Voices of the Earth - daisy
Daisy is the fifth plant in our Voices of the Earth “pantheon”, a plant that called us to explore, with words and movement, what the underworld means to us. In this blog, Maedeh Pourhamdany describes her experience with Daisy, with contributions from Jane Riddiford, Jocelyn Vick Maeer, Cassie Adoptante and Molly Frow.
It was Global Generation’s head gardener Sue Amos who first suggested to me (Jane) that we include the humble daisy in our Voices of the Earth plant collection. The Latin name, Asteraceae, means ‘star’ in ancient Greek, referring to the star-shaped flowers of the daisy family. Little did I know that this small, unassuming flower has a role in myths and legends which feels particularly important in a time of chaos, change and uncertainty. As with all of the plants we have worked with, I was curious to see what Daisy might say to us. Where would we find her? What journey would she take us on? Soon I started to notice daisies everywhere; in the longer grasses of Purchase Park in Somers Town, in the wilder corners of the Story Garden, on the rocky edge of the coastal path in Cornwall. We discovered that the daisy holds a cherished place in myths and time-honoured rituals around the globe; from daisy chains, to a bolstering reminder of the fertility and brightness that can spring from a journey into the sometimes frightening depths of the underworld. In Norse mythology, daisy is the flower of Freya, the goddess of love, beauty and fertility. The name “daisy” comes from the term ‘day’s eye’ because daisies open their flowers at dawn and close them at dusk. Perhaps it is no surprise then that daisies dance between light and dark has also given her a place in the Greek legend of Demeter and Persephone, a story that was brought to life by the Voices of the Earth Fellows, thanks to the help of Naomi Frederick, an associate of Theatre Complicité.
Maedeh’s Experience
One of the young people involved with us was Molly Frow. She told us the story of Demeter and Persephone, which we explored through movement. We were invited to contribute our own individuality to the team. At first I worried that this would create a jagged and strained conglomerate of individual strengths. Thanks to the help of Naomi, I managed to reframe my anxieties around teamwork as something unexpected happened between us all. Naomi taught us to animate meanings and work together as a team by working with Bamboo. The Bamboo took on a life of its own, helping us weave our way into the depths of the story, illuminating different things for each of us. With Naomi’s guidance we put together our very own voice-less performance with bamboo sticks. It was a brilliant new experience, one which took me very much out of my comfort zone. The bamboo taught us that sometimes it is a good thing to break out of self-constructed barriers. From freely allowing the bamboo to lead our steps, almost as one entity with us, to learning to silently channel a mutual agreement with a partner by finding an equilibrium while balancing bamboo sticks between our fingertips. We instinctively coordinated with one another, swaying with the bamboo in a rhythmic pattern.
This is what Cassie and Jocelyn wrote about their experience:
The Bamboo called to me, she told me that I should be willing to try new things, even if it’s as ridiculous as tapping them on the ground and stomping our feet to represent the world trembling (as Hades and his fierce black horses galloped towards Persephone). The bamboo also called out and told me to push myself to do things. I should honestly just do it and see how much I can achieve.
- Cassie
Today the bamboo tapped and scraped and swished through the air. It remained suspended between our bodies and we moved sometimes slowly, sometimes fast at times running, laughing, falling to the ground and picking it up again. The bamboo unlocked a creative retelling of the story. The bamboo said, let me lead and trust where I will take you, it made us fluid dancers, weavers, unified. A ‘dynamic relationship’ without prior understanding or intention.
- Jocelyn
Legend has it that wherever the Greek goddess Persephone walks, daisies spring up from the ground as a reminder that we should always stop and take time in our own underworld, as a way of gaining confidence to be ourselves.
Listen to Molly sharing the story of why Persephone loved to spend time in the Underworld:
This sound design, by Complicité sound designer Daniel Balfour, was created out of the work of children, young people and adults involved in the Voices of the Earth Project.
Each of the seven Voices of the Earth audio pieces were created as an invitation for you to spend time in Camden’s Green Spaces, listening to nature’s voices. Download the audio map here.
Notes from the Garden
I wake to a bright crisp winter’s day. Finally … after weeks of storms ravaging the country.
As the year ends we are reminded of the magic and beauty that our gardens bring, as places to come together and celebrate, even in difficult times. This year it has been challenging not to be taken over by fear and despair, with extreme weather events being mirrored in different ways across the world, from floods to droughts; with the most recent political events; with wars destroying land and displacing entire populations; and with the constant increase in the cost of living creating ever more inequalities between those that have and those that do not.