The Ecoscenography Reading Group is a new virtual platform for theatre makers (and friends!) who are interested in exploring a variety of articles, books, plays and stories that forefront ecological ways of knowing. The Reading Group events aim to take place once every couple of months, with each session focusing on a specific text (or series of texts) and featuring special guests to help generate dialogue for broader discussion. The event has been instigated as part of Ecoscenography’s engagement with the new PQ knowledge exchange platform. Reading Group events are an informal gathering of like-minded people.
Winter/Summer 2023 (Non-Fiction) — Thursday 2nd February (8pm Montreal, Canada time)/Friday 3rd February (11am Brisbane, Australia time)
Online Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7409432601
Blurb: As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these two lenses of knowledge together to take us on “a journey that is every bit as mythic as it is scientific, as sacred as it is historical, as clever as it is wise” (Elizabeth Gilbert).
Drawing on her life as an indigenous scientist, a mother, and a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living beings-asters and goldenrod, strawberries and squash, salamanders, algae, and sweetgrass-offer us gifts and lessons, even if we’ve forgotten how to hear their voices. In a rich braid of reflections that range from the creation of Turtle Island to the forces that threaten its flourishing today, she circles toward a central argument: that the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings will we be capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learn to give our own gifts in return.
In our first reading group session of 2023, we have invited young Tongva and Mescalero artist-activist GiGi Buddie to join our discussion on First Nations perspectives through Robin’s incredible book. This session will focus on Indigenous knowledge systems and its intersection with ecological thinking and Ecoscenography. Everyone is welcome to attend this event even if you have not yet read the book.
About GiGi: GiGi is a senior at Pomona College in Claremont, CA, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in theatre performance and a certificate of study in environmental analysis. As a young American Indian artist and woman (Tongva and Mescalero), she creates and contributes to art that uplifts marginalized voices, and shares stories of creation, resilience, and beauty from frontline communities. Her professional aspirations lie at the intersection of art and climate justice — GiGi hopes to build a platform that celebrates her cultures, her activism, and her passion for sharing art. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NEflkTLnWI
Information about previous sessions listed below:
Seasonal Book Club: Click here for Ecoscenography Reading Group Series 2022
READING GROUP SERIES 2021
Our first three Ecoscenography Reading Group events took place in partnership with The Centre for Sustainable Practice in the Arts (CSPA) and The Arctic Cycle’s Climate Change Theatre Action project (CCTA) in collaboration with World Stage Design 2022 (WSD2022), Triga Creative (Triga), Griffith University (Australia), Queensland University of Technology (Australia) and York University (Canada). These events explored Eco-theatre and Ecoscenography through a discussion of six selected CCTA plays by a diversity of playwrights across the globe.
The sessions were hosted by Queensland University of Technology and curated by QUT student Monique Roy, with the aim of integrating live and virtual performance readings and discussion. The information about our upcoming events is listed below. We can’t wait to have you join us for these exciting conversations!
Past CCTA Reading Group Event Recordings:
ecoscenography.com 