STILL HERE: Living Preamble

STILL HERE: Living Preamble is a new phase of the Alliance of care for the SZenne River. In this next chapter, Natural Contract Lab envisions embedding  a deeply felt sense of responsibility as Szenne stewards into a creative legal framework that can contribute to contemporary legal practices.

The Living Preamble is an embodied process emerging from the river and its kin — a proposal for an embodied law that transforms the concept from a static legal document into a layered and hybrid experience, reflecting what the more-than-human communities of the SZenne have taught us about stewardship and care. The Living Preamble grows from a Protocol of Reciprocal Care, developed since 2021 across seven phases, which will now give rise to an embodied, Walking-with Preamble — from the source to the confluence — weaving the stories of its kin and activating a Walking Route through River Oracles, Enchoiring-with a multispecies attunement and a digital companion offering access to the Living Law and the story of the SZenne people and their kin.

1. ENCHOIRING-WITH: A MULTISPECIES ATTUNEMENT 

In this cycle, we are exploring whether our bodies can resonate with the river in stewardship — and transmit stories that have been shared with its beings through attunement and care. How do we sound together? How do  voicing and vibration become a form of reciprocity with the Szenne?

This cycle of workshops is activated by vocal archivist Caroline Daish, singer-songwriter Patricia Van Cutsem, and choreographer Tania Soubry, leading us toward becoming a multispecies choir in resonance with the Szenne.

All the workshops are in collaboration with the SZenne River, as we explore how to reciprocate with its presence and beings, resonating with the atmospheric conditions: the wind, the flow, and the movement… to create a choir rooted in relationality.

You can click here to register!

2. WALKING-WITH SYMPOSIUM – MAY 2nd, 2026

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STILL HERE – AN ALLIANCE OF CARE FOR THE SZENNE RIVER
A WALKING-WITH SYMPOSIUM & PUBLIC TRIBUNE 

What does it mean to propose a law rooted in ecological grief, care and embodied relationships — weaving reciprocity, kinship and restorative justice with a river and its more-than-human communities?

Since 2021, Natural Contract Lab has been Walking-with the SZenne River and its kin — trees, people, mud, knotweed, nettles, seen and unseen — from its source under a willow tree in Naast to its confluence at Zennegat (Mechelen). Listening to its waters, attempting to learn modes of care from its beings, experiencing its resilience, and growing an alliance of care with its kin.  

On May 2nd, this ongoing practice opens to a wider public during the Walking-with Symposium at VIERNULVIER in Ghent — a moment in time to share the transdisciplinary Protocol of Reciprocal Care for bodies of water amid deep ecological loss, and the process through which Natural Contract Lab has developed a proposal for the legal recognition of the Szenne River’s rights in the Belgian constitution. We invite guests from the rights of nature, ecological grief, embodied knowledge and water solidarity movement.

The day unfolds in three movements. Beginning outside, Walking-with in solidarity with the waters of Ghent —  a site-specific flow that activates listening, sensing, storytelling and song. Next, at VIERNULVIER, we immerse in a gathering with River allies for a transdisciplinary conversation, weaving together reflections with invited guests. Finally, a conversation with Natural Contract lab will share  the restorative principles of the Living Law  alongside the emerging alliance — the people who have been Walking-with the SZenne and its beings. The tribune culminates in an Enchoiring-with, where we are invited to become a multispecies choir voicing the Living Law through song. Together, we explore how to resonate our stewardship, share stories of connection with the river and its beings, and carry this living testimony to the parliament through attunement and care.

CREDITS

Natural Contract Lab was initiated in 2021 by Maria Lucia Cruz Correia in ongoing co-creation with a transdisciplinary group, including the SZenne River (ally/mentor), Vinny jJones (sensory scenography/dramaturgy), Brunilda Pali (restorative justice), Lode Vranken (design/philosophy), Margarida Mendes (research/sonic guidance) 

STILL HERE (2026- 27) Overview of collaborators with different temporalities of engagement: Marzia Dalfini (design), Jef Seghers LDR Advocaten (SZenne Living Law), Caroline Daish (vocal archivist), Julie Vanderhaegen/ Atelier Cartographique (Digital companion) Xandra van der Eijk (river oracles design), Melanie Matthieu (creative producer), Patricia Van Cutsem ( singer/song writer) Tania Soubry (choreographer) 

Production: Hiros Coproduction: VierNulvier, Kanal Centre Pompidou, SoAP, Workspacebrussels, Nadine, UGent Research Centre S:PAM Local partners: Brussels Environment, Contrat de Rivière Senne, Regionaal Landschap Rivierenland, Natuurpunt Mechelen, Coordinatie Zenne, Kunsthal Mechelen Supported by: Erfgoedcel Mechelen, Werkplaats Immaterieel Erfgoed, Centrum Kunstarchieven Vlaanderen, Vlaamse Gemeenschap