This June Newcastle University hosted Discover Fest 2025! A free, one-day festival brimming with family-fun. The activities list overflowed with idea-sparking events, but there was one film screening that caught my eye…
With the festival’s focus on the next generation, it’s maybe not at all surprising that the challenge of tackling climate change featured. But the “Climate Change Catastrophe!” film co-created by kids, Newcastle University engineers, and the Cap-a-Pie team, was full of surprises.
The film expertly communicates the serious and interwoven issues of climate change with a childlike perspective and an attitude of play. So much so that it manages to, the audience into giggles while educating on a topic many would rather avoid discussing.
I had the privilege of catching up with Catherine Walker and Katy Vanden, two instrumental players in bringing the film to the festival. I was keen to learn all about the film, from its very origins to the audience reactions at the festival screening.

First, a video call with Catherine Walker, NUAcT (Newcastle University Academic Track) Fellow in Cities and Place. Catherine’s research encompasses the intersections of young people, climate justice and education, zeroing in on how children are learning and reacting to climate issues.
Catherine shared how she seeks in her research to learn from youth perspectives and uplift their voices. When she first encountered the film, she saw it as an incredibly useful way to centre child and youth perspectives at the Discover Festival.
She explained that when it comes to climate change “people are fearful about bringing it up with children”. But the film demonstrates that “talking about climate change is not just necessary, it can also be fun, supportive and intergenerational”.
On the day, the screening and Q&A sparked cross-generational curiosity in helping unpack these tricky topics. While adults tended to voice more technical and specific questions to the panel, the backdrop of laughter enabled young audience members to voice their questions with the hopeful curiosity and honesty of a primary school class.

Next up a call with Katy Vanden, a producer at Cap-a-Pie. She explained that the film’s primary purpose was to give the young people they work with a voice on an issue that concerns them. Action is a brilliant antidote for anxiety, and that’s true for all generations! By working with Newcastle University academic Dr Alistair Ford to ensure the script was supported by the facts, the kids had the opportunity for empowerment by their newfound knowledge.
Katy noted the shelf-life of the film has been even longer than expected. The project began in 2019 and was first shown in 2021. Covid lockdown became the catalyst for filming what was initially exclusively a stage-show! It’s immortalisation on Youtube has enabled its transformation into a 6-episode resource for any and every-one interested. It’s proved particularly useful in schools, used in the programs of at least 10 partner schools in the Northeast and beyond!
The film’s use outside of the classroom with mixed generation audiences (such as at Discover Fest) is incredibly impactful. It seems the climate science is even harder to forget when voiced by those who will be most affected in their lifetime. So, this rare opportunity for adults to get children’s view on a crucial topic is priceless as a call to action.