"Now I have my identity and now I am not just a wife or a daughter. I have gained my name." -SP interview 1

From a Place of Listening is a reflection on the work of agroecologist Krista Isaacs with women in Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in India. It is also among the poorest states and includes some of the highest rates of violence against women. Working with these women and listening to their needs and desires for themselves and their relationships with their families, Dr. Isaacs and others helped them to learn skills that empowered them and made positive changes in their lives and the lives of their families and communities.

From a Place of Listening asks performers to realize a composition by carefully listening to each other. The three distinct sections: As a Whisper, Emerging as a Song, and As a Dance, trace the transformation of these women’s lives as a result of Dr. Isaac’s work.  Some sections are precisely notated while others require the performers to improvise. The words spoken are quotes from women whose lives have been enriched through the work of Dr. Isaacs and others through the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust and Self-Help Groups, programs that empower women through education and training in skills involving seed production, selection, and breeding.