Our aims and vision for Sing For Earth series and event:

 A creative collaboration of Special Guests contributing to weekly sessions,
culminating in an on line Earth Day celebration.

-To bring people together for a series of engaging, creative and supportive
online sessions held by a team of experienced facilitators.
- To share and teach a variety of energising, calming, connecting and uplifting
nature based songs, mindfulness and movement practices.
- To appreciate, celebrate and honour the beauty and inter dependency with the natural world by marking Earth Day together with others.
- For our online series and events to help enhance well being and support our
chosen environmental initiatives.
- To strengthen a sense of community connection with practices to help resource people
during times of isolation, loss, uncertainty and stress.
-To provide an opportunity to participate in a large scale online creative event,
to hold small local gatherings ( if possible on Earth Day) and support environmental action.
-For the process to actively strengthen gratitude practices with the acknowledgment of the current challenges we are facing collectively.
-To help resource individuals and communities to practice cultivating joyful,
embodied resilience for co liberation change making. 
- To learn and practice songs, creative activities and mindfulness practices and actively
participating in  something positive.
-To support the seeding out of The Earth Protector Communities - a sister charity initiative
supporting The Stop Ecocide Campaign.
-To draw wisdom and guidance  from Joanna Macy’s work; The Work That Reconnects.

"Perhaps we have been speaking the wrong language, seeking a change of mind when really what we need is a change of heart."
Charles Eisenstein- Creating a New Story


Why singing, movement and nature tending?

Singing together helps to strengthen communities as it is essentially a bonding activity due to us releasing significant
amounts of oxytocin (our bonding hormone) when we sing and move together.
Using movement with song helps us to access the wisdom of our bodies and to relax and release tension stored in the body.
We know through neuro science research and trauma informed practice how
effective song, breath, embodiment and movement can help to assist the healing and recovery of traumatic experiences.
Song and embodiment practices help co regulate our whole nervous system
and calm the vagus nerve. 
Movement dance and embodied practices release endorphins (our feel good hormone) - we feel better when we move and sing!
Process oriented singing provides a channel for expressing a whole range of emotions
and can help to relieve stress, anxiety, cultivate unity, lift our mood and strengthen resilience.

- Why now?
 
During the Covid Pandemic song, dance, music and nature connection have
been vital for many of us.
Helping to maintain and sustain our well being through these incredibly turbulent, stressful and challenging times.
Those of us who work in leading groups in song, movement and music making can see what powerful and effective practices they are. Helping to enhance and nurture connection, supporting well being, and healthn in times of adversity.
 
Due to the Climate Change crisis and the information shared in the IPCC report in
Autumn 2018  we know that radical change needs to happen.
Many of us feel the deep call to engage with environmental action and restoration both locally, Nationally and Internationally.
So, we are once again supporting environmental initiatives.

Song, music and dance in change making: 

Singing and music are often used in any change making process for uniting people and communicating
powerful messages of vision, change, justice, healing and transformation. 
Most successful movements which have  taken place throughout history have used songs and music as an
​ effective way to communicate and unite people.

We have experienced, through holding our gatherings, that when people come together in these ways
and co create a 'healing field of loving intention' through song, music and dance in nature- everyone benefits.
We also sense we are tonifying and activating a strong connection with nature
between all of us involved - like 'acupuncture points' being felt across the Count
Nature connection and simple ritual can help us to connect with the great web of life-  the more than human world,
bigger than ourselves. This can help nourish and guide us, bringing us into a deeper sense of connection into
our daily lives.
We are grateful to be able to use The Work That Reconnects - a vast and brilliant body of work gifted to the world by
Joanna Macy- this sits at the beating heart of this initiative and has informed our Grief and Gratitude theme of 2020.

Background:
The idea for this initiative came to Liz a few years ago in a visioning meeting in Stroud with
Clare Dubois ( founder of Tree Sisters),
Polly Higgins ( Ecocide Lawyer and co founder of The Stop Ecocide Campaign)
and Gail Bradbrook ( co founder of Extinction Rebellion).

The vision was of people gathering  to participate in a creative nature tending process infusing
The Work That Reconnects spiral practices with song, music, movement and nature based practices.
  
For events to take place outdoors in nature on Earth Day. 

What do we receive and give? 

This process can enhance and strengthen our sense of interconnectedness with life.
The creative and mindful practices we share can help to  foster a deep sense of belonging to life.
Of radical acceptance and compassion. 
Participating can help to cultivate joyful connection, helping to reduce feelings of stress, anxiety and isolation. ​
We will learn and share creative nature tending practices to be in reciprocity with nature.
Through raising awareness and responding to the  current Ecological  Crisis
we will be pro actively be involved in positive environmental change making.
 

