Three Words for Forest: Where Theatre Meets the Trees
What if a play could change the way we see forests?
In a small rehearsal room at the University of Glasgow, words gathered like leaves. They weren’t just any words, but the real voices of forestry practitioners, researchers, and policymakers: thirty people who spend their lives among trees, wrestling with the question of how to care for them in a rapidly changing climate.
Those voices became Three Words for Forest: Exploring Uncertainty in a Time of Climate Crisis, a verbatim theatre production co-created by University of Glasgow’s Professor Deirdre Heddon and Dr Rachel Clive, which can also be watched online now.
Performed by a professional creative team, the play doesn’t shy away from difficult conversations. It dives into the tensions and uncertainties of forestry today: the urgency of climate change, the spread of disease, the pressure to plant millions of new trees, and the disagreements about the best way forward. Yet through it all runs a deep current of care – for forests, for landscapes, and for future generations.
The project is part of newLEAF, a research programme within the UK’s Future of Treescapes, which explores how trees adapt to climate change and the vital role humans play in their survival. With only 13% of the UK currently covered in woodland, and the government pledging to increase that significantly, the stakes could not be higher. Resilience will depend not just on science, but on people – people willing to connect, learn, and imagine together.
Now, thanks to new funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), the filmed play will be shared more widely. Accessible versions – complete with audio description, sign language interpretation, and supported viewing formats – open the conversation to more communities. Workshop guides are also being created so schools, community groups, and forestry organisations can use the film as a springboard for dialogue and reflection.
For Professor Heddon, this is about building what she calls forest citizenship:
“Our research showed that forestry specialists want better conversations across differing views, and that while the public cares about forests, many feel disconnected from the forestry sector. This funding allows us to build bridges and raise awareness of forestry as a career and sector.”
Dr Clive, who co-wrote and directed the play, sees theatre itself as a bridge:
“Theatre helps us to connect emotionally and practically with change. This funding lets us co-create new resources with partners to support wider engagement with the play’s insights.”
The project has also drawn praise from scientists within newLEAF. Dr Stephen Cavers of the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology highlights how the arts are helping bring diverse voices together:
“Three Words for Forest has really shown the power of interdisciplinary collaboration, to connect us with new audiences and highlight the voices of the diverse community of people engaged with our trees and forests.”
And for Dr David Edwards of Forest Research, the project shows how creativity can unlock new ways of seeing:
“The project demonstrates the power of the arts and humanities to collaborate meaningfully with scientists and help us see the world in new ways. The follow-on funding will help more people connect with forest science, foresters, and forests.”
In a time when the climate crisis can feel overwhelming, Three Words for Forest invites us into a different kind of conversation – not just about what we can do for forests, but about what forests mean to us, and how listening to each other might shape a more resilient future.
Featured image: Production Forestry – Charlotte Driessler, Helen Cuinn and Tam Dean Burn (Photo credit: Rachel Clive)
