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Land Empathy / Richard Chappell Dance

Land Empathy by Richard Chappell is a powerful interdisciplinary performance that combines live dance with 360° projection, bringing together the film Heart Land (BBC Arts) and Welsh climate change data from Living Wales. Rooted in themes of intergenerational activism and humanity’s environmental impact, the work transforms data into a visceral choreographic experience. Developed through Chappell’s Clore Leadership Fellowship with the Centre for Alternative Technology, in collaboration with Dr Richard Lucas (Aberystwyth University), the piece responds directly to mapped ecological changes across Wales. Since its 2024 commission by Stomping Ground, Land Empathy has toured internationally, including appearances at Greenwich + Docklands International Festival, Dance International Glasgow, and Sismograf in Spain. Inspired by the urgency of the climate crisis, the work explores how movement can deepen emotional and spiritual connections to the natural world. Through symbolic acts, such as dancers covering themselves in white and red clay, it expresses grief, responsibility, and compassion, ultimately embracing a message of resilience and renewal in the face of environmental loss. For its presentation at CULTVR, the evening unfolds across three distinct parts. It opens with Timewasters, a 20-minute interdisciplinary performance by Faye Tan and George Hampton Wale, exploring outdoor leisure and personal narrative.