What Difference does it make? 

People who have taken part previously said:

'There was a felt sense of bonding together with others at a time of isolation and loneliness. I looked forward to every Thursday, as after each session, I felt so much better. Thankyou everyone! '
' Taking part in the series helped to lift my mood every week as I have been feeling alot of hopelessness, particularly with the environmental crisis.
This felt such a positive thing to be involved in and it helped to get me through the Lockdown in the winter'

Being part of the series helped me to feel more connected with myself and with others. Even though it was online which really surprised me! 

I came away from each session feeling more hopeful, creative, joyful,

I felt less anxious, more energised and grounded in my body, especially after the song and movement sessions.
There was a brilliant variety of teachers and artists and all towards such a needed cause. 

More of what you say:
'It helped me to feel more connected to nature which I often forget to make time for
This now continues to help me feel more resourced to do the work I do and support my children.
I left the session with a growing sense that I am/ we are a part of nature rather than
feeling anxious and separate. 
It was both inspiring and strengthening to be part of a community of people who are all wanting to make a positive difference in both big and small ways to the environmental situation we are in.

'Thankyou for helping me to forge a more intimate relationship with the natural world
through song and movement.
I love to sing but to be able to really drop more deeply into my body and movement was new to me.
That element of it has been really wonderful and very helpful to me on so many levels.'

'Through participating I have discovered  new ways of resourcing myself and being in relationship with nature and people.
It has been the highlight of my week every time. ...can we do this all year round please!?'

'It was such an uplifting, supportive and inspiring process. All much needed in the times we are navigating.
Thankyou for doing this! I hope many more people can take part and benefit from it as we continue to do what each of us can to help protect our world for future generations'

I felt really burnt out after being involved with a lot of activism and taking part in this has helped
me to feel well again.
To know that I can use these practices to help me when I am feeling over whelmed has actually
become a real life line. Thankyou so much- remembering gratitude!

' This is the work of our times- thankyou for all you and your team are doing.
I loved being able to bring my kids along to the Sing For Earth walk we did on the Old Beacon'

'We really appreciate the support you are continuing to give to the Earth Protector Communities Initiative.
​Thankyou for doing it in such a brilliant, inspiring and creatively engaging way!'

Who we support:

We are supporting  three initiatives all making a positive impact in the Climate Crisis help people to feel that
they were contributing to positive change making.

Tree Sisters founder speaking with Jon Snow- London Oct 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJlBteEj0bo


See here for Joanna Macy's Interview- Leading In a Climate Changed World:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzvBCxdM1TQ&t=83s

Polly Higgins speaking at The Hague- Dec 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgQ9kVzy1TM

Dare To Be Great Ted Talk - Polly Higgins: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPUmN88htCo

Vandana Shiva- We Are All Seeds​
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX5jsq74fAo

Being the change we want to see in the world.
Through the Work That Reconnects practices people  said they felt more supported and energised to become
actively involved in taking positive action, both in their local community and further afield.
People said that they felt more resourced to be able to continue to make positive changes in sustainable ways without
getting stuck in despair or burn out. 
Communities of people have the opportunity to be a part of a co created, uplifting and bonding experience.

Some ways to  support positive change:
1. Sign up to the Stop Ecocide Campaign- Change The Law and become an Earth Protector to support the Ecocide Law
to be passed Internationally. Donate to them as well if you can. 
There is also an opportunity for your town to become an Earth Protector Town 
​see their website for details. 

2. Become involved with/supporting  XR  - the songs can support XR actions and the work of The XR Song Carriers.

    3. Become a member of Tree Sisters - donate as a way of giving back to nature and in support of this radical reforestation project taking place around the world, reinstating feminine based leadership as we co create the new paradigm of becoming
a Restorer Species.

Now is the time!

Now is the time for us to innovate and co create a sustainable future together. The great re set!
To act on behalf of nature as we are nature.
To remember and reclaim the ancient Indigenous wisdom of these lands through nature tending ceremonies, using song,
music and movement to bring healing, connection, celebration and a sense of belonging to all life.
This is a core part of our collective home- coming.
Our love song in action for our one Earth, our home.

Creating a New Story

A New Story by Charles Eisenstein proposes a narrative shift for the climate movement. Embracing love of nature, he writes,
moves people beyond denial and passivity to the action necessary to protect life on our planet.

See here for interview and Q and A with Jem Bendell and Charles Eisenstein :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRYEHOStmss

​