Impact

The city centre bloomed into a vibrant living oasis filled with thousands of plants and brought to life through free garden tours, audio baths, live music and light shows, costume design workshops, sensory experiences, poetry and performance and more!

Birmingham

It's been two days since PoliNations ended, and we've been reflecting on an extraordinary 17 days in Victoria Square, Birmingham.
PoliNations wouldn't have been what it was without the hundreds of thousands of people that visited, participated, celebrated and reflected with us. THANK YOU to each and every one of you that joined us in the garden.
PoliNations was created by Trigger Collective and led by Bristol based arts organisation <a href="https://www.triggerstuff.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trigger</a>. This project was the result of an incredible amount of work, from a world class team who we feel very lucky to have worked alongside. We'd like to give an enormous thank you to our <a href="https://www.polinations.com/partners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">creative team and collaborators</a><a target="_blank">.</a>
We've been blown away by the enthusiasm for PoliNations. While we were disappointed not to present the full programme as intended following the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, it was an exceptional and truly unforgettable 17 days.
We've listed some of our favourite moments below - and we'd love to hear yours! <a title="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU4moAoFMVU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Watch this video</a> to see what some of our audiences loved most, and remember that you can still explore the Virtual Super Garden&nbsp;is still available through the <a href="https://www.polinations.com/create">desktop platform</a> and PoliNations app. Download now for <a href="https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/polinations/id1634837679">iOS</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.megaverse.polinations">Android</a>.
We can't wait to bring PoliNations to more audiences, connect with more communities, and share more moments with you. Stay tuned, PoliNations is on the move&hellip;

Poli Nations, Created and Produced by Trigger. Photo by Fabio De Paola (8)

Thank you, Birmingham

We have been blown away by the incredible response to PoliNations over the last two weeks. We are thrilled to hear that you have enjoyed your time with us, thank you so much to the thousands of you who came along. Here are just a few of our favourite responses.
Over the opening weekend, PoliNations was featured by <a title="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001bl3s" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001bl3s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC Gardener&rsquo;s Question Time</a> (listen from 32:55); <a title="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp0y3mqy202o" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp0y3mqy202o" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC News</a> published a photo-led feature which was syndicated across other channels including Yahoo News and MSN. Later in the programme, Angie Bual was interviewed by Lauren Laverne on BBC 6 Music Breakfast Show, and ITV joined us on our final day to cover the Plant Giveaway and ongoing legacy of this event.
Have a look at some audience highlights from the first weekend of PoliNations <a title="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU4moAoFMVU&amp;t=2s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
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Articles:&nbsp;
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PoliNations is next Birmingham mega attraction set to dominate city centre after the bull &ndash; <a href="https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/polinations-next-birmingham-mega-attraction-24704852" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Birmingham Live</a>&nbsp;
A square in Birmingham is being turned into a gigantic &lsquo;super garden&rsquo; - <a href="https://www.timeout.com/uk/news/a-square-in-birmingham-is-being-turned-into-a-gigantic-super-garden-080822" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TimeOut</a>&nbsp;
Birmingham to bloom into &lsquo;magical&rsquo; garden with 11-metre trees - <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/aug/16/birmingham-garden-polinations-migraton-plants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a>&nbsp;
Featured in the Guardians Best Photos of the day - <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2022/sep/02/energy-saving-workers-and-the-worlds-largest-zoetrope-fridays-best-photos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LINK</a>&nbsp;
PoliNations Arts Festival celebrates UK&rsquo;s Diversity - <a href="https://www.desiblitz.com/content/polinations-arts-festival-celebrates-uks-diversity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Desiblitz</a>&nbsp;
Giant tree sculptures tower over Birmingham 'super garden' - <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp0y3mqy202o" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC News</a>&nbsp;
&ldquo;The garden is stunning. If you have the opportunity to visit, you truly must... hopefully the popularity of the PoliNations Garden can inspire similar projects to also appear.&rdquo; - <a href="https://www.freshered.com/polinations-garden-makes-birmingham-city-centre-its-home/">Freshered.com</a>
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Social Media Responses:&nbsp;
</blockquote>
&ldquo;PoliNations&nbsp;thank you for providing the perfect calming backdrop to reflect on the mood of the nation - I know it's a far cry from the flamboyant, carnival atmosphere that you had planned this weekend, but please know that you've been loved and very much enjoyed.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;Managed to spend some time at #PoliNations today. The sheer volume of flowers for insects, unlike the normal city annuals that offer little to them. I REALLY wish there was more of this @Poli_Nations&rdquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;This place smells incredible &ndash; one happy nose, right here. You almost forget you&rsquo;re deep in a city, it&rsquo;s so relaxing and I LOVE IT&nbsp;❤&nbsp;@Poli_Nations bravo&rdquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;I originally went intending to just take a couple of photos for Instagram, thinking it might be quite an interesting diversion to start my day.&nbsp; Instead, I came away feeling inspired.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;Today I visited the beautiful gardens which have popped up in Victoria Square, Birmingham. The Number of bees was astonishing, the sculptural trees were stunning and it just felt really peaceful. Definitely going again."&nbsp;
&ldquo;Favourite <a href="https://twitter.com/unboxed2022">@unboxed2022</a> project has to <a href="https://twitter.com/Poli_Nations">@Poli_Nations</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/TriggerStuff">@TriggerStuff</a> - its a reminder that we need sanctuary spaces to build communities of the future. Plus I loved the conversations, quiet contemplation &amp; the ambient sound was just exquisite&hellip;&rdquo;
&ldquo;Sad <a href="https://twitter.com/Poli_Nations">@Poli_Nations</a> won&rsquo;t be in town anymore, i visited about 6 times with people and on my own and found it so healing. Especially the sensory garden. Watching the public&rsquo;s behaviour change in that environment shows how places like this are so needed permanently&rdquo;

