Two New Art Projects Planned for Kitchen Garden
Nature trail and long communal table to be installed at Chiswick House
Jaxia Blue will be creating a nature-centric garden trail and map
June 30, 2024
Chiswick House and Gardens Trust (CHGT) has secured Arts Council England funding for two new family-focused art projects.
The projects, from London-based artists Jaixia Blue and Ayesha Weekes, explore food and its links to culture, wellbeing, identity and community and are centred around the communal Kitchen Garden at Chiswick House. Both will be launched this August.
Flower Feast: Exploring the circle of life in the Kitchen Garden will be a nature-centric garden trail and map, designed by artist and storyteller Jaixia Blue. It aims to encourage visitors to get in touch with the idea that the food we grow and enjoy, as well as the act of eating itself, is an integral part of the natural world.
Children and adults will be able to engage with insect life in the garden by creating ‘Flower Feasts’ for various species, learning about the importance of pollinators and promoting biodiversity when it comes to food production.
Jaixia’s previous work has encompassed textile art, music, film and poetry mediums, and explores themes surrounding her dual British and Caribbean heritage.
Jaixia said,“I am delighted to be designing this year’s creative garden trail kit and map for Chiswick House & Garden Trust. The trail explores the idea of food in a broader sense, drawing on the circle of life in the garden. The aim is to encourage visitors to be mindful, engaging all 5 senses through observing the nature around them. As well as encouraging creative learning surrounding the garden’s rich biodiversity; shifting how we view insects and flora and their roles in our ecosystem.”
The trail and table will complement CHGT’s wider programme of active engagement and collaborations with the local community, including its ongoing Black Chiswick though History programme and its work with charities and support groups in the surrounding area.
‘More than just furniture’: Harvesting Connection: A Communal Table is a work by Chiswick-born artist Ayesha Weekes. She has been working with CHGT on the ongoing Black Chiswick through History programme since 2021. Supported by English Heritage’s Shout Out Loud, Black Chiswick through History aims to highlight diverse stories from the history of the House and Gardens offering a fresh perspective.
Ayesha Weekes has already been working with the Trust on it Black Chiswick Through History programme
For her new project, Ayesha is focusing on the creation of a Kitchen Garden long table, constructed through reclaimed, environmentally-friendly materials, and decorated with handcrafted ceramics.
Ayesha is a visual artist who specialises in ceramics, as well as an arts educator and advisor. She said,“Embodying 'Food' and 'Harvesting Connections,' we are excited to bring a new long table for Chiswick House Kitchen Gardens. In collaboration with Kitchen Gardeners and community partners, this table will reflect our connections to food through reclaimed materials and ceramics.
“More than just furniture, this table will celebrate the Kitchen Garden and be a gathering point to explore, learn and share food and our food stories, symbolising community, unity, sustainability, and the rich tapestry of stories woven through our shared love of food.”
Xanthe Arvanitakis, Director of Chiswick House and Gardens Trust, added, "We are delighted to have secured generous Arts Council Funding for two important new creative projects, exploring food and its links to our culture, wellbeing, identities, and community.
“In the Chiswick House Kitchen Garden, we produce food in a way that is sustainable and environmentally friendly, working with local volunteers to ensure that half of everything we grow is donated back to our local community. Conversations surrounding food production, and how to redefine our relationship with it, are integral to everything we do. "
The Kitchen Garden Trail will launch on Friday 2 August and The Long Table final construction day and launch is on Friday 16 August.
The gardens at Chiswick House & Gardens are open from 7am until dusk every day, all year round.
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