Storyteller’s journey from Gondwana to Womad stage
Imagination is at the heart of scientific discovery for celebrated storyteller Bill Morris.
“Science is often seen as a discipline of hard facts and figures, but imagination has always been key.
“You have to be able to imagine what is possible so you can push through limits, challenge the orthodoxy and make big breakthroughs,” he says.
Brimming with a passion for science the award-winning writer, documentary maker and musician has dedicated his life to sharing insights into the natural world. His quest has taken him to the subAntarctic, into the lives of monkeys in Sri Lanka and in search of the lost supercontinent, Gondwana.
His next stop is Taranaki, where he features in Womad’s OMV Steam Lab and will share insights from his muchlauded book, The Road to Gondwana.
The book whisks readers on a search tracing the journey of Gondwana itself and the steps science took to find it.
“Deep time is inherently fascinating, and Gondwana is a term we all grew up hearing in the southern hemisphere. What I’ve tried to do is take readers back to Gondwana in some way. I see imagination as a necessary tool to put you back in those vanished worlds, and crucial in the evolution of science. It was for Gondwana. It required imagination to break out of old ways of thinking and biblical time scales and understand the earth was much, much older than we could have possibly imagined.”
Since launching in 2020 the OMV Steam Lab stage has become a place of innovation and imagination. It delves into the fascinating intersection of science, technology, engineering, art and maths and in 2024 boasts palaeontologists, brewers, architectural trailblazers, professors, mathematicians and AI experts.
Womad NZ’s associate programming director Josie Hunter-Annand says the stage is a perfect fit for the
festival, which at its heart is about discovery.
“By giving a platform to our great thinkers and innovators here in Aotearoa, in a somewhat unconventional
space, such as Womad, we’re breaking down barriers and putting perhaps a new audience in front of speakers and concepts that may not otherwise intersect,” she says.
“We must be onto something, as the programme has steadily grown in popularity each year. We owe it all to the support of our sponsor OMV, and to our amazing audience, who trust us to deliver, and who show up to each festival, curious, open minded and always hungry for the opportunity to evolve.”
OMV NZ general manager Henrik Mosser says Steam Lab is a hub of curiosity and new perspectives.
“It brings together innovators, inventors and enthusiasts whilst encouraging festival-goers to explore, question and appreciate the wonderful world of steam.”
Innovation and technology are vital to the growth of global energy providers like OMV, and encouraging creative, diverse thinking is at the heart of that.
“The marrying of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics mirrors OMV’s vision to be at the forefront of energy solutions that not only meet current needs but pave the way for a sustainable and circular future. Steam plays a pivotal role in shaping the future and we are excited to bring this platform to the local community.”