TO THE WATER- A WATER KINSHIP GATHERING
About
​“To the Water” uniquely combines ecological knowledge, cultural and spiritual practices, artistic expression, and hands-on action to create an unparalleled water experience. By highlighting Christina Lake as a microcosm of global water issues, it not only deepens participants’ connection to water but also inspires long-term care and advocacy for this vital resource in every corner of the world.
​​The Water Gathering is designed for individuals who have a curious desire to deepen their connection with water through creativity, community, spirituality, and stewardship. This gathering is for artists, activists, environmentalists, students, educators, and planners who are already invested in social justice, environmental stewardship, knowledge-sharing, and creating through the lens of water.
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DATES
July 3-5, 2025 for the in-person gathering in Christina Lake
Plus Information Sessions + Themed Events leading up to the Water Gathering
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PURPOSE
To give community activators an opportunity to connect and imagine their relationship with water as stewards. This is for those seeking connection to take steps forward in their own community.
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GUIDING PRINCIPLES
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Creativity: How do we connect with water?
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Stewardship: How do we care for water?
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Community: How are we as a community sharing these values?
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Spiritual: How do we honour the sacredness and healing powers of water through meditation, ceremony, and prayers
CONTEXT
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This Water Gathering seeks to elevate the significance of water in our lives and inspire a deeper connection to water. By inviting participants locally, provincially, and internationally; this gathering will highlight Christina Lake as a model of sustainable interaction with nature and promote it as a unique cultural, environmental, and tourist destination.
We offer this invitation as a way to honour water and to help us to see the land and water with deeper intention while moving on, in, and around it. In this Water Gathering, we will take spiritual field trips to bodies of water, participate in shoreline remediation collective action, and celebrate the natural beauty of Christina Lake with art installations and engagement.
This Water Gathering will bring together 30+ attendees over three days to experience workshops, tours, and art making as well as accommodation, food, and activities by local organizations, businesses, artists, and community.
The Water Gathering combines ecological knowledge, cultural ceremony, artistic expression, and hands-on environmental stewardship in an intimate community-focused experience. By highlighting Christina Lake as a microcosm of global water issues (e.g. drought, floods, and pollution), the Water Gathering not only deepens participants’ connection to water, but also inspires long-term care and advocacy for this vital resource in every corner of the world.
ACTIVITIES & OPPORTUNITIES
1. Workshops & Talks: Sessions led by environmentalists, Indigenous leaders, and artists to discuss water stewardship, conservation, and the sacredness of water.
2. Artistic Engagement: Collaborative art-making inspired by Christina Lake, including poetry writing by bodies of water, Cyanotype collaborations using invasive aquatic species, water experimental theatre activations led by international performers, and nature weaving community events. An art walk in the nature park where the community can see public art is planned.
3. Outdoor Experiences: Shoreline remediation in community events in collaboration with local organizations, experiential guided water tours and ceremonies honoring the lake’s spiritual essence.
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OUTCOMES
• Participants will walk away feeling nourished by water and community in an exceptional community recognizing the profound impact small, local actions can have on global water health and community building.
• Attendees leave with tools and inspiration to foster creative partnerships around water stewardship and community building.
• Individuals feel empowered to try small, creative experiments in their own communities willing to share their knowledge.
• The gathering becomes a catalyst for word-of-mouth enthusiasm, encouraging future attendance of deep thinkers and pioneers in water stewardship at a grassroot level.
• Demostrate the spiritual, emotional and physical power of water to restore a sense of wholeness in self and community.
