All Porpoise Actions
Find action designs in the Waves however there are more beautiful actions to showcase!
- Songsheet
- Poo Themed actions!
- Dirty Water Scrubbers
- Make a mock Newspaper
- Make a Fishhead or Fish Mask
- Dirty Water Coolers and Mock Sewage Pipes
- Face-in-the-Hole boards
- Dirty Water Crime Scene
- Making Art with Withy
Songsheet
PDF version for downloading and printing here.
With thanks to Suffolk, whose MP is Therese Coffey, but you can insert your own/relevant MP surname/water authority/organisation…
To the tune of ‘My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean’
(soundcloud link here)
The sewage flows into the river,
The sewage flows into the sea
The sewage flows into the [Deben] [insert own river name here, or just use word 'ocean']
And the blame lies with Therese Covey
Bring back, bring back, oh bring back clean rivers and seas and seas,
Bring back, bring back, oh bring back clean rivers and seas.
The runoffs as bad as the sewage,
With pesticides killing off bees.
They kill off aquatic invertebrates,
And the blame lies with Therese Coffey.
Bring back, bring back, oh bring back clean rivers and seas and seas,
Bring back, bring back, oh bring back clean rivers and seas.
To the tune of ‘Hi Ho Silver Lining’
(soundcloud link here)
By the rivers all around the country
You should hold your breath
If you ever dare try to swim there
You are risking death
In the streams that feed the rivers
You can count the turds
As our sewage is no longer filtered
While MPs ignore our words
Chorus:
And at high tide I feel like crying
As all around our coast
We see aquatic life is dead & dying
And so we make this fuss
Because it’s obvious
The Tories voted for pollution
In a solid block
But come the next election
They could get a shock
Coffey, Hunt & Poulter,
Churchill, Aldous too (Insert own MPs here)
Suffolks Conservative MPs,
All voted for more poo!
Chorus:
And at high tide I feel like crying
As all around our coast
We see the scummy crud & crap a-rising
And so we make this fuss
Because it’s obvious
Repeat 1st Chorus
Chords for guitars/ukes:
Intro: G G
Verses:G G C C F C G D x 2
Chorus: G G7 C D G G7 C DC G G
For more climate related songs check out the Music and Performance pages here.
Poo Themed actions!
Poo Pouring 
A short video of a poo-pouring action from Wave 1.
Rogers Poo Recipe!
- Make some porridge, as you would for breakfast but thinner and more watery.
- Then thickened it up by adding white flour (in cold water) and boiling again till the right consistency achieved. Needs to run slowly down a vertical surface.
- Then add torn bits of kitchen paper and stir in some water-based brown paint.
- There is plenty of scope for variations!!
This action idea could also be a centerpiece for a larger event.
Recce and rehearsal
Practice your pouring ceremony beforehand to be sure it goes right. Most targets will be vertical so practice pouring onto a vertical surface. Use a receptacle such as a squishy plastic bottle to pour from.
Survey the Pouring target beforehand to plan your theatrics, and also to be sure it will cause no lasting damage.
Important Warning - be aware that Poo Pouring on a permeable surface, such as stone, could cause long lasting stains, impossible to clean off on the day. Avoid permeable surfaces due to the possibility of inadvertently causing ‘criminal damage’!
Clean up!
It is vital to clean up after your point has been made if you want to avoid any charge of criminal damage!
Bring water and cloths to clean up, and place a piece of carpet beneath the target to catch drippage.
Poo Party
River Creatures Party by Taunton's River Tone but Raw Sewage in the Water turns it into a Poo Party
(Youtube 3 mins)
Brief Action Plan for Sharing
Location - busy park, Saturday morning, polluted River Tone in background.
Props and Costumes - long table so we can all sit behind, in shot. Tablecloth smeared in sewage with banner "Stop the Poo-lution" and "crockery" which is bits of old plastic taken from the river plus "Crisis, What Crisis?" tea-pot.
Guests are wearing animal heads and human colourful clothing to match their creature.
Also at the party are citizen scientists in hazmat suits (under a fiver at builders merchants) with clip boards, testing the river water in jugs on table, which animals are drinking.
Soundtrack
Swimming In It by Beans on Toast
(Youtube 5 mins) - perfect length and really added something.
Whilst it's playing - creatures dance around table, drink lots of river water, eat turd and poo cakes and gradually all die. Citizen scientists express angst and grief. Final scene is a tableau of dead creatures, debris and banners.
Dirty Water Scrubbers
This style theatrical action idea was developed for dirty banks.
Your local issue around water pollution may have a target suitable for a visit from Dirty Water Scrubbers, maybe with the addition of water pollution themed props.
Here's the basics
Dirty Scrubbers outfit. (All genders):
Plain leggings and tops, headscarf, curlers, heavy makeup, rubber gloves, filter tipped cigarettes!
Props: cleaning equipment, ideally colourful- if there’s a choice then green gold or leopard print!
If you want the full monty with scripts and useful links for resources
Make a mock Newspaper
Here are some design ideas for newspapers for an action, we printed them off and glued them to large folded white card to look like a broadsheet.
Examples from the Dirty Water Campaign
Note these images have been generated from the PDF files and reduced in quality to display in Rebel Toolkit
Make a Fishhead or Fish Mask
From quick and easy to more complex, make a Fishhead or Fish Mask!
How to make a Fishhead
You will need:
- Cardboard [boxes - pizza boxes will do - not too thick]
- String or something to measure around your head
- Scissors or a craft knife / scalpel [and cutting board if using a knife]
- Pencil and marker pen
- Stapler [long one if possible]
- Masking tape
- Pliers [not essential]
- Newspaper or something to cover the table / floor as protection
- Chalk spray paint
- Chalk paint markers
You can buy chalk spray paint from Suspectpackage and at the time of buying they were cheaper than Graff. Chalk paint markers can be bought from a variety of places including both outlets above.
How to make a Fish Mask
Designed by Steve Wintercroft
This mask can be built by simply taping the edges together or using the tabs to glue the edges together.
Dirty Water Coolers and Mock Sewage Pipes
More creative ideas for marches or vigils against polluting water companies. Fairly simple to assemble and great props for a wider street theatre idea.
Dirty Water Cooler
Look for a second hand water dispenser on eBay or Gumtree. Fill it with a murky non-toxic liquid and add a very visible company logo. Then offer employees and onlookers a taste of the finest sewage-laced beverage, courtesy of the target water company.
Mock Sewage Pipe
This may require a trip to your local arts & crafts store (or re-cycle one of those hand-chain-tubes). Create some paper & fabric effluent, add a company logo and a shut-off valve for some more effect. Ideally a 'company executive' joins the installation for regular spewing of creative sewage.
Face-in-the-Hole boards
These have been super popular at actions based around beaches and leisure swimming spots.
Lots of people are worried about swimming in the sea and rivers now (and with very good reason)! This light hearted addition to the action will catch people's attention and get them primed for a conversation with you.
Dirty Water Crime Scene
Find instructions for creating your own Dirty Water Crime Scene here.
Making Art with Withy
