THE FUTURE (Sixes and Sevens) (2023) offers a poignant exploration of the future through the eyes of primary school children. The six and seven-year-olds candidly share their hopes, fears, and visions for the future.
The film’s title refers to the idiom ‘at sixes and sevens’, meaning confusion and disarray, while drawing inspiration from the 1964 documentary Seven Up!, which similarly captured the perspectives of seven-year-olds on their futures.
Presented across two screens in a form of interactive dialogue, prompt questions elicit a range of striking responses, ranging from the humorous to profoundly insightful. An aspiring Nobel prize winner plans to work with quantum gravity, while another wants to be a florist or gardener because “…I love plants and nature…because plants make us oxygen, or else we wouldn’t be able to breathe.”
Parker’s multidisciplinary approach addresses pressing social and political issues of our time. THE FUTURE (Sixes and Sevens) reflects Parker’s commitment to amplifying voices often overlooked, particularly those of young generations facing an uncertain future in light of looming environmental challenges.
Misha Curson, Edens senior arts curator, said: “It’s a huge honour to work with Cornelia and to host this film in our Core Gallery. The film contributes perfectly to Eden’s mission to inspire positive action for the planet. The planetary emergency is a human issue; it affects different people in different ways. Listening to and platforming children's voices, imaginations, hopes and fears is critical. We hold their future in our hands.
“As part of our associated engagement programme, we will create opportunities with our young audiences to inspire creativity, to give them a voice and a sense of agency.”
Parker was born in Cheshire in 1956. With a career spanning three decades, she has garnered international acclaim through major commissions and solo exhibitions, including being elected to the Royal Academy of Arts, receiving an OBE and CBE and being named Apollo Awards Artist of the Year in 2016. Her works are featured in prestigious public and private collections globally.
Parker said: “I am delighted to be able to show my film THE FUTURE (Sixes and Sevens) at the Eden Project. It is a perfect context, as it is all about preserving and understanding the flora of our planet. The future of humanity and all living things is in jeopardy.
“The film is a shout out from six- and seven-years-old, prompting adults to ensure that they have a future to look forward to, and to act now on their behalf.”
The exhibition opens to the public on Friday, May 24 and will run through to November with a series of supporting workshops and engagement activities – further details to be announced soon. Admission is included within general Eden admission.
For more information and to book tickets, visit www.edenproject.com.
