re:claim offers music, poetry, storytelling inspired by Hansberry Garden

What can a community garden teach us about the ecosystem of our neighborhood over time? Re:claim, a collaboration between poet Heather Bowlan and violinist Melinda Rice, will explore this question with a performance at Hansberry Garden at 5 p.m. on Sept. 8 (rain date: 5 p.m. on Sept. 22). Reserve a free ticket on the Fringe Festival website.

Part of the 2024 Philadelphia Fringe Festival, this site-specific piece has been shaped by a series of interviews with members and neighbors of the garden, including several of Hansberry Garden’s founding members.

From the artists’ page on the Fringe Festival website:

“Combining poetry and violin with looped effects pedals, improvisation and interaction, this ambient performance is guided by the artists’ experiences in the garden and green space in Northwest, as well as natural and social history, archival documents, and the lived experiences of neighbors and members of the collectively owned Hansberry Garden.

“This year’s piece explores the possibilities of community to create resistance and a holistic approach to growth throughout seasons and transitions. Rice and Bowlan’s shared composition asks what a community garden, and specifically this garden in a gentrifying neighborhood, can teach us about the ecosystem of a neighborhood over time. Audience members will be invited to participate at various moments during the performance and contribute to the shared experience.”