Clapping for Nature Together

Overview

What does it feel like to clap for the soil, a tree, the sky?

As our planet continues to warm under extractive systems, Clapping for Nature Together offers a chance to gather, celebrate, and reconnect with the ecological communities that sustain us.

This immersive, outdoor somatic workshop transforms the original Clapping for Nature performance into a collective, participatory experience — one where the line between performer and participant dissolves.

Clapping, like yawning or laughter, is contagious. It begins with one and spreads to many, becoming both a powerful sound and a meaningful action — a gesture of gratitude, a ritual of attunement, and a call to listen to each other, to the land, and to ourselves. When one person claps, they offer an invitation; when many clap together, they create a rhythm of shared intention and connection.

Participants engage in guided movement scores and improvisational exercises alongside a cast of performers who serve as facilitators, witnesses, and co-movers. This fluid container invites everyone to explore, express, and experiment — blurring the roles of performer and audience to create a temporary community rooted in presence, joy, and care for the Earth.

Through this shared practice, we ask:
Can clapping be a form of care? Can shared sound become shared responsibility? Can we gather to remember our belonging to the living world?

What to Wear: Because this is a forest, ticks, mosquitos, and poison ivy are present in the area. Long pants and closed-toe shoes are recommended for safety and comfort. We recommend doing a tick check upon leaving the woods. Insect repellent will be provided on site

Facilities: Parking lot available at the starting point. Two port-a-potties on site
Starting point: The corner of Cobbs Creek and Thomas, Approximate GPS coordinates: 39°56’29.1″N 75°14’17.4″W

About the Artist

Leigh Huster is a queer non-binary, Philly-based mover, choreographer, and multi-disciplinary artist. They make work that explore both the reverence and awe that nature evokes as well as the collective grief that arises from humanity’s impact on the environment. Find more of their work at https://leighhuster.com/.

Credits