A space dedicated to practices to connect with place, from the personal to the planetary.
Guided by Ela Spalding, artist~facilitator and author of the SUELO Field Guide.
Format: live + asynchronous. Option in Spanish or English depending on interest.
Dates: There are two options this year. September 20 – October 22. Or, November 8 – December 10. One will be in English and the other in Spanish based on interest.
Time commitment: ~ 3-4 hours per week
Participants: Max. 12 people.
The program is for:
- any person who resonates with SUELO and wants to connect more with their home – body, surroundings, territory, and planet.
- facilitators or educators interested in implementing SUELO in their contexts, with their communities, students, or organizations.
- cultural actors, artists, or institutions, looking for a more ecologically sound connection; more practical, situated, or profound ways to be with the land and their communities.
- environmental organizations, scientists, or individuals who want to build bridges or deeper connections with the places they inhabit
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
For over ten years and in different geographies —from Panama to Mallorca, I have been developing SUELO: a practice that consists in discovering the deep time, the current ecologies and possible futures of a place, connecting with the land, its stories and its people.
For the first time online, during 5 weeks we will delve into place-based practices and the tools in the SUELO Field Guide. Conceived as a community of practice, each week you will receive an audio visualization that will guide you to an action or reflection in relation with the place that you inhabit, or the place that you want to connect to (you decide).
At the end of the program you will have gone through a series of experiences that will help you to see with fresh eyes, or more clearly, your role in this place. You will have created connections with fellow inhabitants (human or non-human); and will have a series of practices and strategies to articulate the value of the place, and to share this experience with others.
STRUCTURE OF THE 5-WEEK PROGRAM
Every Sunday: you will receive an audio via e-mail with a visualization and exercise.
Sunday to Thursday: you connect with your surroundings in your time, following the impulses received on Sunday.
Thursday: 6pm (Spain time) / 11am or 12md (Panama time, depending on the time of year) – LIVE Zoom with Ela to share with the group and delve into the tools and themes of the week.
Throughout the program: you can exchange with the group through a forum on Discord.
WEEK 1: Introduction to SUELO and to get to know each other.
WEEK 2: SUELO Spheres of (inter)action. Explore our connection to the body and the territory that surrounds us. Define where you want to work and begin your process of mapping/design.
WEEK 3: SUELO Profile. Delve into the layers of place, past, present and possible futures. Connect with the knowledge holders – people and elements of the ecoystem.
WEEK 4: SUELO Associacitions. Different ways of connecting more deeply and to share the experience with your community, colleagues or to a selected audience.
WEEK 5: Presentation of results or processes; celebration, reflection and next steps.
Extra session: after 6 to 10 weeks, we can meet a sixth time to see what has evolved since the program.
WHAT TO BRING?
A blank book, preferably not lined, where you can write down or sketch everything that you experience during the program.
The desire to connect with yourself and your ecosystem through regenerative action.
INVESTMENT
Pay what you can. Accessibility is part of the practice. Please be honest, and select the price that reflects your financial circumstances.
Semilla
This special price is for those who can’t afford the basic cost but would like to participate.
- There are only 4 seats in this price. So book soon!
Base
This is the contribution recommended for the majority of the participants, who can comfortably afford it.
- Ground yourself in place and enjoy the ride
Sustenta
This is for people with ample persona funds or from the institutions they work for.
- With your contribution you open doors for others. Thank you!