Artistic Exploration and Listening Circle
- Tanya Galibus
- May 18
- 6 min read
Apr 11, 2026 • 52 mins
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
artistic identity, listening, nature, reflection, Rose, Thorn, and Bud, community, movement exercise
SPEAKERS
Michael, Rosalie, Aurelie, Francisca, Manuel, Tanya
Michael
Happy to be here. So this is a listening weekend. So we have a chance to also practice listening to each other, obviously listening to the world around us and having a chance to understand what listening really means. Today is a special day. Coming together as a group of maybe, maybe not artistic practitioners. However we position ourselves in relation to those words, we can also expand the idea of practice to include your whole life, like living as a practice. So thinking of what your practice is, your artistic practice, your life practice, your relationship with nature, or maybe even something you practiced this morning. So defining practice is whatever you want it to be. I would like to propose another sharing round to reflect on our practices. And the framework for this is called Rose, Thorn and Bud.
So the idea is that the rose is something that is ripe, blooming. It's bloomed. It's something to celebrate. Something that's here. The thorn is something a bit challenging or difficult, an obstacle or. Yeah, something that needs a bit of healing. The bud is something that's coming. We want to invite it. It needs some nourishment. It needs a bit of care. So if you took a moment, if we each took a moment for ourselves, you could close your eyes. If it feels good, you could breathe. I hope you're breathing. And think in your life, in your practice, in the world, or even just in this very moment, what would be your rose? Something to celebrate. What would be your thorn? Something that needs a bit of healing. That's a bit sharp. And something that would be your bud. Something that needs a bit of nourishment. And no, you don't have to focus on all three. Maybe there's one obvious one, but when we feel ready to share, after a moment of silence, the talking stick Will be available.
And we could each take a few minutes to share what feels good to share. And in this sharing, we can go popcorn style. Which means when you're done speaking, you can offer the stick back. And when you feel ready to speak, you can take it. So that you can feel free to speak when you feel ready but still have the attention of the group.
Rosalie
The rose in my life is performance, doing performance with dancers, with friends and also with musicians and dancers, actors…I love doing that. This is the rose. Thorn - well, I still have places inside me that are closed, that need to be opened…I feel that there is a spiritual pathway that helps me to open those parts. But I do not want to be spiritual without connection to real life, staying in my imagination.I would like to serve, my projects, people around me, connect to others…I need to open something in me, not to stay closed…My bud - I would like to create a big space to bring together people, adults and kids and practice, celebrate together…I am born here in the Occident, but I lack it here…
Aurelie
My bud is the same - from the age of 20 I wanted a place where whenever people were arguing , like my parents (I had a special childhood) - we could go. But I knew even such a place needs rules. My second bud, I was doing lots of things, and finally landed here at Donderberg.
The thorns, I visualize them very well, there are many of those, people do not want to see the thorns - this is already a thorn.
This place is a rare gift, but there should be consciousness around it. We should come here with a beginner's mind - as if we know nothing, first we know nothing, only after that we create, I love to create, I am the daughter of a farmer, I love planting seeds!
We need to protect this place before changing it.
We need to create a school, do research and observe…it is a long way to go.
We need to start learning and give tools to people to take care - otherwise people come and just use it, take it and use it, and do not understand that it breaks the connection. I saw a lot of things here of such behaviour.
You are on the way to a change, you can do it. But it is not a magic wand, there are many steps on the way to go.
We should find good people, find rooting, between us, first and then find ways to communicate. Thank you, this is for me the heart of things.
Francisca:
How do you see a transformation of this place?
Aurelie:
For me we have to stop wanting to transform it. We should get transformed first. We should make a school of the Forest first.
Manuel:
We shouldn't forget that nature came first and is going to go last long after we gone.
Michael
We have a choice to be a part of it.
Manuel
Well, yeah, that's very true.
Michael
A little note: yeah, we'll go for about fifteen more minutes or so. So just know that maybe not everybody has a chance to share. But we can trust that those who really have the call to share will share. We will make space for that. But we'll close the circle at about a quarter till. So we have time to clean up and prepare for Ryu's offering as well. So in the meantime, make sure to eat, eat, eat and share, share, share. Care, care, care.
Tanya
So for me, my rose, today is actually this time and the space right now, right here. And the silence that we have. So I really enjoy so much the quality of sharing. So I'm really thankful for that. My thorn is that indeed this is a place that doesn't need any change. Needs to be protected. And unfortunately, after September, as an artist, the only thing I could do here is listening.
And my thorn is that somehow there is so many contradictions in how people see this place. They still see their own need instead of seeing the place need. And so this is a thorn for me. This is a thorn. The bud is that this circle now. Or maybe there will be some other circles in future where we can come collectively and first of all listen and reconnect. Give that recognition.
That we are not only us, but there is so much more than only us. So this is. And the fact that we are listening today, for me, is a very important step. Yesterday I was in another artist circle about collectives and there was someone who participated in the movement of Zapatista. They didn't know what to do. And they just started to walk in Mexico and listen to people, interview them. And that created a link and that created the change. And for me now the fact that we are listening is a very, very, very, very big door, I think to ... .something bigger!
Michael
So, my dears, it may be that our attention's already shifting. Maybe we're losing our light. It may be that we should close the circle quite soon. However, before we do, just to say that the circle is still open, if it has value to offer some words to the circle within the frame of this rose bud thorn, there's still space for that. And then we can see if it's time to close the circle.
We've had a chance to listen a bit, which also requires speaking a bit. So I want to thank you for listening. I also want to thank you. Thank you for speaking. Because it's also nice to have the vibrations of our voices and presence articulated. So it enriches the sonic environment. With that said, I would like to offer a final circle, focusing more on movement and gesture.
If you think of what do you really need right now? Is there a movement, a sound, a gesture that you want for yourself, and in order to receive it for yourself, you're going to offer it to the group and then we'll all do it together?
(completing the circle with digestive bounce and other strange and nourishing movements and sounds...)
Photo by Fransisca
Photo by Sarah
Video by Fransisca
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