A series of workshops, discussions and participatory performances held in a large wild garden on the outskirts of Berlin and an invitation to engage emotionally, sensorially and imaginatively with the urgent issues of our time. Based on the conviction that systemic, ecological and inner transformation are inextricably linked, these practices are offered as a contribution to more-than-human future flourishing. The project presents artistic interpretations of the four phases of “The Work That Reconnects” developed by deep ecologist and elder Joanna Macy:

HONOURING OUR PAIN FOR THE WORLD: Many of us live with chronic cognitive dissonance caused by layering business-as-usual (BAU) with feelings of overwhelm and despair about the state of the world. Facing these difficult emotions collectively enables us to experience shared vulnerability and is social, political and enlivening. On 02.09 Siegmar Zacharias will work with the healing plant Solidalgo canadensis in her workshop and Listening Session, offering a container for collective grieving. On 0 8.09 Burkhard Körner & Rika Weniger perform their theatre piece Wie macht man gute Kunst für Ostdeutsche? (How to make good art for East Germans?) based on (his)stories both unheard and unbelievable from the GDR – and invite the audience to share their own.

SEEING WITH NEW EYES: Centuries-old colonial structures of domination based on othering “nature” have resulted in a culture of un-care and species loneliness. Opening to an ecological self expands our sense of kinship and enables a shift from power over to power with. On 16.09. the theatre collective Club Real hosts a lively debate asking: What happens in a garden when other-than-human species are suddenly given a voice that shifts their status from subjects to citizens? On 23.09, artist and soil researcher Alex Toland holds a Fluxus-inspired workshop for making kin with stones and soil.

RADICAL GRATITUDE is a practice of resistance against a dysfunctional culture of toxic individuality and industrially produced desire. It is a catalyst for solidarity, generosity, a source of nourishment in challenging times and generates a profound sense of sufficiency in reciprocal relation with people and planet. On 01.10, harvest festival, artists Ella Ziegler & Lucy Powell will hold a daylong workshop on rites of gratitude, culminating in a garden feast.

MOVING FORTH: Process thinking and the transformative power of co-intelligence and group creativity can be harnessed to bypass restrictive narratives and develop visions of how to contribute to liveable worlds. In a campfire dreaming session, Sofia New and Dan Belasco-Rogers of plan b will guide participants into a collective future imaginary beyond the eminent damage to this world. What does waking up and stepping into this greener new world feel like, sound like, smell like?

ROOTS IN THE RUINS is curated by Lucy Powell