Nandita is a selected Seedbed artist with 101 Outdoor Arts, a funded programme of R&D residencies inviting artists to push the boundaries of work for the outdoors and in public spaces.
During her residency, Nandita has explored a partnership with OmVed Gardens, a greenscape, exhibition and educational space, food project and sustainability hub in North London, to create and facilitate gatherings for women to inform a new outdoor dance work ‘Roots to rise.’
Nandita’s research has been inspired and motivated by events throughout India’s history from the cotton empire and the spinning wheel, the Chipko movement and the violence of the green revolution to the Women’s peace camp at Greenham Common here in the U.K. It considers and reflects on the importance of our dependency on water and soil, our relationship to the land and to one another.
Within a partnership with OmVed Gardens, Nandita has facilitated and curated participatory and educational experiences for shared learning, wellbeing, exchange and reflection around nature, family, culture and memory at the gardens. She has lead workshops for International Women’s day, gatherings especially for the South Asian community and workshops for members of the Asian Women’s Resource Centre. These participatory experiences with the community have informed and influenced her research and development of the dance work.
These gathering and workshops included mindfulness, creative and expressive movement exploration, journalling, conversations and discussions.
Feedback From Participants
Images © Vibs Bhatia, Diva Garg, Nandita Shankardass
Testimonials
“Feeling very held by Nandita and her gentle approach to facilitation. Being encouraged to slow down, ground, and notice the sights, sounds, sensations and textures of our surroundings.”
“I was impressed at how the activities were structured in a really clear and focussed way so you never felt exposed or self conscious and how a safe non judgemental space was set up in the group so there could be a sense of sharing and discovery in the conversation.”
“I loved that we were encouraged to move around the space and gardens with ease.
Encouraged to take up space and presence.
Encouraged to listen to our bodies and how we wanted to move / flow.”
“Mindful engaging with nature, appreciation of natural time, following one’s intuition, valuing the practices that have been handed down in my family, more effort to go for walks and talks with friends again. The conversation brought awareness to things I took for granted and made connections between things in a way I wouldn’t have done by myself! A shared wisdom/ perspective I guess….”
