Branching was a project developed around a particular tree found in the arboretum of the Glasgow Botanic Gardens. Spending time visiting this particular Caucasian wing-nut during August 2020, Penny developed a short screendance work and three workshops for invited participants. Key themes explored were around how to prepare to enter into a dialogue with the tree, with an emphasis on finding physical structures that may or may not be so different from our own, and that from this entry point, how we could be nourished and perceive this nourishment in ourselves. A sense of time changing, or slowly down also became evident as the practice continued and this influenced the composition and editing of the screendance work.

 

This particular tree and situ were also chosen for its proximity to people, other non-native trees, and major roads, which in post-workshop discussion facilitated questions around ecology, diversity and human responsibility.

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Branching was commissioned, produced and mentored by Vanessa Grasse

as part of The Land We Are and supported by the Arts Council England.

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