Elen of the Ways is the performance practice of multidisciplinary artist Hannah Read, bringing together songwriting, storytelling, poetry and visual art to explore belonging, identity and our relationship with place.
Inspired by the mythic figure of Elen, whose pathways weave through landscape and imagination, the project draws on myth as a living language through which contemporary experiences of connection, loss and transformation can be explored.
Rooted in the landscapes of Dorset and the South West, Hannah's songs are woven with poetic storytelling and shaped by a practice that also encompasses painting, immersive installation and participatory workshops. Each discipline becomes a different storytelling language, creating work that invites audiences to step into story rather than simply observe it.
Influenced by artists such as This Is The Kit, Nick Mulvey, Rising Appalachia and Fia, Elen of the Ways blends intimate folk songwriting with lyrical narratives that reflect on our relationship with ourselves, one another and the more-than-human world. Rather than offering answers, the work creates spaces for reflection, imagination and shared experience.
Following the untrodden path through the avenues of the heart….
Listen up.
Here’s some bare-bones Elen of the Ways recordings for you ...
An ancient goddess called from deep in the forest, along ancient tracks and droves, the journey’s long and winding, but onwards we must go.
A faint scent, a moving shadow, traces of life leading us on.
Hear her whispers on the wind, feel her energy in the forest, let her wisdom emancipate you from the pain of the world to be enchanted by the wisdom embedded in the earth.
Let her call you back home to your heart.
