Seeds of Change

As these ideas grow, so does their impact. What starts as a seed can shape how we live, connect, and imagine a better future. Culture and the environment are deeply connected. From sustainable design to climate storytelling, cultural practice can challenge norms and inspire change. As communities face ecological shifts, culture becomes a vital tool for activism.

There is strong local pride in Havering being London’s ‘greenest borough’, and a clear opportunity to gather around a shared passion for nature and place. Health and wellbeing sit at the heart of A Good Life, Havering’s new cultural strategy, offering a moment to explore environmental concerns through a collective and creative response.

Seeds of Change focuses on wellbeing, food ecologies, and environmental activism – celebrating the role of the arts in shaping a flourishing future. As part of launching Havering Calling!, we will run a series of events and wellbeing activities that place climate creativity at the centre of the programme. We’re working with inspiring individuals, each invited to plant a seed…

Amber Massie-Blomfield
Award-winning author, theatre producer, and climate specialist opens the programme with a talk and workshop on how the arts can respond to the climate emergency, drawing from her recent book Acts of Resistance: The Power of Art to Create a Better World.

In this uplifting event, Amber will ask: what is the purpose of art in leading the way to a flourishing future? How can creativity and imagination help us confront the climate crisis? Her talk will spark responses to environmental themes, as participants reflect on our natural surroundings – outdoors, or through memory and imagination – and explore how words can renew our bond with the living world. Havering London is hosting this event in collaboration with Rainham Hall. This National Trust property’s riverside location and historic architecture provide a powerful lens on environmental change. Surrounded by tidal landscapes and community gardens, it invites reflection on climate and heritage in a place shaped by time and tide.

Jack Hodgson
Our second venue, St George’s Health and Wellbeing Hub, is rooted in community care and environmental design. Its green roof, energy-efficient build, and focus on preventative health make it an ideal space to link ecological sustainability with human wellbeing.

Here, we’ll discover the joy of growing food at home with Jack Hodgson, founder of Jack’s Patch. A permaculture designer and edible landscape specialist, Jack began with a quarter-acre micro-farm on the edge of London, producing rare vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers for top chefs and local communities. His practice has since grown into designing edible landscapes – from rooftops to full-scale farms – featured in RHS show-cases, BBC London Radio, and Grand Designs.

Microgreens and mushrooms are compact, powerful foods: rich in vitamins, boosting immunity, and supporting brain health. In his talk and workshop, Seeds to Plate: Mushrooms & Microgreens, Jack will show how to plant and nurture them at home, transforming kitchens and gardens into sustainable food havens.

Munotida Chinyanga
Eating well together not only nourishes the body, but also reduces food waste, lowers our carbon footprint, and supports a culture of care.

Munotida, London-based artist, blends Zimbabwean heritage, plant-based food, and immersive storytelling with sound design and spatial performance. Her work explores climate justice, migration, and cultural memory, using participatory methods, sonic environments, and communal meals to reimagine public space as a site of connection.

Her project, There’s Rice at Home, invites Havering residents to cook, share, and connect. Through creative workshops, participants will swap recipes, share traditions, and take part in playful challenges like guess-the-spice. Residents will then host dinners in their own homes, bringing neighbours together to try new dishes and exchange stories.

Manifesto
Finally, the first series of Seeds of Change will culminate in a Manifesto for Creative Climate Culture in Havering. Rooted in Havering London’s spirit of ‘relentless optimism’, it will capture provocations from workshops, addressing sustainable making processes and exploring how culture can drive climate awareness and action.

Local people will be invited to dream together, imagining Havering in 2050: how it might look, sound, and feel. We’ll ask: how can creativity help us get there? Where are the seeds of change already taking root, and how can we nurture them? What stands in our way, and how might we overcome it?

These workshops will gather ideas, challenges, and visions. Like the wider programme, this is more than a workshop – it’s the start of a shared journey. The seeds of an idea. Why not join us in shaping the future?