Learning Drop-in event
Summer Garden Salon
Join us in the museum’s garden for an afternoon of wholesome talks and activities celebrating horticulture and the relationship between design and nature with Tom Leonard (The Drag Queen Gardener), Christie Swallow, Computer Room and Flock Together.
Priority booking for members.
Join us for an event inspired by our upcoming exhibition More than Human, bringing together art, science and radical thinking to ask how design can help our planet thrive by shifting its focus beyond human needs.
The Garden Salons at the Design Museum are seasonal gatherings where you can enjoy inspiring talks and activities led by experts from the worlds of horticulture, nature and design. Meet the garden volunteers, who share stewardship of the Dame Sylvia Crowe Garden; try your hand at horticultural and creative activities; swap gardening tips and tricks; have a refreshing drink and listen to inspiring speakers, all in this tranquil green space.
The programme includes:
Short talk: Gardening Sins and Rants by Tom Leonard, aka the Drag Queen Gardener.
Walkshop: Exploring the birdhouse and our relationship with birds, with Computer Room Studio and Flock Together, as part of the Dwellings, Rehomed display.
Workshop: Designs for Nesting: Imagining Parakeet Birdhouses, with artist Christie Swallow.
Q&A session with all guest speakers chaired by Assistant Curator of Public Practice Nao Zaragoza.
This event is for everyone interested in the intersections between horticulture, design, creativity, and wellbeing. It takes place in the framework of the More than Human exhibition.
Please note that late arrival will result in limited access to the full programme.
Facilitators
Computer Room is a research-oriented design collective forging new narratives within material culture. Founded by Andu Masebo, Jesse Crabtree Butterfield & Charlie Humble-Thomas in 2023, their goal is to expand the discourse around material culture by creating physical artefacts and spaces, with a common interest in problematic aspects of society and industry. With each member having their own personal practice, their collective work brings different perspectives and ways of making things together under one roof.
Christie’s work engages with the entanglement of humans and non-humans within the Anthropocene, seeking to disentangle the webs of meaning that weave through contemporary attitudes towards 'nature'. They have a background in architecture, their practice works through textiles, co-creation, drawing and archival research. As Designer in Residence at the Design Museum, their research investigates the phenomenon of the urban parakeet to understand how we might redefine “nature” in an age of climate crisis.
Flock Together is a bird-watching collective that brings creativity to nature. Started in 2020 by Ollie Olanipekun, the community quickly became the driving force behind a global outdoors movement where marginalised groups were taking up space in nature.
Senior Gardener at Brownsover Hall, Tom merges horticultural expertise with creative flair through his drag persona, Daisy Desire (The Drag Queen Gardener). A passionate advocate for mental well-being, individuality, and the benefits of growing your own, Tom inspires diverse audiences through talks, events, and media. Alongside leading the restoration of Brownsover Hall’s historic gardens, he uses his platform to promote the joy and accessibility of gardening, earning wide recognition across the horticultural community.
Book Online
Adult:£12
Member: £11
Student/Concession: £11
Carer: Free
• Pre-booking is required as places are limited
• Individuals can purchase a maximum of 4 tickets. If you require a sighted companion, please add a Carer ticket to your order
• Suitable Age: 12 +. Children under 16 must be accompanied by a responsible, ticket-holding adult
• Assistance dogs are welcome
Tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable. Visit our Terms & Conditions page for further information.
Initiated in partnership with the Design Age Institute in 2021, Growing Together explores design and horticulture as catalysts for positive social change and nurtures community connections in response to the planetary emergency.
'Growing Together' engages local residents to share stewardship of the Dame Sylvia Crowe garden at the Design Museum. The garden was named in memory of the pioneering landscape architect who designed the landscaping for the Commonwealth Institute in 1962.
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