The Trees in us
experiences for adults, children and trees
Am I a tree or a human? Mmmmmmaybe a bit of both?
6 hand and very colourful drawings depicting creatures partly humans partly trees hanged with a wooden peg on a string agains a red brick wall. Photos by David Beecroft Frtaz Festival - Berlin 2024
The trees in us is a journey of imagination, curiosity, and care, giving time and space for sharing stories, dances, creative play and discover new creatures (part human, part trees) that show us our interconnectedness with nature.
Part workshop and part performance the trees in us is an intergenerational experience, participatory and site specific and very much led by the participants within a carefully crafted framework tailored to the location and the context in which it is presented. It brings people from different walks of lives together, in a shared space that desire to foster reciprocity, equality and the importance of each individual experiences.
Once a location is chosen, a lot of research goes into to understand the significance of the trees within the local community, within the indigenous tradition, existing myths and stories. The trees in us open a dialogue with trees and wishes to foster hope and agency through creating meaningful experiences with specific trees, so that the next time you see those trees there is a direct relationship of care. The aim is to move away from a generic idea of 'Nature' and towards embodied experiences that create real and tangible experiences that can become an anchor in time and place.
The Trees in Us wish to offer a space capable of holding challenging feelings around ecological grief, sustainability, hopelessness, and despair, while offering embodied and artistic approaches to find an inner connection to place (the world around us) —which is paramount to developing a sense of belonging and trust in the regenerative power inherent to life.
Hey tree….. do you ever feel lonely?
Hey tree… can you hear my voice? Can you feel my skin? Can you smell me?
From the Kunst un Klima Festival - Potsdam - Germany 2024
Who is it for:
Children (4+) with their families and adults without children.
Kindergarten & daycare groups.
Adults.
What we will do:
Storytelling through movement - how does my favourite tree move?
Sensory explorations through touch, smell, listening, observing through mirrors, other reflective objects and magnifying lenses.
Embody what we feel have in common with trees and what we don’t (things like running around and jumping and rolling).
Explore ways to establish conversation with a tree and give gifts.
Create new creatures through the game of Cadavre Exquis (Exquisite Corpse).
Bring to life the part-human/part-tree creatures we have created, and imagine what a better future might look like.
Temporary tattoos as promise to the elected tree.
Duration:
Adaptable to be between 40 minutes to 2 hours.
Hey tree……. do you have a heart? Bones? Blood?
Do you have a message for me? Please?
In a Botanic garden. A child leaning her head and hands onto a tree as to listen looking down in front so her face is visible and part of the body of an adult leaning on the same tree on the opposite side back facing. Photo by Dianne Reid
Can we share our deepest secrets, dreams and concerns with trees? Have you ever wondered if trees hold secret messages for each of us?
Have you ever eaten an apple seed and wondered if a tree would grow in your belly?
If you could be a tree, what tree would you want to be?
Photos by Dianne Reid - From the Nature Festival 2023 - supported by the Botanic Gardens in the city, Mt Lofty and Wittunga.
Iterations:
Fratz Festival - Berlin 2024
Kunst un Klima Festival - Potsdam Germany 2024
Nature Festival SA - Botanic Gardens 2023
Tanztage - Potsdam - Germany 2023
Further possibilities…….
Trees in us is in constant growth and evolves according to the places it goes to and the people that make it. In a festival context for example, an installation space running during the festival period can allow for the exhibition of all the Cadavre Exquis (Exquisite Corpse) drawings (I already have 50) and the collection of stories from previous participants. This could be a relaxing facilitated space, where people can lie down, listen, watch, engage in interactive activities using magnifying glass on skin and leaves, partner with others and play Cadavre Exquis, look through books about trees, finding the creature they love the most etc …
The closer we look in, the more the universe reveals itself. The smallest unit of matter reflects the universe, the stars. How can we remember that?
I am currently working on a series of films where I bring the human body close to leaves, wood, bark, mushrooms and natural elements. Also I am collecting footage of trees from all over the world. All these elements could add incredibly powerful imagery for an installation space. Click HERE for some examples.
Photos by David Beecroft - Artist Talk - Fratz Festival - Berlin 2024
Meeting with other makers and practitioners is fundamental for our growth and for the art form itself. As a practitioner I treasure opportunities of sharing and talking about my work and the philosophies I am inspired by. The trees in us is very much inspired by the teaching I have received over a lifetime of traveling the world and learning from other cultures, walking for days through different landscapes, reading lots of nature writing books, working with babies and children through the lenses of attachment and trauma, dealing with mental health challenges, developmental studies, environmental somatics, eco-somatics and my artistic curiosity.