I am a fine artist and have a background in both therapy and education. For the last several years I worked in setting up home school and charter school education programs. I like building bridges between the districts and the alternative approaches to education. I also really enjoy helping create a local place based educational option for young people outside of the school system.
My particular interest has been in celebrating nature through performance art. I find that the stories and images created by members of the community for a performance are far more resonant and effective than simply conservation work or theater on their own. The combination of theater and working in nature inspires people to consider and protect the natural work more from their heart and more locally.
It is very hard to convince people that nature has an ecological imagination unless they have a more direct relationship with nature or come from a tradition where nature has a story that both speaks to us and guides our relationship to her. But bringing together the arts, sciences and service in performance gives the community the opportunity to combine its efforts and discover the voice of nature more clearly in their attempts to portray the story of a river or migrating birds or whatever the theme is, and the need might be directed towards, in helping the wilderness.
I formed an organization, TOR (Theater of Restoration), made up of community artists, as a way to help young people and their families have a voice in the future of their ecological community. We used performance combined with curriculum studies in their homeschool education in a nine month program that supported local conservation efforts.
I have produced three films. "Billy" and "The Journey of the Essential Child—A Talk by Edith Sullwold" are films are based on the work I did with Turning Point, a group for children and parents facing serious illness. The first film is about a young man who helped other children who had cancer and the second is about a Jungian mentor who helped direct this group over a few years in a house in California with a large garden for the children. See Nanda's interviews with Edith Sullwold on YouTube.
Most recently I completed "Beehive in My Heart", a film about abiding friendship and Alie's story of living with cancer and dying of cancer, and how she lived within the transformative power of being in the present moment.
You can see many of these videos, including an interview with Nanda at: http://www.nevernothere.com.
I illustrate for journals and magazines focused on the environment. I have written articles on art therapy and sand tray therapy. I've self published two books: Bringing Nature to Life—The Use of Performance Art in Environmental Restoration and Riverworks—Performance and Community Art for Rivers. I created these guides as useful and accessible tools for anyone that would like to do a place-based performance.
Many wonderful people have influenced my work.
Professional Resumé (PDF)
Contact Information:
Nanda Currant
PO 316
Tesuque, New Mexico 87574
Email:
Materials on this site are held in copyright by Nanda Currant.
