The Smalls

The Smalls is a fun, fascinating, interactive arts experience for small people and their grown-ups, merging dance, poetry, science, storytelling and song. Join us as we wriggle through a journey into a teaspoon of topsoil, bringing the weird and wonderful world of soil animals to life. 

A teaspoon of soil contains up to 6 billion microorganisms - many not much larger than a grain of sand - and they helped to create the first soils nearly 500 million years ago. The Smalls tells the untold story of this unassuming and often overlooked ecosystem, igniting a passion for the magical microworld beneath our feet. 

Many soil animals are tinier than termites and weeny-er than worms, yet the future of our soil and our food depends on them. In an era of climate crisis, it’s time to look down, deeper, and get ready to defend The Smalls. We invite you to become soil supporters, creature campaigners, dirt defenders! 

Get ready to be entertained, educated, inspired - and to become part of the experience, discovering strange creatures and magical microorganisms through this whimsical and delightful participatory performance.

This trailer documents The Smalls' initial research and development residency and was filmed at The Place, London in August 2024.

Commissioned by The Place. Supported by Evolving Forests and Research England’s Higher Education Innovation Fund.

Choreographer: Izzy Brittain

Entomologist: Andy Murray

Musician: Otis Jones

Performers: Kate Cox & Bakani Pickup

Videographer: Alice Carfrae