In 2020, Leslie Carol Roberts and The Ecopoesis Project were invited to be part of the Al Balad arts residency program in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It is the first international artists’ residency hosted by Saudi Arabia. Both Saudi and international artists were selected for the residencies, which take place over six weeks.

Al Balad is Jeddah’s historic district, known for its traditional architecture, the hallmarks of which are coral construction and intricate wooden doors and windows. The old town is known for its traditional architecture and houses paneled with intricate wooden windows and doors. Former houses have been turned into heritage sites, such as the Rubat Al Khuniji, a 207-year-old guesthouse where the residents will work.

Roberts, with her Ecopoesis collaborators Adam Marcus and Christopher Falliers, proposed the installation of a small dome as a tool for activating space and intimate conversations about the realities and feelings—grief, fear, melancholy, wonder, humility—around the climate emergency and individual and collective creative responses. The dome will be draped with fabrics, using local materials and aesthetics, to further integrate the structure into its environment. Events will be programmed for the dome, including food sharing and recordings of environmental sound and short personal essays about local ecologies.

While the Covid-19 pandemic has delayed project implementation, the residency program launched online in November 2020 and plans to be in place in late 2021.