into / through / beyond

This image, taken by NASA shows the huge delta, where the Yukon River ends its 3,185 km (1,982 mile) journey to the Bering Sea. Looking very much like a human heart, the photo inspired me to reflect on the global implications of our rivercities project – and on the fragile interconnectedness of Earth's circulation system. Rivers form but one aspect of the global water cycle (the hydrologic cycle) – the continuous circulation of Earth’s water – shifting from liquid to vapour to frozen; from glaciers, rivers, oceans, clouds, groundwater, the cells/circulation systems of living things. Rivers are literally flowing through us: ”Every drink we take has water molecules that evaporated from the canopies of every forest in the world, from all of the oceans and plains” (Dr David Suzuki in The Legacy: An Elder's Vision for Our Sustainable Future). And so we have realised that this movement – into, through, beyond – must characterise also the performance work that we create from our rivercities research.

We now envision creating a series of local events/actions/installations in several human settlements along each river. This idea doesn't make the project easy, but will underline the continuous flow and transpiration of earth's water. Rivers are never completely still (the water moves) despite human industrialisation. Working in several countries, we are able to gather sounds, impressions, actions, stories, images, and video from a wide range of rivercities...and then emphasise the global nature of the water cycle, and the global impacts of human societies, by taking discoveries from one place and transferring them to other places. The sound of a river in Sweden during a rainstorm might find its way into a performance/installation somewhere along a river in England. This circulation of impressions between different rivercities around the globe will be an essential aspect of the project.

ferry crossing

For about 5 months of the year, the Yukon River at Dawson can be crossed using the small ferry that runs 24hrs/day during most of the summer. In winter, the river freezes hard enough to allow an ice bridge to be built. But in between these two seasons are the interim seasons of "freeze-up" and "break-up" – each one lasting 1-2 weeks when crossing the river becomes impossible. Dawsonites have to decide in advance which side of the river to be stranded on until the river settles into its next long season...

Dawson City from the Moosehide trail

Today saw us not only at the river's edge in the morning – by the afternoon we were hiking to Moosehide, 5km downriver from Dawson on the Yukon River. Originally known as Jëjik Ddhä Dënezhu Kek'it, the site at Moosehide has long been one of many traditional camps for the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in. This short video shows the view of Dawson City and the Yukon River from a point about halfway to Moosehide.

river music Sunday Sept 19th

Three members of the Dawson City Beginner Orchestra – Peter Menzies and Lolita Welchman (both on fiddle), and Kerry Barber (cello) – agreed to get out on the river early this morning to play a river-inspired tune for us (thanks you three for persevering, despite the frosty temperatures). Stay tuned all, for further musical river outings!

Yukon River at last

After six days in a cramped car driving 3118 km, we have finally arrived in Dawson City, our next research site for rivercities. Our focus is the Yukon river which is immense, mighty and wild - and long!

The journey from Vancouver to Dawson took us through British Columbia and the southern Yukon regions of the Yukon River watershed.

We will be spending the next 2 weeks here in Dawson City, with echoes of our London River Lea experience still fresh in our minds.