Poli Nations Opening Day 02 Sept2022 083

Incredible Responses to PoliNations

<div>
As a mark of respect for the period of mourning ahead of Her Majesty the Queen&rsquo;s funeral on Monday 19 September, we have revised the PoliNations programme.
&nbsp;
The PoliNations garden will remain open until Sunday 18 September as planned, providing a place for reflection as well as to explore the space. At 8pm on Sunday, following the final Sunset Shift, we will observe the nationwide minute of silence.
&nbsp;
Also on Sunday, we are inviting the public to our Plant Giveaway, which will allow thousands of plants and shrubs to go back out and take root in homes and green spaces across Birmingham. Plants will be available from the Wondersphere in Chamberlain Square from 12pm on a first-come-first-served basis, with one plant given per person.
&nbsp;
The revised programme includes free workshops in the WonderSphere, the creation of beautiful Rangoli street art and living sculptures inspired by key plants and flowers from the garden. A number of activities, including The Ballistic Seed Party will no longer take place. For further updates, keep checking the website and our social media channels.
&nbsp;
The visitor feedback and enthusiasm for PoliNations has been fantastic. We are not able to extend its presence in Victoria Square, but we hope it will be able to take root in another city soon.
</div>

Poli Nations Day2 03 Sept2022 116

PoliNations Update: 15 - 18 September

We send our deepest condolences to the Royal Family and to the public at the news of the passing of Her Majesty the Queen. We have been liaising closely with our partners and artists to determine the most appropriate course of action.
The PoliNations garden will continue to remain open, providing a space for the public to come together.&nbsp;
We&nbsp; are still offering a programme of daily events of a reflective nature, including our self-guided headphone tours, yoga and meditation sessions, and the evening soundscape, the Sunset Shift. You can find details about the workshops that are also taking place <a title="" href="https://www.polinations.com/whats-on" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
However we will be suspending our live programme of talks and performances until further notice. The following performances in partnership with BBC&rsquo;s Contains Strong Language Poetry and Performance Festival, due to take place today and across the weekend of 9-11 September, will not be going ahead:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Performance by the finalists of the Laurel Prize 2022</li>
<li aria-level="1">Soweto Kinch: White Juju</li>
<li aria-level="1">Jasmine Gardosi: Dancing to Music You Hate</li>
<li aria-level="1">BBC Words First Showcase reading and film screenings</li>
<li aria-level="1">Laurel Prize Workshops with Elena Karina Byrne &amp; Glyn Maxwell</li>
<li aria-level="1">Across Borders Poets land at PoliNations</li>
<li aria-level="1">Plot17</li>
<li aria-level="1">India:UK Exchange Poets land at PoliNations</li>
<li aria-level="1">Luke Wright</li>
</ul>
We apologise to everyone who was looking forward to these specific events and will provide an update next week about the rest of the PoliNations programme.&nbsp;

