The Banyan Tree Project

The Banyan Tree Project is an ongoing storytelling and listening project that prioritises community in adversity, inspired by a tree in my childhood in Goa (west coast of India). The project focuses on building relationships ‘under’ a physical sculpture of the Banyan, fostering feelings of belonging, compassion and kinship, in times of isolation. Through 3 hours long workshops, this project comes to life under the Banyan Tree, where participants write and perform their own stories/poems based on nature-based prompts. The tree functions as a spectator, a cultural object, an object from my personal history, an active prompt and a symbol of storytelling, all of which contribute to the creation of a common place and a sense of belonging, during the 2-3 hours workshop and beyond. 

Watch/listen to selected Banyan Tree Project stories here: The Banyan Tree Project

Featured spaces: Duluth Art Institute, MCAD Gallery, Here We Grow Plants-Minneapolis, Second Shift Studio Space-Saint Paul, Collaboration with Zoe Cinel + City of Minneapolis

Images by Emma Spooner, Emily Dzieweczynsky, Samantha Rickner and Roshan Ganu