How might opera engage with ecological thinking? A guest post from Dylan Jenkins, introduces interbeing, a digital short from Music Theatre Wales, filmed on location in Swansea, London and Barbados. Please note: an English version of the post can be found below the Welsh.
WATCH INTERBEING BELOW:
interbeing – Archwilio Canfas Ein Planed Drwy Opera
Yn yr oes ddigidol, lle mae celf yn cyfarfod â ymgyrchedd, mae interbeing gan Music Theatre Wales yn ymddangos fel fflam artistig sylweddol. Wedi’i greu gan ddwy nad oedd erioed wedi gweithio gyda’i gilydd o’r blaen, Simmy Singh ac ASHA, a hynny drwy brosiect New Directions MTW, mae’r opera ddigidol fer hon yn ymchwilio ein perthynas gydsymudol â natur, wedi’i hysbrydoli gan addysgeg ddofn ar gydberthynas gan y meistr Zen, Thich Nhat Hanh.
Dywedodd Simmy Singh, “Dechreuodd pan oeddem ni’n siarad am lyfr o’r enw Emergent Strategy. Mae’n sôn am y meicro a’r macro ac i newid y macro, mae angen i ni newid ein meicro; y ffyrdd bychain o fod. Felly mae’n dechrau o hynny a’r cysylltiad rhwng bach a mawr a chydberthynas pethau, yn y bôn.”
Ychwanegodd ASHA, ysgrifennwr, ffotograffydd ac artist theatr: “Fe wnaethom ni gysylltu’n wirioneddol am gariad at natur a’r pwysigrwydd o’i thrin yn dda, i drin y ddaear hon, i drin y tir hwn yn dda”. Arweiniodd y gwerthfawrogiad dwfn hwn at natur at archwilio’r cysyniad o gydberthynas a gyflwynwyd gan Simmy. Agorodd “llwyth o bosibiliadau cyffrous iawn i ddeall y math o gysylltiad corfforol ac emosiynol sydd gan gyrff dynol â’r tir.”
Nid cyfarfod meddyliau yn unig oedd y prosiect hwn ond o ffurfiau celf, gan uno motiffau gweledol â thirweddau sain i gwestiynu ac ailddiffinio ein perthynas â’r Ddaear. Disgrifiodd ASHA ymhellach sut y “dechreuon ni feddwl am y cysylltiad rhwng y ddelweddau a’r llygad dynol a’r asgwrn cefn troellau ar ein bysedd,” gan fyfyrio sut mae’r cysylltiadau corfforol hyn yn distyllu ein hanfod i elfennau sylfaenol y byd naturiol.
Drwy ymgorffori’r themâu hyn yn y naratif, mae interbeing yn gwahodd cynulleidfaoedd nid yn unig i dystio ond i deimlo ymdeimlad adnewyddedig o gyfrifoldeb tuag at ein planed. Mae’n pwysleisio’r angen am fodolaeth gydgysylltiedig sy’n cydnabod ac yn meithrin y cysylltiadau sy’n ein clymu i’r ddaear. Drwy’r lens artistig hwn, anogir gwylwyr i fyfyrio ar eu gweithredoedd a’u heffeithiau, gan feithrin deialog hanfodol ar gyfer trafodaethau ecolegol ein hamser.
Mae interbeing yn ymddangos fel galwad i ymwybyddiaeth ac fel goleudy gobaith sydd yn ein hatgoffa, yn we gynnil bywyd, fod pob edefyn yn hanfodol. Mae Music Theatre Wales yn parhau i herio ac ehangu gorwelion opera, a’i droi yn llwyfan cynhwysol ac adfyfyriol ar gyfer materion pwysig ein byd. Gallwch weld mwy o’u gwaith ar eu sianel YouTube a’u gwefan.
Crafted by a duo who were introduced by Music Theatre Wales but had never worked together before, Simmy Singh and ASHA, interbeing, a digital opera short delves deeply into our symbiotic relationship with nature, inspired by the profound teachings on interconnectedness from Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. In the digital age, where art meets activism, Music Theatre Wales’s interbeing emerges as a significant artistic beacon.
Simmy Singh, who presents as an Earth Activist Violinist and Composer, comments:
“I guess it started when we were both talking about a book called Emergent Strategy. It talks about the micro and the macro and to change the macro, we need to change our micro, local, (local) personal/smallest? ways of being. So it kind of started from that and fractals and that connection between small and big and the interconnectedness of things, basically.”
Writer, photographer and theatre artist ASHA adds:
“We really connected about the love of nature and the importance to treat it well, to treat this earth, to treat this land well”. This deep-rooted appreciation for nature led them to explore the concept of interbeing which Simmy introduced. It opened a chasm of really exciting possibilities to really understand the sort of physical and emotional connection that human bodies have with the land.”
This exploration was not just a meeting of minds but of art forms, merging visual motifs with sonic landscapes to question and redefine our relationship with the Earth. ASHA further described how they “started thinking about the correlation between the imagery and the human eye and the spine and the visual and the spiral and our fingertips,” contemplating how these physical connections distill our essence into fundamental components of the natural world.
interbeing transcends the conventional boundaries of opera to become a reflection on our existence. The production is part of Music Theatre Wales’s commitment to innovation—using the operatic form to convey a message that is as timeless as it is timely and breaking the boundaries of what we might expect opera to be.
By embedding these themes into the narrative, interbeing invites audiences to not only witness but feel a renewed sense of responsibility towards our planet. It underscores the need for a harmonious existence that acknowledges and nurtures the ties binding us to the earth. Through this artistic lens, viewers are encouraged to reflect on their actions and their impacts, fostering a dialogue crucial for the ecological discussions of our time.
interbeing serves both as a call to awareness and a beacon of hope—a beautifully crafted reminder that in the intricate web of life, every thread is vital. Music Theatre Wales seeks to challenge and expand the horizons of opera, making it an inclusive and reflective platform for the pressing issues of our world. You can see more of their work on their YouTube channel and website.
Mae gan Dylan Jenkins dros 10 mlynedd o brofiad yn gweithio ym myd cerddoriaeth, y cyfryngau a’r celfyddydau. Mewn swyddi blaenorol gyda BBC Music, PYST, Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru, ac fel gweithiwr llawrydd, mae wedi dangos yn gyson ei angerdd am greadigrwydd, amrywiaeth ac arloesedd. Fel siaradwr Cymraeg iaith gyntaf, mae’n frwdfrydig dros sicrhau bod y Gymraeg yn cael ei chynrychioli a’i pharchu’n gyfartal, ac ochr yn ochr â’i rôl yn MTW, mae’n gweithio ar ei liwt ei hun ym myd cerddoriaeth a’r byd radio.
Dylan Jenkins has over 10 years of experience working in music, media, and the arts. In previous roles with BBC Music, PYST, National Museum Wales, and as a freelancer, he has consistently demonstrated his passion for creativity, diversity, and innovation. As a first-language Welsh speaker, he is enthusiastic about ensuring that the Welsh language is equally represented and respected, and alongside his role at MTW, he works freelance in the music and radio world.
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