Poli Nations, Created and Produced by Trigger. Photo   Katja Ogrin 

PoliNations programme update: 9 September 2022

The PoliNations super garden has been designed by RHS Chelsea Flower Show award-winning horticultural designers, Chris and Toby Marchant. After the event, all 6,000 plants and shrubs were distributed to residents of Birmingham, and community groups from across Birmingham and the West Midlands.&nbsp;
Here, Chris has shared with us the lists of plants and shrubs found in the different planting areas of the vibrant garden. Read on to be inspired!
<h5>The Sunny Prairie Meadow and Fringes</h5>
Loosely inspired by the American Prairie where a matrix of flowering grasses add movement and continuity through the massed effect:&nbsp;&nbsp;
Seslaria autumnalis with silvery wands, Pennisetum setaceum Rubrum with dramatic burgundy bottle-brush flower plumes and Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' rise up slightly higher than the main body of flowering plants in this area. Within that floral body, we feature a high proportion of composite flowers (daisies) in purples and gold. There are flat-headed Verbena bonariensis in vibrant purple, and various different Salvia forms which add spikes of Violet and Magenta Pink. Asclepias curasavica - an important North American Prairie plant, sits alongside bright Rudbeckia Goldsturm. Plants here have also been chosen for their high nectar content in the hope that they might attract some passing polinators (bees, beetles and butterflies) to the space.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Plants here have also been chosen for their high nectar content in the hope that they might attract some passing polinators (bees, beetles and butterflies) to the space.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Full plant list:&nbsp;Asclepias curassavica;&nbsp;Aster umbellatus; Dahlia Honka Series Red; Dahlia Bishop of Oxford; Eurybia x hervyi &lsquo;Twilight&rsquo;;&nbsp;Foeniculum vulgare; Miscanthus &lsquo;Morning Light&rsquo;; Nicotiana affinis; Nicotiana Lime Green; Pennisetum &lsquo;Cassian&rsquo;s Choice&rsquo;; Rudbeckia &lsquo;Goldsturm&rsquo;; Salvia &lsquo;Amistad&rsquo;; Salvia &lsquo;Wendy's Wish&rsquo;; Seslaria autumnalis; Salvia &lsquo;Caradonna&rsquo;; Symphyotrichon &lsquo;Monte Cassino&rsquo;; Verbena bonariensis
<img src="https://cms.polinations.com/assets/e4706afa-d575-4c8b-b028-267c9fa1bd0b?width=2000&amp;height=1333" alt="Poli Nations, Created and Produced by Trigger. Photo by Fabio De Paola (7)" />
<h5>Temperate Forest under the Super Trees</h5>
The irregular shaped beds which fall under the Architectural Trees contain more exotic shrubs, annuals and herbaceous plants with an emphasis on colour and textural variety.
Full plant list:&nbsp;Acidanthera murielae; Amaranthus cruentis Oeschberg; Asplenium scolopendrium; Begonia Bossa Nova Series; Bergenia cordifolia; Carex buchananii Red Rooster; Carex Irish Green; Cyrtomium falcatum; Dahlia Honka Series Yellow; Dryopteris cycadina; Dryopteris erythrosora; Dryopteris wallichii; Miscanthus Morning Light; Nicotiana affinis; Nicotiana Lime Green; Pennisetum Cassians Choice; Pennisetum setaceum Rubrum; Persicaria Indian Summer; Rodgersia pinnata; Verbena bonariensis
<img src="https://cms.polinations.com/assets/ef97c980-300a-4e61-956a-8004e8e96811?width=3264&amp;height=1836" alt="20220827 133554" />
<h5>Sensory Garden and Green Wall</h5>
This area has been designed to offer heightened experience for visitors who may have selected sensory impairment. Here scented leaves &amp; flowers are positioned within reach of all ages, including green wall plantings for those in wheelchairs. The intention is to touch, see, smell and hear the plants!&nbsp;
Full plant list:&nbsp;Lagyrus ovatus; Mentha spicata; Mentha rotundifolia Variegata; Origanum laevigatum; Rosemary officinalis Jessops upright; Rosemary prostrata Capri; Erigeron karvinskianus; Nepeta Summer Magic; Mentha pulegium; Melissa officinalis Aurea; Origanum officinalis Aureum; Lavandula Grapenhall; Lavandula spicata; Seslaria autumnalis; Stachys Silver Carpet; Aloysia citriodora; Salvia argentea
<img src="https://cms.polinations.com/assets/222f2ee7-5974-4938-b43e-4bd9d1921939?width=3264&amp;height=1836" alt="Sensory Garden Fringes" />
<img src="https://cms.polinations.com/assets/14d985b0-3a72-4c38-97c7-741f05ca06b4?width=3264&amp;height=1836" alt="Sensory Garden Meadows" />
<h5>Lavender Iconic Mirror Bed</h5>
Full plant list:&nbsp;Lavandula Grappenhall, Lavendula spicata, Seslaria autumnalis, Nepeta Summer Magic,&nbsp;Origanum laevigatum Herrenhausen, Erigeron karvinskianus.
<img src="https://cms.polinations.com/assets/ce2ca084-5bf1-4f18-9717-a000e5726f91?width=3264&amp;height=1836" alt="Lavender Mirror Garden" />
<h5>Children's Woodland Den</h5>
Full plant list: Fatsia japonica, Fargesia murielae, Pennisetum setaceum Rubrum, Nicotiana affinis, Cyrtomium falcatum,&nbsp;Dryopteris erythrosora, Asplenium scolopendrium
<img src="https://cms.polinations.com/assets/868897c3-bdc0-410a-858b-1bdbd474fbb3?width=3264&amp;height=1836" alt="Children's Woodland Den" />
&nbsp;

