A WORKSHOP has dedicated its summer to sowing seeds for future generations by reminding children of the importance of plants.

Denbigh Workshop, the performing arts charity based in Denbigh, joined a colourful line-up of artists, landscape designers, scientists and entertainers at Chester Zoo for the Wild Worlds Festival that took place from May to September.

The festival is a celebration of gardens – which people could be forgiven for forgetting about amongst the tigers and elephants at the zoo, however it is this very ‘plant blindness’ that the festival intended to bring into discussion.

The workshop tutors performed 12 times at the zoo festival with their interactive family show titled ‘Tree, Bee, Plant and Mi’, written by the workshop to illustrate the important role played by plants.

In the performance, a gardener called Mi Mi was assigned the task of repotting a rare plant in order for it to bloom, to encourage all-important pollinators like Bee – a bumblebee – to get to work and help the planet. Meanwhile, another character, Tree, used the wind to spread his seeds so that saplings could grow.

Tracy Spencer-Jones, co-founder of the workshop and former West End actor living in Denbigh, said: “It's been a real pleasure working at Chester Zoo and playing a small part in highlighting plant blindness and conservation to its visitors."

Chris Parle, who played Mi Mi, added: "It's fantastic to be performing in such stunning surroundings in ear shot of the lions who always remind us we are in their manor.”

The performances added to a chock-a-block summer for Ms Spencer-Jones, who was responsible for Denbigh Workshop's holiday youth programme that enabled more than 50 young people aged seven to 18 from Denbigh to take part in activities such as street art lessons, make-up sessions and song-writing workshops led by professional artists.

“We’ve had a great summer and thoroughly enjoyed it," she said.

The tutors held their final performances at the zoo last weekend (September 29-30).

Next week, the workshop will deliver a new project at the zoo on sustainable palm oil to primary school pupils and how, by one small change at the checkout, we can have a big impact on the destruction of rainforests and endangered species.

For more information on Denbigh Workshop and to get involved in its weekly youth theatre at Twm o'r Nant for seven to 18-year-olds, email thedenbighworkshop@gmail.com