OUR STORY
“Like the branches of a tree, we all grow in different directions, but our roots are one.”
The Singing Tree is a performing arts education program that aims to empower youth through ecological and human rights activism. The project was initiated in 2020 by singer Nandita Natarajan in collaboration with the Goodall Institute and “Roots and shoots” youth program. The Singing Tree is part of the global movement “The Singing Tree Project” in the USA. It was created to represent the voices of the younger generations through the performing arts and to contribute to the UN goals for sustainable development. It wants to promote and protect the rights of the child and girls. The Singing Tree is at the initiative of the project “Seeds of Hope”, a movement created by and for young artists to promote access to arts education. The Singing Tree is above all a message of hope for the younger generations.
Our story
The Singing Tree was founded in the Lake Geneva region, Switzerland during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. Faced with expressions of distress among young people during the pandemic, The Singing Tree wanted to remedy young people’s isolation by offering singing and theatre lessons online to help youth restore their confidence in their future.
The Singing Tree and Singing Tree Project movements are inspired by Kate Seredy’s book “The Singing Tree”. This book traces the story of a soldier during World War I, affected by famine and the Spanish Flu pandemic.
“At dawn, one tree was still alive. Thousands of birds hundreds of miles away, which are not normally together, took refuge on the sacred tree and sang a song that had never been heard before. This tree is the symbol of our Earth. Not all the things that divide us are so important. We can choose to destroy each other and destroy our Earth or we can create together a New World, in the image of this birdsong “.
The first draft of The Singing Tree music project was born in 2008 when Nandita Natarajan met Dr. Jane Goodall in Paris. Nandita Natarajan was then actively involved in the “Roots and Shoots” campaign for the Goodall Foundation. But it wasn’t until 2020, with the support of Bonnie Fatio, founder of Inspired Women Lead, that her greater vision for the project was born.
Our vision
We want to build a world of peace, solidarity, and collaboration for the younger generations. A world where the planet and its inhabitants are cherished and where each young person is loved and respected. We want to contribute to freedom of expression, equal opportunities, and understanding between cultures. We are convinced that there is another path possible for society. This is why we want to create and advocate for new societal values by being part of a humanist, artistic and creative project.
Our mission
Our mission is to enrich lives and enlighten the future of the younger generations through the performing arts whilst passing on strong ecological and humanistic values.
We want to train young committed artists to help build a sustainable society based on respect for the Earth and its inhabitants. We wish to bring together youth around a common vision to foster collaboration and co-creation.
Why is arts education essential?
Arts education is essential because it allows the development of an individual’s human qualities such as empathy, compassion, social skills, openness to the world, and the diversity of expressions as well as tolerance.