Edible Eastside
Date uploaded: February 27, 2012
Edible Eastside
Edible Eastside is a visionary initiative to transform a derelict brownfield site into a vibrant and contemporary urban garden for people to learn to grow plants and food.
The garden covers a quarter of an acre of canal-side land, a former distribution depot, which is being converted into a ‘pop-up’ edible park using temporary containers and raised beds.
The aim is to increase understanding of urban productive landscapes with a programme of research in practice involving artists, designers, gardeners and chefs to explore a new aesthetic for urban environments. Through this collaborative process Edible Eastside wants to explore issues of urban resilience, sustainable development and the role of culture in climate change.
It wants to offer a centralised resource and strategic support for artists, architects, urban gardeners, community activists and regeneration agencies interested in urban food growing. Edible Eastside is working in partnership with BCU School of Architecture and Digbeth Residents Association.
Being based in the creative heart of Birmingham, artists will be at the heart of the programme. Edible Eastside plan to offer opportunities for artists to develop their practice in the context of environmentalism, food growing and involving communities in the process.
The Mission is to deliver the following:
- Grow fruit, vegetables, plants and flowers.
- Whilst doing that we will also explore new thinking in public space and the urban landscape where food production is integral
- Offer training to the public in food production and temporary growing in urban contexts
- Raise the profile of food and urban agriculture in Birmingham
- Demonstrate what is possible to grow in raised beds and challenging urban sites
People are being offered:
- raised beds to local people and city workers and dwellers, with learning and support for the growing of vegetables, herbs and edible plants for those with a plot
- lessons to local people, office workers, industrial workers, how to grow food for their own consumption with the establishment of a City Gardening Club
- Space for artists and designers to research and experiment in techniques of horticulture and gardening
- Vegetables and produce to eat!
On the 10th of March 2012, 12.30 – 4.30, Edible Eastside is offering a day for selected artists, makers and curators to come and explore and test the potential of the space.
To get involved, email a web link or low res jpegs (no more than 5), a paragraph on your practice and why you are interested in attending to: [email protected] by 4.00pm on Friday the 2nd of March.
