Last night there was a community dinner, and afterwords I facilitated a listening intensive meditation and walk here at the Soil Factory. It was so much fun. I should have taken more pictures of the dinner, but I at least have a picture of the fire in the pizza oven.
The community here is really spectacular and quite special. The Soil Factory has a focus on community development between artists and scientists, working together to further research and art in a collaborative and engaging environment. It was no surprise that there were quite a few artists and scientists present for the dinner and sound walk event afterwards, and it was a real treat to get to speak to everyone and get to know them better.
After dinner, we sat out in the field and meditated together for a little bit, and then we walked independently around the grounds, mostly in the areas that I have been focusing on in my daily treks around the fields. It was very fun to see people gathering and listening. I didn’t want to be too intrusive with my photos for the event, but this might give you something of an idea of how the listening session went:
I should have taken more photos, for sure, but it was such a beautiful night it was hard to not just focus on listening to the soundscape and enjoy the ritual of collective listening.
As I am approaching the end of my residency here, I am left thinking of so many things. First and foremost, the community they have built here at The Soil Factory is unique and truly special. Over the last two weeks, there have been several workshops (Make Mends Meet, a Zine making day, Interviewing Your Loved Ones), and they have each offered really great spaces for people to make art, to talk about their work, to talk about the environment, and to learn. To be in a space where people are genuinely interested in being kind, fostering growth and creating something new, and to experiment is really something else. I’ve learned a lot, not just how to work with cynaotypes! I think that more than any craft I have focused on, I have seen how communities can thrive, and it was so great to see how much genuine mutual respect and care everyone here has for each other, and for community engagement overall. I know last night there were a lot of people who had only been to the Soil Factory a small number of times, but the fact that they came back, stayed for the full event, and want to return for future events, speaks volumes for the work being done here.
My last day will be filled with administrative tasks and cleaning. It’s been such a great place to work, and I would even say that this place taught me so much in a short time. I’ve really enjoyed my time here, and am so thankful that I was able to do this.
