Date: 13th of March
Time: 09.00 – 11.00 CET
Sign up at vitenparken.no
The European project ‘relating forest’, a collaboration between TheatreFragile (GER), Cultures Eco Actives (FRA) and Norwegian BioArt Arena, NOBA (NOR), addresses the urgent need to rethink our relationship with nature in order to tackle the climate crisis and the loss of biodiversity. On March 13th and 8th of April the consortium invites you to listen to exciting lectures on the functional principles of myths, the relationship between man and nature and the importance of mask rituals in Europe.
During our two online seminars, Theatre scientist Catherin Persing, photographer Yannick Cormier and professor in Sámi literature Harald Gaski will offer inspiring insights into how myths work, how people relate to nature and discuss the significance of mask rituals in Europe. The aim of these seminars is to develop a deeper understanding of the role of myths and rituals in our relationship with nature. We want to explore how these elements can be used to raise awareness of sustainable development and stimulate a shift in our thinking.
The online event is aimed at artists, cultural practitioners, environmental organisations and anyone interested in sustainability, art and nature.
Schedule:
09:00 – 09:30 Introduction to the project ‘relating forests’
09:30 – 10:15 Lecture ‘Myth and Nature: The Forest in German Cultural Imagination by Catherin Persing
10:15 – 10:45 Q&A
10:45 – 11:00 Conclusion and announcement of next seminar
About the lecture:
Myths shape our understanding of the world, but what dynamics drive them, and to what ends? This lecture explores their functions by outlining key theories of myth while also addressing their ideological and political dimensions, particularly in German history during the 20th century.
A central focus will be the relationship between myth and nature, especially the ways in which myths construct and convey certain concepts of the natural world. The forest has long been a powerful and ambivalent projection screen for German mythology, extending beyond the Romantic period. The lecture explores the image of the forest, the idea of the Germans as a “forest people,” and the symbolic weight of the Teutoburg Forest in national narratives.
Finally, the discussion will consider how myths can be critically deconstructed and reinterpreted to foster new, reflective engagements with nature.
About Catherin Persing
Catherin Persing is a theatre and literary scholar at Ruhr-University Bochum. Her research lies at the intersection of performance studies and the environmental humanities, with a particular focus on figurations and dramaturgies of the more-than-human. Her work is informed by ecocriticism, indigenous studies, and the growing field of plant studies. Currently she explores alternative perceptions of nature, landscape and non-human entities in the context of evolving human-environment relationships. In her dissertation project, ‘Performing Plants: From the Anthropocene to Scenes of the More-than-Human’, she examines how artistic and activist practices that deeply engage with plants are transformed regarding dramaturgies, narratives, and transspecies relations.
About Relating Forests
With an emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration, the project focuses on re-imagining the relationship between nature and culture through the exploration of imagination, European mythologies and rituals. The 16-month project involves three institutions committed to sustainable development and four artists specialising in storytelling, mask theatre and sound work. The approach aims to stimulate a critical view of the relationship between people, nature and landscape, and to create innovative artistic offerings that engage emotionally and intellectually.
The project includes an artistic exchange with theoretical input and a focus on participatory methodology, as well as three workshops in France, Germany and Norway with aesthetic explorations in the forest and exchanges with experts, artists, educators and young people from the region.
‘relating forests’ is supported by Creative Europe.
