Garden Stories: Sensory tours among sculptures and trees The smooth bark of a beech, the feathery plumes of ornamental grasses, the waxy leaves of aeoniums and yuccas …. For people with a visual impairment, touch offers valuable information about a wide variety of trees and plants – and visitors to the Barbara Hepworth Museum Sculpture Garden this spring will also have the chance to get a feel of some wonderful works of art. Tate St Ives is offering Sensory Explorer Tours at the garden on 7th and 18th May, designed specifically for visitors who are partially sighted. The tours, which include spoken descriptions of plants, were planned in consultation with Hepworth gardener Jodi Dickinson, and will be led by Susanna Webster and Cassie Penn from the Tate’s learning team. Talking Art sessions have been operating at the Tate for nearly 20 years, and in 2019, a greater focus was given on exploring the benefits provided by the natural space of the garden. Georgina Kennedy, Learning Curator: Public Programmes, says: “It can be a challenge for people who are partially sighted to negotiate the garden, and at the first event, we encouraged them to use other senses – to feel textures, smell flowers, taste flavours like mint and lemongrass, and listen to birdsong and the movement of trees. We talked not just about individual plants, but about the garden as a magical environment designed by Hepworth as a site for her sculptures, and then we made miniature gardens with sculptures to sit inside them. “The session was so well-received that we decided we would run then annually. Then Covid came, so we couldn’t do tours in 2020 and 2021. We know that many people still feel anxious about returning to public spaces, and we hope to put them at ease at the sessions in May. We’ll be
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focussing on the trees as markers, as we move through the spaces between them, and we’ll also aim to give people a sense of the uniqueness of the garden, as an enclosed and intimate space in the heart of St Ives. And if anyone want to hug a tree, we’ll support them to embrace its shape and size.” People will be able to savour the scents and textures of the garden in May: teucrium and cineraria, Arum lilies, Canary Island geraniums, and an abundance of blossom. As Georgina says: “Touching a leaf feels very different from touching a sculpture. Four Square Walk Through is 4.3m tall, and you can go inside it – and you can also feel Barbara Hepworth’s signature at the base of the sculpture. It can give you a sense of scale.” The Tate is offering tours to small groups of blind and partially sighted people throughout the two days. Participants can bring a friend or support worker. “By having a small group at each session, we can personalise people’s experience of the garden, depending on their specific access requirements,” says Georgina. Each slot lasts for one hour and 15 minutes. The events are free to attend, and no knowledge of art or gardens is necessary.
To book, call 01736 796226 or visit tate.org.uk/stives. “Amongst the sculptures in the sunshine, the leaves were rustling and there was such a sense of fun – the bustle, the chatter, the laughter … I felt stimulated and connected with others and with the garden and with Barbara Hepworth. I felt blessed to be included in such a special event.” A participant in the first Talking Garden event in 2019
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