Pollinator profile: Dave Webb

Dave’s stories

He shares some 50 tales from around the world for tiny tots, older children and adults visiting Eden, including:

• The Horn of Plenty: a nonsensical tale that explains how the people of Cornwall found their homeland and why singing is such an important part of Cornish life. (Told with Jenny Crowe and Dave Saunders.)
• Professor Abercrombey and his assistant Dave: four stories set in the Eden Project rainforest about two characters whose invention of a wonder-weight-loss drink goes disastrously wrong. (Performed with Dave Saunders.)
• Puppet show ‘The Diddy Daves’: These characters have puppet-sized bodies and human-sized heads. They tell funny stories set in Eden’s Biomes about plants, people and historical events. (Performed with Dave Saunders.)
• Explanations and demonstrations of the plants in the Biomes and their stories, such as tea, coffee, chocolate, olives and cork.

He has also written stories for specific events at Eden Project, such as Tom and the Giant Burdock (Freaky Nature), The Witches’ Gold (Halloweden), and The Boy Who Was Never Frightened (Halloweden).

Dave’s songs and music

As well as writing music to enhance the visitors’ experience, Dave has written songs to enrich the telling of traditional stories such as the Ugly Duckling, The King of the Herring (a Romany tale from North Wales) and The 12 Months (a Russian folk tale).

Q and A

What are your favourite pieces that you perform at Eden?

It would be the story The Leaves That Hung but Never Grew, as told by Diana Mullis, and the music that was added that many thought took storytelling at the Eden Project to a more prominent level.

What does being a Pollinator at Eden mean to you?

Oh… it is such an amazing team at engaging and ‘reaching out’ to peoples of all ages and interest. We are encouraged to share our passions and our creativity to ‘bring alive’ the Eden message, the wondrous world of plants and people, of stories, of insects and nature through original, exciting, interactive and thought-provoking subjects and conversations.

What is your favourite thing about Eden?

I feel incredibly proud of being employed at this amazing place and love all that the Eden Project stands for. But, still, my most favourite and enjoyable thing is the look of disbelief when the visitors first get to gaze at the Biomes on the lookout balcony (outside the Visitor Centre). Even now, after all these years, I still find this sight awesome and it sets up the day for my other favourite moments, which is meeting the visitors.

Which is your favourite place in Eden?

Wild Cornwall

Describe your most memorable day at Eden...

To be honest every day is memorable at Eden, but if I have to name one that stood out, then I would go for the Africa Calling concert. What an amazing event and what an incredibly magical atmosphere was created by the sense of pride, eagerness and togetherness by everybody!