The Breath Balm Campaign

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About

The Breath Balm Campaign is enlisting volunteers to be part of a collaborative, multi-sensory public art project in support of peace and unity. People of all ages and abilities are invited to experience a moment of calm rest as they tune into and audio-record their breath. These breaths will be used for The Breath Balm Campaign's sound art component. Participants will also be asked to help in the process of making ‘inspiration’-inscribed paper tree leaf cutouts that will be collected and exhibited, along with the sound art piece, at a later date. This Campaign brings community members together in a co-creative process that aims to enhance our recognition and respect for the interconnectedness that underpins all life on EArth.

The Breath Balm Campaign challenges the notion that we are separate, autonomous individuals. All living beings—plants, fungi, protozoa, and animals—participate in gas exchange, a fundamental process that sustains life. It has been said that humans can live three weeks without food, three days without water, but most of us cannot last more than three minutes without breathing. Breathing is not just an individual necessity but a collective responsibility, as we all contribute to and benefit from the atmosphere, one of our most vital shared resources. This connection through breathing ties us into a global, symbiotic web of life, each dependent on the other for survival and significance. Recognizing the profound impact of breath, it has been chosen as the primary medium for the Breath Balm Campaign—a public sound art project that encourages participants to explore how breathing can be used to foster peace both internally and within the community. During times of deep division and conflict, the Campaign offers a space for participants to experience art-making as a soothing, introspective process that has the potential to alter how we relate to ourselves and to others.

For Culture Days at the Niagara Falls Exchange, three interactive stations will be set up for people to take part in the Campaign. The first stop will be a leaf art-making station, equipped with chairs, a table, and art supplies including watercolour paints, brushes, markers, and paper leaf cutouts. The balsam poplar leaf symbolizes life's interconnectedness—as trees are vital for the oxygen we breathe—and its resin's healing properties, often used as 'balm' ointment. Participants can express themselves using paints and inspirational words printed on the leaves. From here, an assistant will guide participants to a separate area housing a pre-recorded instructional video. The video, which includes Closed Captioning (CC) and multilingual translations to accommodate all participants, will lead viewers through a short relaxing breathing exercise. The final station involves recording an audible exhalation sample in a quiet, isolated space. These breaths will be digitally captured and later mixed and mastered in a subsequent phase of the Campaign.

Organizer

City of Niagara Falls Culture

Niagara Falls Culture endeavours to promote an awareness of and appreciation for arts, cultural, and heritage activities within our community.