LAND Transitions

LAND is a unique European network where art, ecology, and territory converge to address the urgent challenges of sustainable living and landscape conservation. For several years, this network—comprising Oerol (NL), Le Citron Jaune (FR), SYTEV (SK), and Activate Performing Arts (UK)—has been dedicated to creating frameworks that enable artists, scientists, and environmental managers to collaborate effectively.

https://landartists.eu/about-land/

Rara Woulib Residency in Rajec took place in 2025 in the Rajec Valley, Slovakia, in collaboration with Aktívny Park Rajec and other local partners. The French artistic collective Rara Woulib carried out two preparatory visits in spring 2025, followed by an intensive residency in October. The artists worked closely with Marek Ryboň, local craft workshops, the Church Choir, folk musicians including fujara player Jury, and dancers from Rajec. Scientific guidance was provided by ornithologist Tomáš Flajs and representatives of Lesy SR to ensure ecological sensitivity. The residency focused on water, forests, birdsong, and the visible impacts of climate change in the valley. Workshops were held with children and students from the local primary school, combining making, storytelling, and environmental awareness. Traditional elements such as folklore music, dance, and collective rituals were approached as inclusive and living practices. Site explorations and rehearsals took place along rivers, forest edges, and agricultural landscapes around Rajec and Rajecká Lesná. The residency culminated in the participatory performance Waiting for Vodnik, developed specifically for this territory. The project left behind bird boxes, small totems, and new partnerships supporting long-term cultural and environmental education.

RARA WOULIB in Rajec was a site-responsive performance and community project developed in close dialogue with the landscape, local traditions, and environmental realities of the Rajec Valley. Created through a multi-stage residency process, the work brought together artists, local musicians, choirs, dancers, children, scientists, and residents to explore themes of ecology, water, birdsong, and social polarisation.

The final public event unfolded as a poetic walk through the landscape, combining live music, storytelling, sculptural totems, collective rituals, and shared hospitality. Drawing on folklore as a living, inclusive language—while remaining critically aware of its cultural and political sensitivities—Rara Woulib wove traditional instruments, choral voices, and movement into a contemporary artistic narrative grounded in environmental care and community participation.

Rooted in collaboration and ecological responsibility, the project transformed the territory itself into a stage, inviting audiences to listen, walk, carry, sing, and gather together. The performance left behind not only memories but also lasting elements such as bird boxes and small totems, opening pathways for future education, stewardship, and continued community engagement.

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.