An epic poem by Chris White about plastic pollution, how we got here and where we’re headed. This is your life mapped out in plastic…

Plasticles: Life in Plastic by Chris White, 2020
Music by Hal Kelly and video by James McColl

For the past couple of months I’ve been in residence as an “Emerging Siren.” Part of the SIRENS project from the incredible Cape Farewell. Alongside fellow South West poets Liv Torc, Pete (the Temp) and Shagufta Iqbal, I’ve been making work that responds to COVID-19 and the climate emergency.

Tackling the climate crisis would take some doing, so I decided to concentrate on the small matter of plastic pollution.

I enlisted the help of my long suffering music pal Hal Kelly to make a show which we performed live on Facebook from Cape Farewell’s Dorset Headquarters. We recorded the audio and set it to a video from visual artist James McColl. Watch it above.

I was tired of having single use plastics shoved down my throat. So I collected up all the plastic items I’d normally throw away. And on Sunday 19 July 2020 I ate them. Live on ZOOM.
Read more about my gut wrenching experience and plastic love stories…

This poem was made possible by Cape Farewell’s SIRENS programme, funded by Arts Council England – a unique take on the climate emergency and response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Chris on his residency and plastic love stories
About the SIRENS programme
About Chris White