PAST EVENT: This was part of the 2024 programme
For EAF24, EAF and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh invited Colombian cultural foundation Más Arte Más Acción (MAMA) to present an artistic public intervention, in the form of a large table around a tree, to discuss the interconnections between humans and plants in times of rapid biodiversity loss.
The locally crafted circular table was brought to life through discussions across disciplines of art and science; performances and readings; and collective actions. A soundscape, based on recordings made during the festival, built upon stops at botanical conferences including Ireland, Rwanda and Spain, was woven together by the artists to create a marathon of voices. This was then shared during the UN’s Biodiversity COP16 in Colombia in October, and will be part of the UN’s Climate COP30 in Brazil. This intervention builds on MAMA’s 2022 contribution for Documenta fifteen in Germany and Possible Dialogues for COP26 in Glasgow.
Find out more about Más Arte Más Acción’s Closing Event.
Care considerations: The work spoke openly about the Climate Emergency, and intersecting global crises.



Supported by the British Council, EventScotland, and the Colombian Embassy to the United Kingdom. In partnership with Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh with Art Fund support.
- Prepare the ground
- Friday 9 August
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10.30am—5pm
Installation becomes active
Round table installation and Soundscape
- Saturday 10 August
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10.30am—5pm
Group Discussion
Small group discussion hosted by Isabella Noero from Earthrise. Topics include Earthrise Studio’s work, exploring collaborations through Possible Dialogues for COP26 and Around a Tree 2024*
*We encourage participants to bring stories about a particular tree or plant that has a personal meaning.
- Sunday 11 August
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11am—3pm
EAF24 Opening Provocation
MAMA joins the Art Festival’s Opening Provocation with a film and soundscape installation in association with artists Miguel Navas and Fernando Arias.
Venue: Edinburgh College of Art
- Monday 12 August
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11am—12noon
Embedding
Discussion on the history and context of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Inverleith House, and the importance of art in connecting science with local and global challenges including climate change.
With Amy Porteous, William Hinchliffe, and Caitlyn Johnstone, from RBGE, EAF and MAMA.
Sound recorded.
Open to the public.
- Tuesday 13 August
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10am—2pm
Choir Laboratory
Workshop led by Colombian sound artist Miguel Navas alongside Colombian artist Fernando Arias and Botanics Choir leader Amy Leach.
Open to the public.
- Growth
- Wednesday 14 August
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10am—2pm
‘Hello, I am an Artist’ SCORE Women’s Group
Sharing food, recipes and traditions, in conversation between participants at Around A Tree, as skill sharing and wellbeing sessions from EAF x SCORE Scotland, with Jj Fadaka.
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11am—12noon
Plant Recovery Programme #1
Discussion with RBGE’s William Hinchliffe and Max Coleman, on care for Around a Tree’s central oak tree towards future climate conditions.
- Thursday 15 August
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6.30—9pm
Botanics Lates
*SOLD OUT*
Showcase: Live set with Miguel Navas.
- Friday 16 August
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11am—12pm
Rout
Some short text readings and a discussion about the limited edition print Rout by Louise Hopkins, with Jonathan Colin and Sina Ribak.
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2—3pm
Plant Recovery Programme #2
Discussion with RBGE’s William Hinchliffe and Caitlyn Johnstone, on care for Around a Tree’s central oak tree towards future climate conditions.
- Saturday 17 August
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10.30am—5pm
Around a Tree: Installation and Soundscape
The installation includes a live soundscape that is constantly feeding from the messages and findings the project collects. Some previous recollection stops
include: Kassel, Bogotá, Cork, Kigali, Madrid.Open to the public
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12noon—1pm
Italian Folk Connection
Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland presents a traditional dance session around the installation – free and open to all. Learn Southern Italian Trad Dance led by the Italian Folk Connection and friends.
- Sunday 18 August
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10.30am—5pm
Around a Tree: Installation and Soundscape
The installation includes a live soundscape that is constantly feeding from the messages and findings collected during the project. Some previous recollection stops include: Kassel, Bogotá, Cork, Kigali, Madrid.
Open to the public.
