earthly suns: workshop, gathering, and performance

A two-part program that centers the plant-ally Saint-John's-Wort and the queer poetics it offers. Join artists Sasa Ghanem-Chaney, Jules Davis-Dufayard, and A.E.Z Pinay for an afternoon of queer collective care. In the evening a special gathering with plant offerings, a sonic mediation, and a concert by Queer Choir Amsterdam.

earthly suns is a multidisciplinary research project, developed by Jules Davis-Dufayard and Sasa Ghanem-Chaney, that departs from a shared love towards the plant Saint-John’s-Wort, and a shared love for communal singing. Together they have embarked on a long-term research around this plant-ally since summer 2025, inspired by the queer poetics it offers as it grows powerful and unnoticed between Amsterdam's pavements. They hope to develop land and body based seasonal practices which are relevant to the current context of late-stage racial capitalism, and which can contribute to the physical, emotional and spiritual nourishment of current social change movements. This research takes form through herbalism, storytelling, trauma-informed care practices, and vocal somatics (Deep Listening). The earthly suns workshop and gathering emerge from their research and collective practices. 
By buying a ticket to this program you understand that the intent of the event is not to provide specific medical advice. The content of the event should be used as a source of information, and not a basis of diagnosis or choice of treatment.

earthly suns - workshop

Jules Davis-Dufayard and Sasa Ghanem-Chaney invite you for an afternoon of queer collective care centering the plant-ally Saint-John's-Wort (SJW). During this workshop they will share knowledge around what SJW has to offer in terms of physical and mental healing, as well as take inspiration from its resilient growth through Amsterdam's urban landscape. They will share tools from herbalism, plant symbolism, somatics, collective singing, and vocal meditation working towards community healing and care strategies. Special guest A.E.Z. Pinay will also intervene and invite the group into his grieving practice in the form of choral mourning. In his work he explores the rhythmicality of sobs and sighs, and the melody of moans and laments, as well as the seemingly impossible task to establish a framework that properly allows sorrow to flow.

The workshop is followed by a simple dinner, between 18h - 19h, prepared by maria khatchadourian (only for workshop participants). After the dinner, an event will follow with a large scale collective sonic meditation, and a concert by Queer Choir Amsterdam.

Separate tickets are available for the evening programme.

The workshop ticket includes the possibility to stay for the evening programme. You can note your participation when you purchase your ticket.

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