Poli Nations, Created and Produced by Trigger. Photo by Fabio De Paola (6)

PoliNations Super Garden Plant List

Jane Memmott OBE is an ecologist and entomologist, and professor of ecology at the University of Bristol. Jane is an expert on the interactions between insect pollinators and plants, and in particular the role that cities can play as a home to pollinators.&nbsp;
You may have read on our website the surprising fact that inspired PoliNations: that 80% of plants in UK city-gardens originated overseas. This fact came from research by Jane.&nbsp;
We spoke to Jane about her background, research, and some of her top tips for promoting pollinator abundance in the green spaces we occupy...
<h5>&nbsp;</h5>
<h5>Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your research, and how you came to be involved with the PoliNations research and development process?</h5>
I&rsquo;ve been interested in natural history, particularly insects, for as long as I can remember. I can clearly remember finding a huge furry, caterpillar in the hedge at infants school and it turned into a huge red and black stripy tiger moth. It seemed like magic at the time, and it still does to be honest, even though I now understand exactly how it happens. I began research on pollinators about 20 years ago and have been working on them ever since. They are endlessly fascinating, and I&rsquo;ve run lots of projects on their ecology and conservation here in the UK and am currently working on a large pollination project in Nepal, looking at how climate change, pollination, crop harvests and human health interact.
I got involved with PoliNations project right at the start.&nbsp; I was contacted by the Brigstow Institute at Bristol University about an event that Trigger Stuff was wanting to run.&nbsp; It was described to me as a &ldquo;mass participatory growing artwork&rdquo; and it sounded intriguing.&nbsp; I&rsquo;ve always been interested in the links between art and science and think that both sides get a lot out of working together.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h5>PoliNations emerged from a surprising fact you discovered through your research: that over 80% of plants in UK gardens come from overseas. Can you tell us about how you came to land at this figure, and expand a bit on what it means?</h5>
This figure came out towards the end of a 10-year stint working on pollinators in towns and cities.&nbsp;&nbsp; This research programme started as a large interdisciplinary project with academics working with conservation practitioners in UK cities and asked how many pollinators are found in four UK cities &ndash; Bristol, Reading Leeds and Edinburgh - compared with farmland and nature reserves.&nbsp; We were very interested in using the data we collected to work out how to make cities better habitats for pollinators.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
When this project ended, a PhD student called Nick Tew continued the research in urban habitats.&nbsp; He used the data on the number of flowers in the four cities and added information on the amount of nectar in each flower species.&nbsp; He found that the vast majority of the plants in gardens came from overseas and that these contributed most of the nectar in the gardens. We were looking at lots of different things in this project, but the fact that most of the plants in British gardens come from overseas, was the one that caught the imagination of the Trigger Stuff team.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h5>We&rsquo;re interested in your research on Urban Pollinators. Could you tell us a bit about the importance of cities as a home for pollinators?</h5>
Cities can be very good places for pollinators to live; indeed, there are more species of bee in cities than in the surrounding farmland. That said, it tends to be the common species that you find in cities &ndash; you don&rsquo;t find the pollinator species that need habitats like sand dunes, salt marshes or ancient woodland in cities.&nbsp;&nbsp; Rather those species need nature reserves or farms with patches of natural habitat on them. But cities can be fantastic places for many pollinator species and given that most people in the UK live in urban areas it&rsquo;s where most people get to see pollinators too.
