No Diggity: We Feed The UK Exhibition
Multistory has collaborated with The Gaia Foundation on an exciting project set to culminate in the form of a pop-up exhibition in May 2024. Titled We Feed The UK, the project stems from the successful We Feed The World campaign in 2018 (the largest global photography initiative that explored our food systems). Following a similar model, The Gaia Foundation are collaborating with ten UK regional partners who have commissioned ten photographers and poets to depict the story of a regenerative farmer, under a particular theme.
As one of the partners, Multistory commissioned West Midlands-based photographer Ayesha Jones who has captured the ‘no-dig’ and regenerative approaches explored by Neville Portas at Winterley Lane Allotments in Walsall, West Midlands. No-dig gardening is an environmentally sustainable way to care for your soil; it removes the need for cultivation (such as digging, forking and rotavation) and supports the existing soil structure and fauna. Plants are simply grown directly onto a layer of organic matter (e.g., garden compost or well-rotted manure) which is applied to the soil surface.
Alongside this, Ayesha has photographed the various groups who use the space including students from Radley’s Primary School, individuals from The Motivation/Transition Hub and Winterley Lane plot owners to represent the community-oriented nature of the site.
As well as working with Ayesha on this inspiring and insightful project, we are delighted to be paired with Birmingham-based poet Bohdan Piasecki. Selected by Hot Poets, Bohdan has written a poem titled Again, Again, responding to Neville’s No Diggity Gardens in Walsall, and exploring the wider impact of this gardening and food production approach.
On 8 Feb 2024, we were also invited to the launch of the We Feed the UK at Open Eye Gallery in Liverpool. It was a wonderful celebration of the project and all those involved. To find out more, click here.
Multistory are excited to share that No Diggity: We Feed The UK Exhibition is taking place at Winterley Lane Allotments from Saturday 18th May – Sunday 19th May, featuring a raw display of Ayesha’s photographs and a live poetry performance from Bohdan Piasecki. The event will be a celebration of the work produced, all of those involved, the allotments themselves and notably, regenerative farming. To learn more about the event, click here.
We are very grateful to The Gaia Foundation for involving us in this fantastic UK-wide project alongside other acclaimed partners: Martin Parr Foundation, Belfast Exposed, GRAIN Projects, North East Photography Network, Open Eye Gallery, and Photo Fringe.
We would also like to thank Winterley Lane Allotments, Neville Portas, Radley’s Primary School, and The Motivation Hub/The Transition Hub for their engagement and commitment to the the project.
If you would like to learn more about The Gaia Foundation/We Feed the UK, and the other regions/people involved, see here: (https://gaiafoundation.org/we-feed-the-uk-coming-to-a-billboard-near-you/)
If you are interested in the ‘no-dig’ approach to gardening, see here: (https://nodiggitygdns.wordpress.com/)
Bios
Ayesha Jones (she/her) is an artist based in the West Midlands. She works predominantly with photography and film and is interested in art as a catalyst for growth, healing and social impact.
Bohdan Piasecki (he/him) is a poet from Poland based in Birmingham. Bohdan founded the first poetry slam in Poland before moving to the UK to get a doctorate in translation studies. He also works as Creative Producer, and sits on the board of the Poetry Translation Centre.
Neville Portas is a soil advocate, promoting regenerative system change. Consultant, facilitator and food producer, Nev aims to amplify the message that soil is one of our most significant assets on this planet. Through projects, workshops and Winterley Lane Allotments, Neville promotes the ‘no-dig’ concept.