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Wildfires (a work-in-progress) Dancers: Charlotte Katherine Smith and Philip Wainwright in Wildfires at Choreographer's Showcase 2023 |
Wildfires (a work-in-progress) is a new multi-disciplinary performance project that brings together scientific and Indigenous knowledge with stories from those who have firsthand experience of the destructive and regenerative power of fire.
“It’s an extreme emergency. Mother Nature is calling” Tom Little Bear Nason, Chief the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County
From Canada to Maui, wildfires are becoming more prevalent and more severe. Driven by climate change, drought, the expansion of urban boundaries, and misguided policies of fire suppression, wildfires blacken our skies, damage our forests and iconic trees, affect our air quality, and destroy our homes.
Native American cultures have always stressed the importance of living in balance with nature and use of controlled burns as a way to manage wildfires. But in the 18th century this practice was outlawed. Now we are realizing that this was a profound mistake. Forests are now overwhelmed with brush that ignites and spreads. Scientists and firefighters are seeking to learn about Indigenous practices.
Our creative practice begins with research on a topic. We seek experts to interview on film. Once these interviews have been collected and recorded, selected sound bites are woven in to a music mix with related visual images. Finally, the dancers explore movements that physically express the concepts covered. In this way, our artistic practice merges factual information with aesthetic elements and aims to inform and communicate in new and powerful ways.
For Wildfires, lead artist Fran Spector Atkins and media artist William Roden interviewed Tom Little Bear Nason, (Chief of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County) Jamie Tuitele-Lewis (Scientist and Fire Mitigation Specialist at the Monterey Resource Center), and Elliot Maiorana (Firefighter). Fran is also collaborating with composer Chad Hamill/čnaq'ymi (Spokane Tribe and CalArts). In addition to music composition, he serves as a guide to the culturally sensitive aspects of this project. We are working with an outstanding group of LA-based performers: Charlotte Katherine Smith, Phillip Wainright and Stephanie Mazirahi.
Fran says “It is an honor and a privilege to partner with such extraordinary cultural consultants as Tom and Chad. I am eager to learn from them about Indigenous practices and to translate what I learn into theatrical experiences for diverse audiences. This project will lift the voices of those in our community who have been silenced. It will offer new ways to address the urgent environmental problems we all face, approaches that are imbued with respect, reverence, and reciprocity.”
Wildfires will include associated engagement opportunities for audiences, especially those people who have been impacted by fire, to process their experience through a series of creative movement workshops.
Wildfires is based on a belief that movement and performance can be a ritual and spiritual tool for dealing with the eco-crisis we all face and that Indigenous ways of knowing are key to the future of humanity. Artists have a responsibility and an opportunity to weigh in and be part of the conversation on critical issues we all face. The topic of wildfires is an evocative topic with emotional power and metaphor. It is fertile territory for artistic exploration and interpretation. It is also a complex and important subject that needs to be broadly communicated.
Click here to watch Wildfires from the 2023 Choreographer's Showcase: Dance that makes a Difference.
“It’s an extreme emergency. Mother Nature is calling” Tom Little Bear Nason, Chief the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County
From Canada to Maui, wildfires are becoming more prevalent and more severe. Driven by climate change, drought, the expansion of urban boundaries, and misguided policies of fire suppression, wildfires blacken our skies, damage our forests and iconic trees, affect our air quality, and destroy our homes.
Native American cultures have always stressed the importance of living in balance with nature and use of controlled burns as a way to manage wildfires. But in the 18th century this practice was outlawed. Now we are realizing that this was a profound mistake. Forests are now overwhelmed with brush that ignites and spreads. Scientists and firefighters are seeking to learn about Indigenous practices.
Our creative practice begins with research on a topic. We seek experts to interview on film. Once these interviews have been collected and recorded, selected sound bites are woven in to a music mix with related visual images. Finally, the dancers explore movements that physically express the concepts covered. In this way, our artistic practice merges factual information with aesthetic elements and aims to inform and communicate in new and powerful ways.
For Wildfires, lead artist Fran Spector Atkins and media artist William Roden interviewed Tom Little Bear Nason, (Chief of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County) Jamie Tuitele-Lewis (Scientist and Fire Mitigation Specialist at the Monterey Resource Center), and Elliot Maiorana (Firefighter). Fran is also collaborating with composer Chad Hamill/čnaq'ymi (Spokane Tribe and CalArts). In addition to music composition, he serves as a guide to the culturally sensitive aspects of this project. We are working with an outstanding group of LA-based performers: Charlotte Katherine Smith, Phillip Wainright and Stephanie Mazirahi.
Fran says “It is an honor and a privilege to partner with such extraordinary cultural consultants as Tom and Chad. I am eager to learn from them about Indigenous practices and to translate what I learn into theatrical experiences for diverse audiences. This project will lift the voices of those in our community who have been silenced. It will offer new ways to address the urgent environmental problems we all face, approaches that are imbued with respect, reverence, and reciprocity.”
Wildfires will include associated engagement opportunities for audiences, especially those people who have been impacted by fire, to process their experience through a series of creative movement workshops.
Wildfires is based on a belief that movement and performance can be a ritual and spiritual tool for dealing with the eco-crisis we all face and that Indigenous ways of knowing are key to the future of humanity. Artists have a responsibility and an opportunity to weigh in and be part of the conversation on critical issues we all face. The topic of wildfires is an evocative topic with emotional power and metaphor. It is fertile territory for artistic exploration and interpretation. It is also a complex and important subject that needs to be broadly communicated.
Click here to watch Wildfires from the 2023 Choreographer's Showcase: Dance that makes a Difference.