We spent the last three days in another amazing D&D event ‘What are we going to do about Theatre and the Performing Arts?’ at Triton Square New Diorama Theatre in London.
I was impressed by the access provision. For example, there were several spots where we could run our sessions and each one was named after a musical instrument. My session was at the spot called piano. There was a box of music called audio beacon in each spot of the room to help people with impaired vision to find us. For that reason for the first time we had a lovely classic piano music during the whole weekend while making the dolls, we loved it.
Marit, Angela, Lloyd, Imwen, Sarah, Nabilah, Laurence, Tara, Jim, Amado, Rachel, Sia, Sophie, Natasha, Patricia, Christopher, Claire, Sophie, Chloe, Marissa, Rosalind, Ray, Nola, Sara, Tim, Evaristo, Ellis, Yuyu and Craig came to my session. We put dreams and hearts into the dolls and when each doll was finished we meditated with our attention on our heartbeat.
We always start with a small amount of dreams and every part of the doll’s body is full of dreams – hands, feet, head, neck, legs, arms, chest… every single one.
We made 34 dolls in total (3+4= 7)
I was happy to release Dreams and a Heart first book. It is a limited edition of only 50 books. I payed £7 for each one, it was a beautiful coincidence as 7 is an important number for the project. I asked everybody to pay what they want and if they payed more than £7 the money would help the project keep going. Almost all of them payed £10!
Some comments:
‘It was great to have a session where you could rest and let your mind rest. We often rush from place to place and our bodies are still but our minds are not. Thank you’
‘A precious quiet moment in a busy room. A conversation with a woman I had never met before but who showed me the most beautiful tiny books she has made. I put a heart in a doll while this was going on, a wonderfully spent half an hour’
‘An hour, a doll, an experience of deep relaxation. Happy Happy. Joy Joy’
‘When meditating I actually saw a heart, it must be because of the inspiring people I just met and the energy of all those unique human beings in this room’
‘A beautiful project led by a beautiful person, very therapeutic’
‘I feel honoured to add my doll to this worldwide collective. Thank you Regina for continuing this project’
‘It reminded me of sewing with my mum as a child! Lovely’
‘Such a beautiful project and so much contained in the quiet, slow task. Thank you’
‘Thank you Regina for this beautiful, contemplative, calming, hope filled project. I had a wonderful time letting the world pass by and concentrating on making a heart filled figure’
‘A peaceful, relaxing activity, quite hard to do properly at first but then easier as the doll began to take shape. The whole thing very special, leading naturally into meditation at the end. I am delighted to contribute to the project’
All the dolls are sewed with red thread. A Chinese girl told me that in their tradition the red thread is a lucky connection that ties us together. That’s exactly what I feel every time we make dolls and every time we meet at D&D.
Thank you so much everybody who made dolls, who bought the books, lovely Jennifer who brought me five pillows full of dreams, a huge thank you for all the amazing people who helped the event and of course dearest Sarah, Ben, Anabel, Nick, Lee and Phelim, thank you!
