Listening with: dusk at Bethnal Green Nature Reserve (BGNR) on Thursday 10th March 2022 was played back to BGNR one month later at 'an evening of listening' on Thursday 7th April 2022
‘Projection’ performed on 7th April 2022 - images by Ben Deakin
‘Projection’ is a participatory interspecies performance made from questions collected from humans - for plants and trees. Below is the audio documentation of the performance at Phytology: Bethnal Green Nature Reserve on the 7th April 22.
Since the spring of 2021, I have been collecting questions from different communities - ‘If you could talk to plants and trees what would you ask them?’ The collected question vary from humorous to poignant – ‘what did you have for breakfast’ or ‘do you feel welcome’.
‘Projection’ questions:
how does it feel to grow in the same spot for a life time
how did you get here
what can you teach us
are you more proud of your root system
or your foliage
who is your favourite pollinator
does it hurt when we uproot you
do you love
how do you know how to be the shape you are
what have you witnessed
do you like your neighbours
do you experience time
do you know that we use your healing powers
what do you yearn for
what is your relationship with moon, do you feel when she is full
do you prepare for death
do you sometimes feel overwhelmed
what do you think the future will bring
how do you know when you are rooted
are there things we do that you appreciate
what heals you
do you have family beyond this Earth
how did you become so resilient
do you enjoy a nice breeze
what did you have for breakfast
do you nurture your young
what is your favourite season
do you feel welcome
do you get on with the foxes
what was your first memory
please may we hear your favourite song
are you thriving
do you ever sleep
do you get bored
can you feel us touching you
tell us a secret
do you know how much we need you
what do you dream about
do you realise how unique you are
do you know that we will die
what does soil feel like, and which is your favourite
are you aware of your cultural importance to us
do you reach out to us as we pass by
can you hear us
what does it feel like to be green
how does water sound
do you exist beyond the physical
will you keep growing here
Questions provided / inspired by:
Bethnal Green Nature Reserve community (including CJ, Lauren, Michelle and Sage (the fox)) · Christopher Harrison · Colin Legge · Ed Sykes · Ellie Shipman · Frank Kelly · Graham Brittain · Hayley Harrison · Jolanta Mackenzie · Kirsty Harris · Lee Armstrong · PEER Gallery community (Antonella, Don, Evelyn, James, Maggie, Sabrina, & Voualla) · Return of the Light Group (Allysse Riordan, Becky Probert, Colin Pantall, Eileen White, Emma Yorke, Epha J. Roe, Gem Toes-Critchen, Katie Riesner, Laura de Moxom, Louise Beer, Rosa Nguyen, Sarah Douglas, Sue Walsh, & Taro Zaine) · Matthew Stock · Nick Pearson · Ronan Murphy · Sophie Leguil (founder of ‘More-than-Weeds’) · Sophie Dipity and many more.