Walled Garden
2014 - 2016
Developed in collaboration with Isabel Griffin and Hillside Secure Unit in Neath between 2014 and 2016, Walled Garden worked with young offenders to create an edible classroom.
Walled Garden invited Hillside Secure Unit to reconsider the way resources and spaces are used within an institution. The project involved a process of transforming the courtyard into a growing, creative and holistic garden environment which could act as a pedagogic space. The year-long project connected with educational and curriculum content, permaculture, design, seed harvesting and food production.
At the centre of Walled Garden was a consideration of how to create a useful space which could be a therapeutic resource and a space for family visits. Working with Isabel Griffin, and with the unit’s children and staff, the garden became an artwork and resource, providing a valuable and lasting structure for discussions on food, education, creativity and sustainability, and a space for reflection and private conversation. Project photographers were Eva Bartussek and Johan Butenschøn Skre.