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Notes from the garden
Voices of the Earth - ash
Standing tall and proud in St Pancras Gardens, Jane Riddiford encounters the Ash, which is the sixth plant in our Voices of the Earth pantheon. Here, Jane shares what happened when a young man paid attention to a story that Ash re-kindled in him.
Voices of the Earth - daisy
Daisy is the fifth plant in our Voices of the Earth “pantheon”, a plant that called us to explore, with words and movement, what the underworld means to us.
Voices of the Earth - Thyme
Where we come from stays alive and strong whatever we become or wherever we go. Our origins, our Home, our roots, those are part of us. And there are things around the world, things through the years of our life, things we see or smell or touch that, in one instant, can take you back to that place, those roots, that Home. In this blog post Silvia Pedretti, Global Generation’s Senior Project Coordinator, explains that thing, for her, was an encounter with Thyme.
Voices of the Earth - Marigold
The first time I encountered Marigolds, they were called “Calendulitas”. I was helping to sow seeds and plant seedlings in the south of Spain, where a noun adorned with the suffix “ita/o(s)” makes it a tiny version of that thing. Everything we planted was young and small, so everything was referred to in this way.
Voices of the Earth - Sugarcane
Notting Hill Carnival this year was the first in its 50 years to be held online, due to the current situation of the coronavirus pandemic. The organisers decided, mostly for the safety of the community’s elders, to turn the street celebration into a digital experience, making the event available to a wider audience internationally. As I immersed myself in playlists curated for the bank holiday weekend, I closed my eyes and imagined myself wandering between sound systems, accumulating glitter and paint as I danced with other festival-goers admiring the majesty of mas costumes along the way. I snap back as I hear ambassadors speak more of the history of carnival and its Caribbean roots.
Voices of the Earth - oak
Imagine you are sitting in a circle of 50 small Oaks, grown from the acorns of 7000 Oaks planted by Joseph Beuys, hundreds of miles away in Kassel, Germany. This is where our Voices of the Earth journey began.
Voices of the Earth Summer School
The Voices of the Earth summer school marked a high point in our year-long project funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which is all about the healing power of plants. All in all, 36 participants from a wide variety of backgrounds were involved throughout the week: mothers, children, and young people. This helped us discover and share different experiences, cultural beliefs, and stories, giving everyone the chance to learn not only from nature but also from each other.
Voices of the Earth
It was a cold, fresh evening in early February, and as I walked through the Story Garden I caught sight of the distinctive, light green, rounded leaves and upright posture of a collective of broad beans. Following an unusual instruction to “meet a plant, whichever draws your attention”, I made for this group and perched on the edge of their planter…
Revisiting Global Generation’s History - 2019
This was a year of endings and new beginnings; in terms of the locations we operate from and the team of people delivering our projects. Here is a flavour of the year drawn from the rich selection of blogs that were posted over the last twelve months.
The Healing Power of Plants
One of the most enjoyable funding proposals I have worked on over the last year has been a successful application to the Heritage Lottery for a project we have called: Voices of the Earth. This is year-long project with the potential of extending into something much longer and larger in the future.
Reflecting on Seeds for A Better world
Reflections on the Seeds for a Better World project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and the Seed Sisters’ incredible journey as they learnt about the tradition and significance of seed saving.
Revisiting Global Generation’s History - 2018
Global Generation was founded back in 2004, with the feeling that by combining the creativity of nature with the imaginations of children and young people, we would create magic. Now, 14 years later, we are grateful for all of the great ways that this has proved to be true in 2018, in the Skip Garden, The Paper Garden, and on our campsite at Pertwood Organic Farm in Wiltshire.
a celebration of seeds and life
On Saturday 3rd February, people gathered in the Skip Garden to celebrate seeds, new potentials and life. The day coincided with the re-opening of the Skip Garden and cafe after our Christmas and January hibernation. It also coincided with the celebration of Imbolc, the half way point between the winter solstice and spring equinox, which for thousands of years has celebrated hope, new life and new beginnings.
Little growers with big ideas about seeds
As well as looking after Global Generation's gardens in King's Cross and Canada Water our garden team work regularly with local schools, businesses and organisations. Here, Emma Trueman recounts the work they have been doing with King's Cross Academy.
Seeds for A Better World
We lose animals, seeds, plants, skills, and traditions every single day, and we must be aware that there is something we can do every day to stop the loss of these wonders. If only we could look at a pumpkin in the same way kids do, writes Youth and Community Coordinator Silvia Pedretti. An effective and hopeful activism doesn't have to be associated with big organisations, with politics and conferences. It is in our heads, in our hands and in every single step we take from the moment we leave our bed in the morning.
Revisiting Global Generation’s History - 2013
This was the year that a number of our long cherished dreams came to fruition, in large part through the interest and creativity of our young Generators and the generous support of our business collaborators. It was a big year for all things food related, writes Jane Riddiford
Revisiting Global Generation’s History - 2012
As Brian Swimme and Thomas Berry wrote, “There is a deep pull within us to discover and be true to the fact of our own interrelatedness.“ We experienced a new kind of togetherness in 2012 when we moved the Skip Garden, the Hoop Garden and our office onto our current location, writes Jane Riddford.
Revisiting Global Generation’s History - 2011
This was the year Global Generation teamed up with Branding Agency Wolff Olins and Urban Bees to form the Honey Club, an initiative that has enabled us to involve young people and local business employees in the intricate and mysterious world of bees writes Jane Riddiford.
Revisiting Global Generation’s History - 2010
I think it is fair to say that to date the strongest elements of Global Generation’s work have revealed themselves through a process of hands-on doing, rather than any form of organised strategic plan.
Revisiting Global generation’s history - 2009
The next phase of Global Generation’s journey took us from Rooftops to Skips on Developers Land. How did we end up as an integral part of one of the biggest regeneration sites in Europe, all 67 acres of it? Writes Jane Riddiford.