<img src="https://cms.polinations.com/assets/15ce9d4f-f083-4e27-9a77-8381b08bd0da?width=3008&amp;height=2000" alt="Road Verge Planted with A Mix of Flower Species." />
Many councils are planting pollinator friendly flower beds &ndash; to the joy of the local people as well as the pollinators.
<h5>Do you have advice for what we can do on an individual and community level to promote pollinator abundance in the green spaces we occupy? </h5>
There is lots we can do to encourage pollinators. As an individual if you have a garden or allotment just make sure there are plenty of flowers in there of all sorts of shapes and sizes.&nbsp; Our research showed that garden size really doesn&rsquo;t matter &ndash; it&rsquo;s what you grow there that counts!&nbsp; &nbsp;So, grow as many species of flowering plants as you can, for as long as you can, so that both you and the pollinators get to enjoy the flowers from the first signs of spring until October/November.
Many gardens have a lawn and these look much nicer with some flowers in them, so encourage flowers like daisies and clover to grow there - go for the Persian carpet look, rather than a boring billiard table!&nbsp; &nbsp;Plant flowers and pollinators will come &ndash; it&rsquo;s 100% guaranteed.&nbsp;&nbsp; And once you have some plants in place, perhaps try installing some bee homes &ndash; most garden centres sell nesting sites for solitary bees and there are many recipes for making these for free online too.
At the community level, you can join a Friends group for a local greenspace and get involved with making it pollinator friendly &ndash; this nearly always involves more flowers which makes people happy too. &nbsp;&nbsp;Or join a local wildlife group, everyone will have a local Wildlife Trust and nearly all of them will be interested in pollinators.&nbsp;
<h5>Is there anything we can do if we don&rsquo;t have a garden?</h5>
If you don&rsquo;t have a garden, then there is still loads you can do. One of my first homes was a first floor flat.&nbsp; It didn&rsquo;t have a garden, but it had steps up to the front door and I had 3 large plant pots on the doorstep with lots of pollinator friendly plants.&nbsp; Those three pots were my first garden and I remember them very fondly. &nbsp;These days I have a garden but on my walk into work in Bristol, I walk past a house in the mornings whose front door opens directly onto the street, but the owner has taken over both sides of the pavement and I walk 20 paces through a corridor of flowers, which makes me smile every day and it&rsquo;ll make the local pollinators happy too.
If you have a flat with a balcony, then there is even more you can do.&nbsp;&nbsp; Grow potted plants like lavender which pollinators adore, and which likes growing in dry windy places. Grow herbs too &ndash; herbs like mint, thyme, marjoram and sage all have very attractive flowers for pollinators, and you can put their leaves on your pizza too!&nbsp;&nbsp; Leave space for a couple of chairs and a cup of tea/glass of wine so you can enjoy watching pollinators visiting your flowers.
And if feeling really ambitious, try adding a solitary bees nest to your garden, balcony or allotment.&nbsp;&nbsp; Here&rsquo;s mine at the peak of the solitary bee season.&nbsp; They won&rsquo;t sting unless you hold them tightly and it&rsquo;s very relaxing watching them coming and going carrying their cargo of pollen and leaves.
In my garden right now in early September, my pineapple lilies (from South Africa) and Dahlias (from Mexico) are very popular with pollinating insects. (images below)
&nbsp;
<img src="https://cms.polinations.com/assets/69c72bd7-ce2d-48cd-876b-8f5dd3a6b945?width=3024&amp;height=4032" alt="Pineapple Lillies 2022" /><img src="https://cms.polinations.com/assets/722bde44-f03a-40fa-917c-688a8d232cac?width=3024&amp;height=4032" alt="Bumble Bee on Pineapple Lily[98]" />

