Living City: people, plants and place is a three-year visual arts and design program working with Canberra’s suburban communities and many urban natural environments. The program encourages accessible and inclusive, art-based engagement with urban spaces while addressing climate change, urban biodiversity, wellbeing and conservation.

In 2024, for the first year of the program, the ANU School of Art & Design is collaborating with Gawari Mada (Holt Micro-Forest).  Gawari Mada Micro-Forest and Food Forest can be found at the Boyle Place Playground (opposite the Holt Shops across Beaurepaire Crescent). A Micro-Forest is a small but complete ecosystem that mimics a forest on a tiny scale. It’s a dense pocket of diverse vegetation that contains trees, shrubs, climbers and ground-covers that create a mini-ecosystem. A Micro-Forest captures carbon, breaks down decomposing organic material to return nutrients into the soil, creates habitat for wildlife and has a cooling effect on the surrounding area. Learn more.

This program is funded by ArtsACT and the ANU School of Art & Design.

EVENTS

Sunday 15 December, 10 - 2pm
Plant Sensibilia Machine at Gawari Mada with Rebecca Mayo

Thursday 14 November, 9 - 12pm
Textile design workshop (natural plant dyeing and final textile design) with Hands On studio, with Dr Rebecca Mayo
Private event.

Thursday 7 November, 9 - 12pm
Textile design workshop (screen-printing) with Hands On studio, with Dr Rebecca Mayo
Private event.

Saturday 14 September, 10.30am - 1pm
Visualising Gawari Mada with Mitchell Whitelaw
Learn more.

Saturday 31 August, 10am - 2pm
Dye workshop led by Dr Rebecca Mayo. Workshop assistant(s): Bridget Baskerville, Greta Cooper
Learn more.

Friday 21 June, 9.30am - 12.30pm
Discovery and Drawing at Gawari Mada with Latham Primary School. Workshop assistant(s): Sophia Flo Dacy-Cole
Private event.

Sat 18 May 2024, 11am - 2pm
Discovering Gawari Mada with Mitchell Whitelaw. Workshop assistant(s): Beth O'Sullivan
Learn more

Sat 04 May 2024, 11am–2pm
Microscope Drawings with Erica Seccombe. Workshop assistant(s): Sophia Flo Dacy-Cole
Learn more

Sun 24 March, 10am - 11.30am
Community Consultation with Gawari Mada (Holt Microforest), local members and Tyronne Bell, Ngunawal descendant