Voice of the River - about

'Voice of the River' began as a creative enquiry and is inspired by the work of Dr  Masaru Emoto and Veda Austin whose incredible work has explored whether water is conscious. Whether it can hold memory and whether it can atcually communicate to us. My research informed me that our ancestors honnoured and worshipped our rivers.  They deemed them as sacred. The River was the physcal embodiment of the Goddess, a Spiritual Being. 

As a keen wild swimmer and nature lover,  I was increasingly frustrated by the continued reports of how polluted are rivers currently are, So, I decided to do something about it. To see if, through storytelling, I could help give the River a Voice. Help her communicate what messages she may have for us in these times, and whether her voice could be shared with policy makers regarding the future of our rivers. 

My vision is that one day, the River would have a seat and a voice at the table of all decision and policy makers not only in our country but all countries. It is so uplifting to hear of how some rivers around the world are beginning to acheve the status of 'Personhood' thus giving them the same legal rights as any human. So it is seems likely that one day, my vison will be our collective reality.

So, why storytelling as a medium to communicate with Rivers?

When we enter the realm or world of 'story' during a storytelling,  a space is created, a door is opened, enabling us to access a liminal state of being, allowing us to better access and 'listen' to voices beyond the usual busy mind orientated human realm. It is when we are in this state, that we have the opportunity, to really begin to hear.

The Voice of the River project, was funded by SPAN Arts and consisted of a series of community workshops along the Eastern Cleddau River, working with school children, home educated children and thier parents and the local communuity. Each workshop led particpants through a varity of exercises aimed at deepening thier connection with the river, through embodiment and the senses, and through deep listening practices. Then, I told a story. A story that had come from the river herself, and so together, we entered the story-realm, pausing mid way to engage participants and to hear the River's messages directly from their mouths.

The messages received were then weaved into the final story and performed and recorded with musical accompaniment from Justine Rees. This can be listened to in the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEDFqk4JyeM

And so, the journey continues..........

After recent Autumnal floods here in West Wales and with the onset of Winter offering the perfect time for stillness and deep listening, I have decided to continue my journey with the River. With all Rivers. To engage them in conversation and to be open to what is received and offered.

Each conversation  I will share in this blog and together we will see what emerges, what ebbs and flows and where the River takes us.