Waking up the tree to our human imagination

As audience, we gather around a large tree. Under the tree, mirrors are scattered like small forest lakes, reflecting the tree’s branches and reminding us of the root structures beneath our feet. Surrounded by the tree’s structure, we are invited to sit on blankets among the patchwork of mirrors, looking up into the canopy of the tree. As our imagination branches out in the treetop, the tree slowly begins to awaken.  A faint soundscape of deep tones immerses us. Gradually, we discover physical movement in the tree. With animated motions, human-like beings grow out of the tree.

The bond between the tree and the human

Alive is a site-specific performance that explores the human entanglement with and relationship to the tree. As an audience, we sit together under the tree, surrounded by the roots below us and the crown above us. The majestic sculpture of the tree is brought to life in our human imagination, through vertical dancers in the tree’s canopy, ‘relational costumes’ that stretch between the tree and the dancers, and a supporting soundscape. Through these artistic approaches, Alive re-imagines site-specific performing arts in a way that situates the tree at the centre of our world.

The tree at the centre

The tree has an evolutionary and mythological place in human history. Ever since trees co-created the air that is the foundation of our lives, the tree has accompanied us. From the life-giving fire, which is said to be the beginning of the development of human culture, to the wooden instruments that formed the framework for our rites. Over the past 10,000 years, we have lost 57% of the world’s forests, and half of this loss has occurred within the last 50 years. The tree of life is diminishing, while human civilization is spreading. We are in a friction-filled relationship with the tree. Can a deeper understanding of the nature of the tree show us the way to a sustainable future? 

Alive gives the tree back its central role in the living assembly: as an actor and partner in the more-than-human world, we will rediscover the tree as a space for immersion and devotion. A place where the audience can experience cohesion with the tree and with each other.