Some thoughts from Luke Brown, Artistic Director at Luke Brown Company
When we first started creating Daniel, it felt important that the process align with the project’s values. Walk of the Dandelion is all about resilience, hope, care and human connection, so we wanted to think carefully about how he was made and how the project continues to grow.
Daniel was originally built using a willow frame and recycled milk cartons, which became parts of his skin, face and hands. Since then, we’ve tried to keep reworking and repairing the original puppet rather than starting again from scratch. There’s something quite special about him carrying the project’s history with him as he evolves over time.
The dandelions we share with audiences are handmade during our community workshops and we are now moving to using organic sheep’s wool. The dandelion itself also sits at the heart of the project. Often dismissed as a weed, dandelions are actually incredibly resilient plants that nourish wildlife, support pollinators and have long been recognised for their medicinal qualities. In many ways, they mirror the themes of the work itself, finding strength, beauty and hope in difficult conditions. We hope the project gently encourages people to reconsider the dandelion and, in turn, think a little more deeply about ecology and our relationship with the natural world around us.
We’re really aware that touring outdoor work is never going to be perfectly sustainable, and we would never pretend otherwise. But we make thoughtful choices where we can. We reuse workshop materials and signage, keep printed materials to a minimum, share travel where possible and think carefully about how tours are planned and delivered.
A lot of the project is also intentionally simple. Daniel walks, meets people and creates moments of connection in public spaces without huge technical set-ups. More than anything, we see eco-conscious practice as something ongoing rather than something we’ve “achieved”. We’re still learning, still questioning, and still trying to improve the way we make and tour work.
You can meet Daniel, and take part in the drop-in family workshops, at the City Centre Day on Sat 27 June from 10.30am to 4.30pm. The Walk of the Dandelion will be at The Library Plaza at 12pm, 2pm and 4pm, with the workshops running all day.