Designed by Semple Begg and generously funded by Project Giving Back, the garden will be relocated to Royal Hospital for Children , Glasgow, following the show.
The Teapot Trust provides art therapy for children with chronic illnesses and the garden represents a place where a child’s imagination blooms in response to art therapy taking them ‘elsewhere’ away from their illness, helping them express and ultimately overcome their fears.
Teapot Trust Chief Executive, Sarah Randall said: “Winning gold is a fantastic acknowledgement of the brilliance of Sempe Begg’s design in conveying the freedom gifted by art therapy.
“The most important point is that we’ve never lost sight of the reason we created the Elsewhere Garden – to reach more children so that their lives can be transformed through the healing power of art therapy. For us, that’s gold.
We are so grateful to Project Giving Back’s funding that has enabled this to happen, helping us reach more children and their families who will benefit from art therapy.’
The garden was designed for Teapot Trust by Scottish-Swiss design team Semple Begg. The garden which must be at least 80% plants with designers encouraged to showcase unusual and interesting plant combinations includes a signature ‘Dolly Mixture’ stream of Candelabra primulas and a Chelsea first appearance for a pair of Picea abies ‘Inversa’.
Susan Begg and Nicola Semple (top) say: “We are thrilled to have won Gold! The Teapot Trust Elsewhere Garden tells the story of the transformative power of art therapy, creativity and imagination.
“The one thing we couldn’t have imagined is what a fantastic experience it would be. Our thanks to the whole team and to all who have supported the project. Most of all to Project Giving Back – who made it all possible.”
Following Chelsea, Teapot Trust’s winning Elsewhere Garden will be permanently relocated to the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow to create an inclusive safe space to help overcome barriers to accessing healthcare. It will be used for outdoor art therapy and all patients and visitors will be welcome.
First time exhibitors, Semple Begg partner with Teapot Trust to reveal their fantasy ‘Elsewhere’ garden with signature ‘Dolly Mixture’ stream
Scottish based charity Teapot Trust and Scottish-Swiss design studio, Semple Begg prepare to reveal their Elsewhere Garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Teapot Trust is a charity at the forefront of transformative mental health support that provides art therapy to children, young people and their families living with chronic conditions. The show garden marks a rare Chelsea appearance for Scottish charities and designers and is made possible by a grant from Project Giving Back who provide funding for good causes at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
One in four children and young people in the UK live with the pain and stigma of chronic health conditions that cause anxiety and depression. Almost a third of those aged under 21 who take their own lives have a long-term chronic illness. The charity’s art therapy gives children and young people a release from the burdens of chronic illness allowing them to take some control, to express and process their feelings about their diagnosis, their treatment regime, and the impact of their condition on daily life.
Sarah Randell, Chief Executive of Teapot Trust said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have a show garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and delighted to finally reveal the Elsewhere Garden which up until now has existed only in our imaginations. The opportunities this will give Teapot Trust are hugely significant. It’s a platform from which we’ll share the impact of our work and draw more children and families in need to us so they can access our art therapy without barriers or cost.
“Semple Begg has done a fabulous job creating the Elsewhere Garden which perfectly illustrates the release that art therapy gives children, taking their minds to a place of escape.”
Ruth Girvan, Chair of Trustees of Teapot Trustsaid: “My daughter suffers daily physical and mental pain from an invisible chronic condition.
“The support we had from Teapot Trust to access art therapy helped Neve find ways to understand her condition, her treatment and has enabled her to navigate a world where she faces barriers and stigma often on a daily basis. RHS Chelsea gives Teapot Trust the opportunity to spread awareness, giving more children and young people like Neve access to transformative art therapy.”
The Elsewhere Garden is a fantasy garden representing a child’s imagination as it blossoms in response to the freedom gifted by art therapy. Through this escape into art, children find coping strategies to deal with life. For inspiration, the designers looked to Willy Wonka’s factory, to Oz and Wonderland.
Susan Begg of Semple Beggsaid: “The design process began with a workshop with children benefiting from Teapot Trust art therapy. We were blown away by the imaginary worlds they created in their artworks, the art therapy literally took them ‘elsewhere’.
“Normal rules didn’t apply. In art therapy, children use their imaginations and creativity to explore their fears and ultimately resolve them. From these insights grew the Elsewhere Garden – a place where a child’s imagination blooms in response to the freedom gifted by art therapy. Where the inner world of a child’s anxiety is expressed as an outer wonderland.”
Nicola Semple of Semple Begg added: “We’ve used plants to paint a picture of what ‘elsewhere’ might look like. A glimpse inside a child’s imagination where there are bright pockets reflective of joy in conquering fear such as our signature ‘Dolly Mixture’ stream, a ribbon of Candelabra primulas, and quieter, more dramatic, almost spooky areas around our Picea trees reflective of the spaces where fear can be safely explored. There’s fun, there’s fear and there’s things that can’t be entirely explained… like dancing grasses.”
Scottish composer and sound artist Michael Begg and audio visual artist Kathy Hinde have created a unique experimental soundscape to bring the garden to life. The work comprises kinetic water sculptures, dancing grass, sonified data from multiple ambient sensors and live weather feeds along with ambient field compositions mapping to different areas of the garden space; underground, over ground and the canopy.
Following Chelsea, the garden will be relocated to a permanent home at Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow which serves areas of social need, where chronic illness in children is 2.5 times more prevalent. An inclusive safe space to help overcome barriers to accessing healthcare, it will be used for outdoor art therapy and all patients and visitors will be welcome.