Dahlia (bishop of Llandaff)

Meet Jane Memmott: ecologist and entomologist

Jenny Hutt, Dock Street Events: Technical direction, production and event management for PoliNations
<h5>Tell us a bit about your role in PoliNations.</h5>
I organise production and technical elements - logistics and operations and everything else that goes into creating a large art installation.
<h5>How does sustainability fit into your role?</h5>
I'm also Sustainability Lead for the project so have been working across the project with all suppliers to communicate our sustainability aims.
<h5>What has been the biggest sustainability related surprise for you since starting on PoliNations?</h5>
That most people are very willing to engage on sustainability and want to find ways of reducing impacts on the environment whilst still being able to deliver a high-quality event.
<h5>What has been the most challenging aspect of trying to be sustainable?</h5>
I'd have to say budget - it's very challenging to source sustainable materials and costs for them can be much higher - something which will hopefully change as we go forward.
<h5>What advice would you give to other members of your profession who also want to put sustainability at the heart of what they do?</h5>
To have sustainability embedded within the project aims at the outset and ensure it is included as a priority on appropriate meeting agendas and to engage staff and suppliers from the outset making clear the expectation for it to be seen as a core value.
<h5>What sustainability initiative are you most excited about for PoliNations?</h5>
The main one has been how the whole team have engaged with sustainability from the very start of the project using their skills to find different approaches and challenging the normal ways of operating.
<h5>When I need a boost, where can I get inspired about sustainability?</h5>
Nature - sit outside and engage with natural surroundings and realise how important it is for everything and everyone!
<h5>If you had a sustainable super power what would it be?</h5>
To make everyone understand and act on the changes that need to be made.
&nbsp;

