This May, final-year students from the Drama and Theatre Arts Department at the UoB will take over Birmingham Botanical Gardens for a week-long artistic residency. Join us on Saturday 17 May and Sunday 18 May to experience an exciting new performance.

From the help of co-artistic director of The Bone Ensemble, Prof. Adam Ledger, the students will create, stage and direct a performance within the beautiful backdrop of the Gardens — all in just the space of one week.

The planning of the performance has been a journey of creativity, collaboration, and innovation. Rather than working from a traditional script, the performance is being shaped organically, drawing direct inspiration from the Garden’s history.

‘The university is excited how this collaboration can produce an original performance, celebrating the Gardens and all it can offer, and benefiting the students’ creativity.’ – Professor Adam Ledger

Our company is made up of final-year Drama and Theatre Arts students, including several international exchange students who bring exciting global perspectives to the work. This cultural richness has been a huge asset, infusing our collaborative process with fresh ideas and storytelling traditions from across the world. The whole cast and stage management team have thrown themselves wholeheartedly into the process. The fusion of international perspectives has helped to craft a performance that aims to be inclusive, something which reflects the values and diversity of the Gardens themselves.

This project is a culmination of everything the students have learnt over the past three years. It is also their final performance as a cohort, and is part of one of their final modules, designed to push them beyond traditional theatre-making. They chose the Botanical Gardens because of the vast aspects they are able to explore, from the way the plants move in the breeze, the sounds of birds, and the interaction between visitors. The rehearsal process will be collaborative and organic, starting with a few days dedicated to exploring the space and discovering what format they want their performance to take. By the end of the week, the students will have created a performance that is deeply connected to the gardens and speaks to the relationship between the audience and the garden’s nature.

This is an event not to miss, if you love nature, theatre, art or simply want to support the next generation of artists – come along to watch!

Tickets are now available to book for this exciting event. Performances are limited and spaces are filling quickly, so be sure to secure your spot. Come and be part of this unique moment in the Gardens’ history — a celebration of creativity, community, and the endless inspiration found in nature.