Earth Dreams was a new format of free party created in answer to the question: What does a public celebration look like for a city facing climate change? Commissioned by Toronto’s The Bentway, Earth Dreams was equal parts urban ritual and dance party. Summer in the city holds two very different realities in the era of climate urgency: it is a time of sunshine and flourishing, while also a time of unprecedented heat and ecological unease. Together with collaborators Elder Dr. Duke Redbird, Tender Buttons, and DJ MeTime, we built a multi-part immersive experience that invited Toronto into the joy and sorrow of 21st century summer.

The evening began with an original sound composition and guided meditation by Nocturnal Medicine, using a stone and a strawberry to walk participants through a journey of deep time, ecological change, and complex histories, ultimately inviting them to step into the present moment with presence and honesty. Elder Dr. Duke Redbird read his original poem, “Mother Earth is an Altar,” which also formed the foundations of our lighting installation.

Following the poem, DJs Tender Buttons and Me Time took us on a journey that went from ambient reflection into cathartic release. The dance floor was a sculptural playscape that embodied the strange, manipulated nature of the city, with installations made of landscape elements like crushed stone, rubble, plants, fruit trees, a garden hose, foraged objects, and a water feature. Stretching from sunset into the night, the evening was a glimpse into what it can look like when a city’s socio-cultural reality mirrors its environmental reality.