A Little Patch of Ground

A Little Patch of Ground is an inter-generational food growing and performance project that culminates in a permaculture inspired vegetable garden and a multi-media live performance about people’s relationships with the natural world. I work with Ruth Ben-Tovim from Encounters Arts as co-deviser of A Little Patch of Ground.

Over a period of 20 or more weeks an inter-generational and culturally diverse group meet to garden, eat, create and reflect together. Participants explore the world as our shared home, with personal stories about moments of connection in nature, documentation of the growing garden and writing tasks. Through a range of media the group explores thinking on global resources, food growing, climate change and the web of life inspired by eco-philosopher Joanna Macy’s cycle of Gratitude, Despair, Seeing with New Eyes and Going Forward. In the last weeks of the project, the stories of this group and their personal experiences and the experience of growing a garden are woven together into a public performance incorporating verbatim text, image, objects and movement to tell an intimate and personal tale what it is like to live now.

A Little Patch of Ground was initially created for the Bluecoat, Liverpool as part of year of Liverpool’s Year of the Environment, 2009 and included a courtyard garden, a series of performances and an interactive installation. It then took place in Doncaster (Doncaster Arts) 2010 followed by a twinned Urban/Rural project between two groups in the East End of London (ArtsAdmin) and Dartington, Devon (Dartington Arts) in 2012. Further projects have taken place in Efford, Plymouth and Stonehouse, Plymouth in 2013 and 2014. The Plymouth Stonehouse model evolved into a performance tour of five growing sites across the community.