1552 Poli Headshot Dock Street 01 (1)

Making PoliNations sustainable with Jenny Hutt, Dock Street Events

Written by Helen Freudenberg in conversation with Simon Needle
Birmingham City is home to around 1 million trees, many of which date back to the Victorian and Edwardian era where London plane and European Lime trees were planted as they were the only species that grew in the polluted cities of the 19th century. But how do we plan for the future of trees in Birmingham?
We&rsquo;ve been working with Simon Needle who is the Principle Arboriculturist at Birmingham City Council, where he looks after all things trees in the city, to rehome some of the PoliNations trees after our installation has finished to add to the existing biodiversity of the city. Simon has been creating an Urban Forest Master Plan for several years through the Birmingham Tree Project with the aim of creating a sustainable urban forest which is resilient, both in terms of the forest itself coping with climate change but also in its delivery of &lsquo;ecosystem services&rsquo; &ndash; making the environment we live in better for residents. Here&rsquo;s a little bit about what he has been doing&hellip;
<h5>Tree mapping</h5>
Alongside Birmingham Tree Project and the University of Birmingham, Birmingham City Council conducted a flyer over survey of the city to map out the tree canopy cover (trees, branches and leaves that cover the ground) across the city. This shows which areas of the city is densely packed with trees (darker areas) and which have fewer trees (lighter areas). They overlayed these images with various other maps such as surface water and river flooding to see which areas are most at risk; air quality; <a href="https://www.metlink.org/fieldwork-resource/urban-heat-island-introduction/">urban heat island</a>; other existing green spaces and multiple deprivation factors. They found that the areas with the highest deprivation factors also had the lowest canopy cover. Lives are lost because of lack of green space and Birmingham City Council is on a mission to change this.
&nbsp;<img src="https://cms.polinations.com/assets/93a40957-845c-4a57-8b80-b3b1e2060f0d?width=1173&amp;height=650" alt="Picture 1" />
Tree Plotter Canopy Cover in Birmingham City Credit: Cartocdn.com
Using these maps it&rsquo;s possible to work out which of their 10 constituencies and 69 wards are in most need of trees (the dark red areas). The map helps them predict what the additional benefits of tree planting would be and therefore how many trees to plant in which areas. You might see one of our trees popping up in these areas!
<img src="https://cms.polinations.com/assets/b8f5ebfa-3355-4f62-b22c-018fd5c6ca15?width=1384&amp;height=647" alt="Picture 1" />
Priority Planting areas in Birmingham City Credit: Cartocdn.com
<h5>Tree planting</h5>
The Council plant over 1000 trees a year including Indian bean tree, Cedar, Hibiscus, Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Rowan, Whitebeam, Magnolia, Cherry and more! The more diverse the collection of trees, the more robust the ecosystem is and they can more easily fight pests and diseases as well as giving pollinators (bees as well as night-time moths, beetles, butterflies, flies and wasps) plenty of choice of food! The PoliNations trees will add to the flora and fauna of this wonderfully diverse collection of trees!
These trees benefit the city on many levels &ndash; they cool the air reducing the need for air conditioning units, they intercept water reducing the flood risk, they disperse pollution as well as sequester CO2 which makes both a healthy environment for us in the short term as well as help reduce the impact of climate change and can even reduce strong winds in the city which reduces the need for heating. All in all, a great thing.
As we start to look further into the future and how we will adapt to climate change, some cities like London are started to plant Lemon trees as our climate will be warm enough to support trees like this. Other cities are sourcing their tree seed from further south, on the continent, where trees are already adapted to the temperatures that we will see in the future in the UK.
If you&rsquo;d like to get involved with tree planting in Birmingham, contact / <a href="http://birminghamtreepeople.org.uk/">Birmingham Tree People</a> and check out the links below for national advice for your own green space whether that&rsquo;s your garden or local park. And look out for the blossom trees in the PoliNations forest!
<img src="https://cms.polinations.com/assets/4aab12d4-6a48-46bc-92e3-40e731e57668?width=999&amp;height=2135" alt="Picture 1" />
Birmingham Trees for Life 100,000th tree! Credit: Simon Needle
Cover photo: Tree planting (Credit: Simon Needle)
<a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/get-involved/greening-great-britain">Greening Great Britain / RHS Gardening</a>
<a href="https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/advice/">Tree Planting Advice - Plant Trees - Woodland Trust</a>
<a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/plant-a-tree">Plant a tree to help nature thrive or as a gift l UK | National Trust</a>
<a href="https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/trees-and-shrubs">Trees and shrubs | The Wildlife Trusts</a>

