The Council of All Creatures

Inspired by the legacy of Joanna Macy and her body Work that Reconnects, Playgrnd put on a musical Council of All Creatures! We invited spectactors to come early, enjoy food and drink, taste honeys at a native bee teach-in, and tune into the more-than-human-being they wanted to channel during the experience. Participants were invited to spend some time in the garden, listening deeply to the nature elders who’ve been teaching them, and who they wanted to lend their voices and bodies to as a channel for the evening. With face paint and costumes to spice up the spectacle, we journeyed through seven acts of a musical narrative arc. Each act included an invitation for a different form of participatory improvisation - from dance moves, to animal calls, to denouncements of the human race and more.

A moment from our 2024 Dia de Tonanzin rendition. In true council form, we gathered in a circle, so that anyone could take center-stage when they felt inspired.

This rendition included a teach in about the native bees of Abya Yala with our friend Yorlis Luna, of Abejas Sin Fronteras. Here we are gathered around bee medicines that were raffled off to raise funds for their work throughout Latin America

Yorlis explaining about the spiritual, social, and ecological importance of the native bees, who were at the heart of this rendition of the Council

Each time we call a council, the story looks a little different - it’s emergent, depending on what’s moving through the spirit of the specific community that’s gathered! We look forward to future invitations into different communities to offer this unique experience, one that widens our appreciation of the world around us, and gives us an opportunity to put down our human masks for a moment. Connect with us if you’re curious to learn more