Lalela uLwandle (“Listen to the Sea” in isiZulu) is a research-based theatre play from South Africa that makes visible stories of those living with the ocean that are seldom seen or heard in the public domain. Lalela uLwandle weaves together contemporary concerns of diverse coastal communities around intergenerational environmental injustices, tangible and intangible ocean heritage, marine science and the myriad threats to ocean health.
The event offers an opportunity to explore more democratic methods of engagement in ocean governance directly with the researchers, director and actor involved in Empatheatre. It will feature a dialogue on how coastal communities, researchers, civil society and public officers can connect across geographies, as well as across age, race and class divides, on global and local ocean-related challenges through an innovative form of participatory policy development.