Rebecca Beinart has invited LSA Member, Mita Solanky (aka Saintly Amok) to present an event for the Nourishment Programme, which she runs at Primary - an artist-led organisation that have transformed a disused victorian school building in inner-city Nottingham into a cultural resource.
Primary are home to an ever-growing garden and the SMALL FOOD BAKERY which is run by Kimberley Bell. The bakery provides sustainable food for the community and advocates for food justice, particularly seed sovereignty. They work with a strong network of UK bakers, millers and farmers towards building an alternative grain economy to the current industrial status quo. Kim will be providing heritage grains for us to sow during the event along with delicious goodies from the bakery.
Saintly Amok creates participatory performances that resurrect ancient nature-based rituals and reactivates them in a present-day context. The artist draws inspiration from her Gujarati heritage, which is rich in symbolism and reinterprets cosmological worldviews to offer alternative perspectives for contemporary culture.
A seed planting workshop will take place in the garden at Primary, to sow heritage grains of wheat, barley and oats. Taking inspiration from ceremonies carried out by rural farming communities to honour the land and bless seeds and tools for the coming season of cultivation. The event will begin with Saintly Amok leading participants in, building and lighting a ceremonial fire havan as participants become acquainted with the seeds to be sown, examining their stories and transforming and repairing the tools needed for this work. After performing a sankalpa (intention) ceremony, participants will sow grain seeds in newly prepared planters. Then over tea and refreshments, discuss ways in which we can support and nurture the new growth that will take place. Ending with a blessing of the undergoing building works and the planters with ashes from the havan.
It will be a small gathering, please book your place in advance. Open to all. Especially welcoming those with an interest and involvement in seeds and local growing spaces.
Find out more at the Primary website here.
To book or access further information email rebecca@weareprimary.org.
Visit Mita Solanky's website here.