Sascha und der Erdgeist (Sacha and the Soil Spirit) is a multilingual collaboration led by Compagnie L’instant Même (France) drawing together artistic and scientific experts of diverse ethnicity from France, Germany, Northern Ireland, and Serbia. Terra Nova has been engaged with L’instant Même since 2020, and this project continues our interest in telling international stories with a green heart. The artistic team will use a range of puppetry, experimental audio, and drama skills to tell an emotionally engaging multi-lingual story for younger audiences underpinned by soil science. It is supported by scientific experts and includes a call to action.
The project is in the process of gathering funding and support through grants and partnerships right now!
First development plans for this piece include a bid to rehearse in Berlin in summer 2027 with performance in Kassel and Berlin.
Support Our Work
To help this exciting work to flourish why not consider philanthropic support for Sacha and the Soil Spirit or Terra Nova productions? You can reach our Artistic Director at andrea@terranovaproductions.net to talk things over gently.
Terra Nova is a member of the Green Arts NI, supported by Belfast City Council.
More about soil…
overall soil erosion is estimated to amount to 1 billion tonnes per year across the EU, with a quarter (24%) of EU soils affected by water erosion, mainly in cropland, with projections referring to a possible increase of 13-25% by 2050. Unsustainable water erosion affects about a third (32%) of agricultural land, with additional wind erosion and tillage erosion, which can also initiate soil degradation. Nutrient imbalances are also on the rise: they are now estimated to affect 74% of agricultural land. In addition nitrogen surplus is increasing with threat to human health, crops, eco-systems, and the climate. Essential soil organic carbon is decreasing in agricultural areas. An estimated 70 million tonnes of this organic carbon were lost from the mineral soils of croplands across the EU and UK between 2009 and 2018. Increased rainfall, and the effects of increased heatwaves as a result of climate change, and the use of herbicides and insecticides all also impact on ecosystems of which soil is a key part, resulting in loss of food productivity, decreased nutritional value of food, and degraded, less resilient environments to support human life.