Seeds

Seeds is a bold new podcast series based on the incredible true story of the world’s first seed bank. Established in St Petersburg in 1921 by Nikolai Vavilov, it contained vital samples of crops and plants from all over the world to guard against famine and preserve the future of biodiversity. During the terrible siege of the city during the second world war, the scientists protected the edible samples from rats, a starving population, and from each other. The story is told in two timelines, one set during the siege itself, and the second set today, as the Coronavirus pandemic takes hold of the city. The timelines weave together to examine our ability to sacrifice our present to preserve our future, and how we remember our past to makes sense of who we have become. The podcast series has been adapted from a stage play which was in development before the pandemic, so while theatres remain dark each episode will be released in partnership with venues and organisations from across the UK, in the form of a 'digital tour'.