September 2024

 

Some time late last year, or early this year, I stumbled across this podcast episode, which features a conversation between mycologist and author Merlin Sheldrake and Barney Steel, creative director of Marshmallow Laser Feast. It is not often that one encounters something which shifts your perspective tectonically. This for me was one of those conversations, a conversation about the mystery and wonder of fungi, the nature of intelligence, and the possibilities within community. At the time I was preparing my keynote for the Scenario Conference which took place in May of 2024 in Trinity College, Dublin, the theme of which was "Presence in Performative Teaching & Learning." I've heard that people began referring to it as the "mushroom keynote" soon after. It is only now that I realize how much that one episode has re-shaped my thinking about the performing arts and pedagogy. I've also developed a rather outsized interest in mushrooms. I'll be writing more about this later. At the moment, I'm getting ready to travel back to India for a series of workshops with teachers, to make a comic, and start work on a new performance!

 

You can check out the episode here or here. And don't miss the stunning artwork by Madge Evers!