• Tree of Life – Origins and Evolution, is the product of a two-year collaborative Creative Campus project, culminating in an exciting evening of music, dance and theatre.
• The initiative explores the intricacy, challenge and revelation involved in bridging sciences, humanities and performing arts.
• Tree of Life features the contributions of several academic departments at KU, the Lied Center and a number of resident and touring artists including the commissioned involvement of two-time Grammy Award-winning David Balakrishnan, founder of the Turtle Island String Quartet.
• The work will explore a creation story involving the “Tree of Life” that raises and approaches key questions basic to understanding what makes us essentially human: “Why are we here?”, “How can I be an individual of both faith and science?” and “What is truth?”
• The “Tree of Life” is a biological concept connecting all life through genetic relatedness.
Project Partners: Center for Science Education, The Commons, Hall Center for the Humanities, Kansas Space Grant Consortium, KU Department of Music and Dance, KU Department of Theatre and Film, Lied Center of Kansas
Artists: David Balakrishnan, Muriel Cohan, Matt Jacobson, Mark Reaney, John Staniunas, Patrick Suzeau, Scott Weiss
Ensembles: Turtle Island String Quartet, KU Wind Ensemble, University Dance Company, University Theatre
University Support: Office of the Chancellor; Office of the Provost; KU Center for Research; College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Office of the Dean; School of Fine Arts, Office of the Dean
This project is made possible in part by a grant from the Association of Performing Arts Presenters Creative Campus Innovations Grant Program, a component of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. As substantiation of the importance and significance of the Tree of Life presentation, the Lied Center was one of only eight institutions to receive this grant.
In addition, the project received support for the composition from the Argosy Foundation.
For complete schedule and information about the Creative Campus project, visit lied.ku.edu/creative
