Course: Storytelling and rewilding 4-12 august
Join the 9-day Storytelling and rewilding laboratory, LAB, at beautiful Opsal Gård! Together we explore biodiversity, rewilding and storytelling. How to speak or dance the more-than-human world?
Program for the course, LAB, everything has a voice. 4-12 august 2023
Presentation of the workshop-leaders
Registration
A super group of experienced storytellers, musicians and dancers lead the week. The laboratory is aimed at those under 40 to inspire young artists, activists and those concerned with biodiversity to develop sustainable ARTivism.
We also include biologists and will survey the farm in a scientific way to create authentic voices for the rich diversity of species that live and grow here at Opsal.
The laboratory will share “work in progress”, as new alliances and artistic methods are created. These performances are open to all to share the power of biodiversity and what it means to us.
Link to information about the workshop leaders.
Registration
Course Fee – Regular 2200 nok
Course Fee – Early bird 1400 nok (until the end of June)
Course Fee includes food and tent space, bring your own tent/towel aso
and it also includes access to all performances during the period
Laboratorium: Everything has a voice 04-12 august 2023
This 9 day course is dedicated to researching our relationships with the natural world. We will be mapping the biology and ecosystems of the farm. We will be tuning into our bodies – our own personal equipment for meeting the ecosystems which surround us. And then trying, humbly, to let that living nature, speak through our bodies, our voices. The course will be led by professional storytellers, dancers, musicians and biologists, all of whom have dedicated their practice to this area. We reserve places for young people who also wish to serve Biodiversity and the natural world.
Contents;
Day 1
15:00 Welcome. Meeting the other participants, dinner.
19:00 Opening performance; Voice of Nature
Performance by the workshop leaders
Day 2
Introduction
The course leaders describe the overall shape and activities during our time together, house rules and questions.
Deep Time walk with Dr. Martin Lee Mueller.
We traverse the farm, and during this 4,6 km walk Martin will lead us through the development of life on our planet from the big bang. At the same time we have our first meeting with the different ecosystems of the farm, and begin to meet the other participants.
Introduction to Rewilding with Ulf Myrvold
Ulf has worked for decades as a Nature photographer and produced an award-winning series on Rewilding for NRK (Norwegian National TV). He will give us a short overview of what this term means, how it relates to Norwegian ecology and of projects he has visited in Europe. During this session we will also get to see selections from his films.
Pond creation
We have one big practical task during our time together – to make a wildlife pond. This will be a huge gift to the biodiversity on the farm.
18:00 dinner
19:00 Malcolms Storytelling evening with Malcolm Green.
Day 3
Active body listening with Siw Myrwold
Active Body Listening is a teaching and guidance practice for personal and artistic development based on contact with nature. Siw has run courses and private lessons in connection with nature, body presence, dance, voice work and massage in Scandinavia and the USA.
Mapping with Daniel Hoeckendorffer
Every day we will be mapping aspects of the biology at Opsal. Daniel works as an Outdoor guide and has worked with mapping his local area in the Black Forest in Germany.
Lunch
Laboratorium
We divide into 3 groups,
• forest, earth and fungi
• weather, birds, insects and seeds
• Water, meadow, mammals
Diverse exercises explore ways of deepening our relationship to the different species.
Dinner
19:00 ‘Heading True North’ Performance from Daniel Hoeckendorffer and Kathinka Marcks
Day 4
Warm-up with active body listening
Mapping
Lunch
Laboratory
Dinner
19:00 LAB presents Voices of Opsal Farm, part 1 at Fredheim
We share our first explorations with a local audience at Ingeborg Refling Hagens Kulturhus, Fredheim
Day 5
Childrens day
Our residential professional storytellers share their stories and games on this open day for children. There are 3 separate storywalks for the different age groups and participants are welcome to join in.
9:00 – 11:00
Fairytales, Families and Forests
Storywalk for 3 – 6 year olds with Georgiana Keable based on her new book.
12:00 – 14:00
Show me the Forest
Storywalk for 7 – 12 year olds with Charlotte, based on her popular walks with children funded by DKS.
15:00 – 18:00
Dreaming the earth
Storywalk for 13 to 18 year olds with Malcolm Green and Kathinka Marcks
18:30 dinner
19:30 Pond work continues
Day 6
Warm-up with active body listening
Mapping
Lunch
Laboratory
Dinner
19:00 LAB presents; Voices of Opsal Farm part 2 at Børsen Kulturhus
Lab shares a performance at Børsen Kulturhus in Tangen with local musicians Guro Skumsnes Moe og Håvard Skaset, founders of Børsen Kulturhuset.
Day 7
Warm-up with active body listening
Mapping
Lunch
Lab final rehearsals
Pond work
Dinner
Day 8
Biodiversity and storytelling, a whole day experience 10:00 – 20:00
This is a day on the farm where we will be sharing the work we have done in the Lab at three separate performances at different places on the farm. Other practitioners will be joining us, among them Mari Jerstad will offer a herb walk and Simon Eide will share his graphic novel on Degrowth and Trond Vedum will talk about local wetlands.
Day 9
Past – present – future
This last day for participants only will be a relaxing day to evaluate our time here, consolidate any contacts we have made and share our directions forward
Pond work final session.
Departure
Practical information
Address (googlemap) 1 seconds Fylkesvei 226 Tangen
LAB is a part of Voices of Opsal Farm Festival, Festival program
Photo Ulf Myrvold