allow the passions, fears and truth of young people to be seen, heard and hopefully respected. Although I feel helpless at times, I know that I’m doing something--something for youth.

Q: What’s your favorite part of the natural world?
Mountains. In particular, the mountains of Colombia.

Q: What is one of your specific Climate Change worries?
That many humans, as a species, continue to operate from a place of ego, power, and with the illusion that they’re more important than the natural world around them.

Q: What is a question you would like to ask about Climate Change is?
What will it take for you to stop, just stop -- and dare to own your part in what is happening?

Q: Do you have a favorite hobby?
Learning about neuroscience. I am seeking to find an intersection between theatre & science.

Q: What’s your favorite word?
Stichomythia.

a chat with Kyle

Q: Can you please introduce yourself?
Kyle Ahluwalia (he/him). Grew up in Toronto, I now live in Vanier, which is part of the contested territory of the Algonquins Of Ontario land claim which has been under negotiation for nearly all of my life. I am the technical director at GCTC, artistic producer at Horseshoes & Hand Grenades (who are supporting 12) and the lighting designer for 12.

Q: What does being in 12 mean to you?
I’ve seen 12 in a couple different past iterations, and it is great to get to see it on a theatre stage. My first time seeing the show was at a conference over zoom, so it is lovely to see it in person.

 Q: What’s your favorite part of the natural world? Why?
I have great memories of summers along the Fundy coast in Nova Scotia, and being in awe of the tides there.

Q: What’s a question you’d like to ask anyone you could about Climate Change?
Have we past the point of no return, and if so what does that mean for humans as a species in 30 years?

Q: What’s your favorite word?
Nuance (although my brother might think I meant nuisance).

a chat with Rachel

Q: Can you please introduce yourself?
My name is Rachel, I am the Production Stage Manager for twelve and I live in Ottawa.

Q: What does being in 12 mean to you?
It means that that four letter word is out there still.

Q: What’s your favorite part of the natural world? Why?
The stars, it’s easy to get lost in them.

Q: What’s one of your specific Climate Change worries?
Is it too late?

Q: What’s a question you’d like to ask anyone you could about Climate Change?
Would it be awful if we were wrong about climate change but started to treat the planet better? Why isn’t it worth it? Are you really okay if you’re wrong and we’ve failed?

Q: When the audience leaves 12, you hope they will–
Do what’s in their power to help, even if that is just having conversations about climate change and talking about it with more people.

Q: What’s your favorite word?
Wiggle.

a chat with Rhea

Q: Can you please introduce yourself?
I’m Rhea Sawan and I’m the Assistant Stage Manager and Child-Minder of 12. I’ve been living in Ottawa for about a year and a half now.

Q: What does being in 12 mean to you?
This show directly caught my eye when I first heard about it, but now that I’m working on it, 12 became more than a show: it became a safe place with familiar faces, a united voice that wants to be heard and, most importantly, a hope for the future. I see hope when I enter the rehearsal room.

Q: What’s your favorite part of the natural world?
The stars – how they hold inside them the past, present and future. They’re proof that the universe is so huge and even after billions of years there are still parts that are unknown to us. I think they bring out the best in humans when it comes to creativity: creativity means that everything is possible.

Q: What’s one of your specific Climate Change concerns?
That nature slowly dies and leaves no colors behind.

Q: What’s something you’d like to ask anyone about Climate Change?
What is stopping you from taking action today concerning Climate Change? The fear of failure? Or the fear of success?

Q: When the audience leaves 12, you hope they will–
I hope they will feel. Feel different.

Q: What’s your favorite word?
Summer.

a chat with Stella

Q: Can you please introduce yourself?
My name is Stella and I’m the exhibit designer and co-curator of the art for Footsteps through 12, the visual exhibit that accompanies 12. I live in Ottawa and am in my last year of highschool.

Q: What does being in 12 mean to you?
I’m passionate about theatre and collaborative projects so it’s been such a pleasure to join 12. I love the opportunity to display pieces by the 12 artists that address their research, interactions and emotions surrounding the climate crisis.

Q: What’s your favorite part of the natural world? Why?
I love large bodies of water, specifically when I’m scuba diving. Being that far down allows me to truly disconnect from everything on the surface. Watching animals live in their natural habitat reminds me why we’re fighting for such precious resources.

Q: What’s one of your specific Climate Change worries?
I worry about water, specifically how certain communities may lose access to clean, reliable water sources. Water is a human right. My hope is that we stand together to reassess the ways we live that further exacerbate water scarcity.

Q: What’s a question you’d like to ask anyone you could about Climate Change?
I’d like to ask the leaders of corporations who contribute the most to emissions and waste: is this the world you’d like to leave your grandchildren?

Q: When the audience leaves 12, you hope they will–
Feel inspired and educated. I hope that through the influence of youth, they feel a renewed sense of agency to address the crisis.

Q: What’s your favorite word?
Compassion.