I have had a wonderful experience of being listened to. In one day the chairman of the Plantation Gardens contacted me to ask if it would be useful for the gardeners to take into account my possible show of musicians in trees to prune undergrowth over the winter. Norwich City Council got in touch to request I meet with their head of Strategy and Transformation to chat through my idea of city centre vertical farms finding a home in the ailing shopping centres and the plant science labs, John Innes contacted me saying I could talk with their vertical farm experts. It’s a privilege to be heard and the energy it’s given me to keep asking questions and seeing new ways forward is priceless. Thank you to things that keep us moving forward.
To keep track of my questions and visits to folks, I’ll make some notes. I got a reply from Norwich City Council re my question of could Castle Mall and Chapelfield Intu Shopping centre be converted to vertical farms. They said it was interesting and they would consider it for their 2040 vision. I’m speaking to a friend this morning who works at the John Innes Centre ( local Plant Science Lab that has a world reputation), to find a way in to have conversations with John Innes folks who might be researching and developing vertical farms. I’d like to talk to someone from Chapelfield Intu, the company is in administration, but would be worth a dig. I want to record these conversations, but I’m feeling that at least at the moment, I’d like to get people’s trust, then return with a microphone… although, some conversations won’t be repeatable, due to people’s availability.
Last night I popped to see Tully, a tree surgeon I know, to talk about putting musicians into trees. I’d like to orchestrate socially distanced gigs using the trees in the Plantation Gardens. Is it viable to strap musicians into trees and have them look like they have lived there for a while, that they are always in that tree? The musician would research the tree, write about the tree, build a friendship with the tree, write songs as if the tree were singing or creating the noise. The musician connects with the tree, learns about arboriculture, shares their learning and experience through online chats, blogging, a short film, live story telling. Over the weeks, you can drop into the plantation garden for a talk/story by one of the musicians, they share their process.
It culminates in a gig, a promenade show, musicians in the trees, low lights, sounds, individual songs and songs all together. A soundscape to move people, connect to the space, the here and now.
My guerrilla gardening has finally bloomed. My street has one tree and a tiny patch of earth around that tree. It’s a start….
This is cheeky email day.. Throwing off-the-wall ideas into the ether. I hope I didn’t sound ridiculous and perhaps I said too much all in the first interaction. Slowly, slowly a bit at a time might have been better.
First request : an arboreal music idea. Could musicians respond to a tree in the plantation gardens in Norwich, write about it, research it, bond with it, make songs. Could those musicians then collaborate with the planation garden staff and the resident or go-to arborealists to get the musicians performing their work in the tree itself? Up high, socially distanced from the audience? The audience can walk along paths or sit on the grass and listen to the music with a finale of all musicians playing together. The acoustics in this extraordinary sunken garden have clarity and reach throughout.
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Second cheeky email to Agri-TechEast, could Norwich’s failing shopping centres be turned into vertical farms? Could the citizens of Norwich connect with their food? Watch it grow, help, be part of it?