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2pm
Lavender Menace hosts Social Sunday
The public are invited to connect with regular guests and volunteers from the community group, exploring ‘growth, interconnectedness and reciprocity’, by highlighting the role of
growing and sharing social connections, particularly among Queer people. - Monday 19 August
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11am—12pm
Plant Recovery Programme #3
The story of the near extinction of a fern called oblong woodsia due to over collecting in the nineteenth century. Max Coleman from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh will explore current work to restore this species in Scotland.
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2pm—4pm
Hot Chocolate*Discussion on climate change’s impact on cacao in West Africa and nature-based solutions, with hot chocolate tasting.With Professor James Richardson and colleagues
- Transformation
- Tuesday 20 August
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2—3pm
(closed session)Cultural attaché of the Colombian embassy to the United Kingdom, Adriana Sandoval, joins ecologist Brigitte Baptiste, biologist James Richardson and director of horticulture at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Raoul Curtis-Machin to delve into the theme of COP16 of biodiversity in Colombia “Peace with Nature”, emphasizing the critical understanding that true sustainable development is inextricably linked to peace—among people and between humanity and the natural world.
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4—6pm
Transecologies (closed session)
Colombian ecologist Brigitte Baptiste joins LGBT Youth Scotland participants to celebrate transformations and ecological interconnectedness.
- Wednesday 21 August
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11am—12pm
Voices from the Heights
Edinburgh based mountaineer and writer Anna Fleming talks about the changes in the mountains from her work with mountain people in Scotland, Bolivia and the Alps, including youth activists in the Cairngorms National Park, Indigenous women climbers in the Andes and mountain guides/scientists in the Alps.
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2—3pm
Nature-based art residencies
Discussion on the Nordic Alliance of Artists’ Residencies on Climate Action (NAARCA).
With Alexia Holt, Alex Marrs and Emma Henderson from Cove Park, Kim McAleese and Eleanor Edmondson from EAF, Jonathan Colin and Sina Ribak from MAMA.
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4—6pm
Transecologies (closed session)
Colombian ecologist Brigitte Baptiste joins participants from Rhubaba’s writing group to celebrate transformations and ecological interconnectedness.
- Thursday 22 August
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3pm—5pm
Come, let’s follow the trees: A good-natured Walk with Landscape
Starting at The West Gate to the RBGE: 7 Arboretum Pl, Edinburgh EH3 5NY, this guided walk will explore more-than-human relations in and around the Garden. Making a loop, we end back at the same place.
During the walk, participants will experience deep time, and can engage in nature-culture reflections in times of climate change
Led by Sina Ribak, co-creator of Around the Tree, Researcher for Ecologies & the Arts, supported by MAMA.
- Friday 23 August
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12noon—1pm
Transecologies
Colombian ecologist Brigitte Baptiste leads a conversation on celebrating transformations and ecological interconnectedness.
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4.45—5.45pm
Brigitte Baptiste: In Conversation at the Edinburgh International Book Festival
EAF x Edinburgh International Book Festival Event:
Colombian ecologist Brigitte Baptiste discusses queerness found in nature, and the insight it can bring, with queer curator Gemma Rolls-Bentley.
Venue: Edinburgh International Book Festival Hub at Edinburgh Futures Institute.
- Saturday 24 August
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10.30—5.00pm
Around a Tree: Installation and Soundscape
The installation will include a live soundscape that is constantly feeding from the messages and findings collected during the project. Some previous recollection stops include: Kassel, Bogotá, Cork, Kigali, Madrid.
Open to the public.
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4pm
Coexistence Reading Circle
Collective Reading Circle: Reading aloud, the participants learn together about symbiosis and the interconnections of fungi, algae, plants and knowledge.
With Sina Ribak, supported by MAMA.
- Sunday 25 August
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11am—3pm
Closing Ritual
Colombian ecologist and Brigitte Baptiste will ignite Around A Tree with four hour-long cycles of rituals and conversation. Attendees can drop in and out to listen and explore freely throughout the cycles.
BSL Interpreted
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11am—3pm
BSL Tour + Closing Event
Join Trudi Collier on a BSL-interpreted tour of Más Arte Más Acción’s artistic public intervention in the form of a large table around a tree, to encourage dialogue about the interconnections between humans and plants in times of rapid biodiversity loss.
The tour will end with joining the BSL-interpreted Closing Ritual.