WELCOME TO THE ARCHIVED SONGBIRD WEBSITE
1998-2002
You are lucky to have these two creative artists, and their colleagues, working on behalf of human-earth relations in Western Canada.
Dr. David Abram, cultural ecologist and author of "The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-than-Human World"
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SongBird was a Vancouver-based Sci-Art collaborative Social Sculpture, or Social Practice Art project that later formed the basis of a Social Practice Arts organisation and non-profit society. The creative basis of the project was developing and implementing strategic outreach initiatives, events and alliances to engage people in learning about and caring for their local environments. Our approach was by way of an engaged art practice linking the arts, sciences and communities in innovative ways that reached across age, cultural and lifestyle demographics. Because we believe that nurturing a healthier human-world, or nature-culture, relationship is essential, and that our emotional connection to place and community is a good part of what will ultimately change human behaviours, a primary focus for the project was developing and producing celebratory and non-confrontational strategies that capture the imagination and engage the heart and mind.
We chose songbirds, whose populations are in decline world wide, to represent this work. Beyond being indicator species for ecosystem stability, songbirds were a metaphor, literally the canary in the coal mine, and present in the stories of almost every human culture.
SongBird produced a number of exciting partnerships and initiatives and won local, national and international support for its pioneering work in hybrid alliances and community initiatives.
Until the end of 2000, SongBird was co-managed by Savage Media and co-directed by their artistic director, Nelson Gray. In early 2001, the SongBird project became the basis for the new Society for Arts & Ecology in Practice. Founding and Creative Director Beth Carruthers remained as Creative Director of the new organisation until the autumn of 2002.
This website holds most of the information on SongBird's initiatives and partnerships over the years the project was active. Please explore and address any enquiries to Beth Carruthers.