Performing at the opening night of COP24

Our recent performance at the opening night of Greenpeace Hub at COP24 in Katowice.

The Matter of the Soul | Symphony is a musical performance work by artist Kat Austen that aims to engender empathy with a consequence of climate change: process of dispersal and transformation in the Arctic region. The work draws together stories of human migration and melting ice in the Arctic, and changing identity on and offline, weaving together past and present, opening the way to futures beyond our current socio-political tipping point. During the performance, Austen plays music using samples of water collected in the Arctic during a field trip around Baffin Island in Canada.

To accentuate and elaborate on the embodied impact of the musical piece, for this specific performance, Austen joins forces with choreographer Kasia Witek. Both artists are interested in the idea of embodied togetherness, and how dance can work with music to connect to the ecosystem under climate stress. Austen and Witek performed The Matter of the Soul | Symphony at the opening of Greenpeace’s Climate Hub at COP24 on 1st December.