Happy New Year to all those near and far! I hope you are faring well, wherever you may be, riding the rough or smooth waves of the shift between the years.
News of a new offering in the physical space in Berlin – RE.MEMBERING - an ongoing monthly workshop and a practice of refuge. Read on for more.…
With a wave from a suddenly sunny Berlin! May this year to come be one of many moments of rough, relieving sunshine, of ongoing rebalancing, of deep nourishment and of being surrounded by kin.
Cat
RE.MEMBERING
Listen to the text below here:
“I think our job is ... to cultivate with each other in every way imaginable epochs to come that can replenish refuge.”
– Donna Haraway
I’ve been thinking a lot about refuge recently, refugia – places, my Chambers pocket dictionary tells me, that offer shelter and protection.
But I’d go further than that – places that offer respite, re-cuperation, re-balancing, re-membering.
Places to let things slake off, slip off.
Places to let things compost and release energy and new possibilities.
Places to be with – others, Others, my own others, myself.
Places to share, to speak, to listen.
Places to go out from re-freshed. Places to come back to.
I have a place of refuge in Tiergarten, a little bank by the side of the path that takes me down to the water’s edge. Across from me a dead, fallen tree teeming with lichen and moss and the favourite perch of Kingfisher. A regular spot for Heron. A sometimes sun-spot for Terrapin. I go there for a moment of refuge, to be taken into the arms of the park and its critters, its beings. To slip out of clock time and into kairos, now-time, kingfisher-over-water time. I always come back refreshed.
Every time I step into a studio space and have a part in holding it, when I’m facilitating, dramaturg-ing, I try to imagine we’re building a space of refuge, for our creativities to slip down to the water’s edge. For us to take a breather from the onslaught of a world that is often demanding we survive, rather than inviting us to be and create. For us to re-member ourselves as whole human animals: a collection of body, breath, voice, imagination, mind, memories, stories, ancestors – in various states of connection and disconnection, pulling away from each other or leaning in together, our parts all jostling and speaking and shouting over and negotiating with each other. A space for us to re-member our connection with the other parts outside of us – human and not, those who are Other to us, those who are kin-in-becoming.
My ongoing co-conspirator and partner, Gaga Teacher, Choreographer, Dancer Adi Weinberg and I have been circling around this for some time and so here comes the next iteration of that in the world. Over the next few months we’re piloting a monthly space for us to meet each other in this messy re-membering. Part refuge, part hedge-school, part banqueting hall: a place for creators from all disciplines – performers, dancers, writers, visual artists, musicians, martial artists, storytellers, dramaturgs, directors, composers, animators etc etc etc – to come together to train and play. To meet to keep practicing coming home to ourselves as a whole human animal – to our whole body, in all of our entirety. To keep coming back to open that space for ourselves and to witness and keep it open for each other.
Each month we’ll be offering a workshop, a day of coming together, starting with a 3-hour guided session from Adi and I (drawing on the languages of Gaga, movement research, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, breath exploration, voice exploration, meditation and reflective conversation). We’ll bring exercises, themes and questions that are moving through us now, that are part of our research. After this there’ll be a break to eat together, talk together, share and question and reflect. Following this there’ll be an open studio space for those who wish to keep moving, practicing, exploring, resting. Where you can keep the conversation going with each other, where you can spend some time for yourself. Adi and I will be on hand for any questions that may have come up. You can come just for the 3-hour training or stay for part of or the whole day.
It’s our deep pleasure to send this invitation to all those who are in reach of Berlin, to join us for our RE.MEMBERING workshops. Our first is next Sunday 22nd January and the following is Sunday 19th February. Both start at 10:00 at Dock11 in Kastanienalle. You can find all the details in the link. And we’ll be releasing more dates in a new venue very soon so watch this space...
We’d love to see you there and we’d love to hear more of what you need and wish for as creators in such a space.
Adi and Cat
THE DETAILS…
Dates:
Sunday 22nd January 2023
Sunday 19th February 2023
Times:
09:30 – space is open, please arrive by 09:50
10:00 – 13:00 – guided workshop with Adi and Cat
13:00 – 14:30 – lunch and chat for those who would like to stay.
Bring your own packed lunch and some tea/coffee with you. There are also plenty of options for getting food near the studio. We will provide some fruit, cake etc.
14:30 – 17:00 – the space is available for whoever wishes to stay, to move, practice, stretch, continue conversations etc.. Adi and Cat will also be available in the space if you have any questions about material from the session, exercises etc..
Venue:
Dock11 (Saal 1)
Kastanienallee 79, 10435 Berlin
Tram lines/stop: M1 + 12 - Schwedter Strasse
U-Bahn: U2 Eberswalder Strasse or U8 Rosenthaler Platz
Costs:
We want to keep the workshops accessible, while covering our own costs. Choose from three options for each workshop, according to what feels best to you.
35€ | 40€ | 45€
Spaces are limited – please book your spot in advance here:
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/catgerrard/832656
For more information about Adi and Cat:
www.adiweinberg.com |www.catgerrard.com
* If you feel unwell and have any COVID symptoms on the day of the workshop, please stay at home and let us know via email. Since we’ll be working in contact with each other, we just please ask that we stay sensitive and look after each other.