Picture 1

Birmingham Tree Project

Digital technology is transforming arts and culture, making things more accessible to wider audiences, allowing for amazing visual displays and connecting us in ways that wouldn&rsquo;t otherwise be possible. It has made collaborating with team members across the UK for this project easy. Perhaps even reducing our impact as we haven&rsquo;t all had to travel around the country too much for meetings. But what is the cost of this digital age and how has PoliNations tried to mitigate our impact in this area?
&nbsp;
There&rsquo;s an invisible impact in our daily digital lives &ndash; our phones and laptops use a lot of power not just in keeping them charged but powering the servers and transferring information across the world. Apps stored on our phones use memory and space which in turns uses more energy, and incredible websites that move fast with beautiful graphics use unbelievable amounts of energy. The life cycle carbon footprint of the Information Computer Technology (ICT) sector accounts for 1.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 4% of global electricity use1. This is a phenomenal amount and when you start to think about all the people in the world using phones, computers and other digital systems, it starts to make sense. Put another way, if ICT were a country, it would be the 3rd highest consumer of electricity after the USA and China. And that is the situation now. Scientists predict that in the worst case scenario, electricity used by communications technology could contribute up to 23% of global greenhouse emissions by 2030. That&rsquo;s 8 years away.
Enough doom and gloom. What can we do about it? Well, if the whole ICT sector switched to renewable energy, the carbon footprint could be reduced by 80%. That&rsquo;s huge. And for PoliNations we have tried to minimise our digital carbon footprint too. <a href="https://triggerstuff365.sharepoint.com/sites/FOREST202286/Shared%20Documents/0_PoliNations%20Team%20Folder/02_Technical%20&amp;%20Production/05_Sustainability/Website/Sustainability%20Blogs/PoliNations%20Co%20Grow%20Project%20Blog.docx">Peter and Paul</a> have designed our website and app to be low carbon impact. One thing that uses loads of energy is fast loading imagery so you&rsquo;ll see that our website loads slowly and uses simple imagery to not use up to much energy. It also uses a system which allows the website to use substantially less power than a website built using open-sourced scripting language. In the traditional approach using PHP, each time a user interacts with the website, the site has to connect to the database, fetch the data and send it back. In our approach when content is changed, deleted, or added in the content management system, the content is retrieved by the server and saved as a complete version of the website. This means the server only needs to retrieve content when the content is updated rather than each time someone visits the site, therefore lowering the footprint per user.
The website has also been designed in phases to be efficient and avoid energy intensive rebuilds. It&rsquo;s hosted on <a href="https://www.digitalocean.com/">Digital Ocean</a> which uses 100% renewable energy to power their servers in the UK. The website won&rsquo;t around forever &ndash; a lhuge amount of energy is taken up by websites that are no longer in use but still loitering around on the internet. Closing the website down after the event will save unnecessary carbon emissions.
Without building a more carbon intensive version of the website, it&rsquo;s hard to make a like for like comparison and know how much carbon we&rsquo;re actually saving.&nbsp;
<h5>What can I do to reduce my digital footprint?</h5>
<ul>
<li>A great thing to do is use refurbished laptops and phones. New devices are energy intensive to make and are reliant on the often unethical mining of raw materials.</li>
<li>Think about the design and energy source for any website you run or ask your work whether they&rsquo;ve considered switching to a renewably powered website.</li>
<li>Move data to the cloud &ndash; 72-93% carbon savings can be made in comparison to conventional computing according to Microsoft.</li>
<li>Delete all the apps, email subscriptions and online services you don&rsquo;t use or need as they take up previous data and energy.</li>
</ul>
Thanks to <a href="https://juliesbicycle.com/">Julie&rsquo;s Bicycle&rsquo;s</a> Digital Guide for the statistics!
For more info see:
1Malmodin &amp; Lunden, 2018, The Energy and Carbon Footprint of the Global ICT and E&amp;M Sectors 2010&ndash;2015. Sustainability. vol. 10, no. 9. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/9/3027
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Screenshot 2022 08 19 at 10.13.06

What is the environmental cost of the digital world?

Dishoom&rsquo;s Chef Naved always tastes the masala chai as soon as he sets foot into any of the Dishoom kitchens. Here, you can try the much-loved Dishoom recipe in the comfort of your home.
Serves 4&nbsp;
<h5>Ingredients</h5>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">2 tbsp Assam or Darjeeling tea</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">12 slices fresh ginger</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">1&frac12; tsp black peppercorns</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">12 cardamom pods</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">2 cinnamon sticks</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">5 cloves</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">50 sugar</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">500ml whole milk</li>
</ul>
<h5>Method</h5>
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Put the tea, ginger and spices into a saucepan. Pour on 1 litre boiling and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer until you can smell the spices, about 10 minutes.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Add the sugar and milk, turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Allow 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. (A skin will form, but this is strained off at the end.) Taste to see if the chai is to your liking; boil a little more if you wish for a stronger flavour. Patience will be rewarded!</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Strain, discard the solids, and serve immediately.</li>
</ol>
<h5>You can enjoy a free cup of chai every morning at PoliNations: sample Dishoom&rsquo;s recipe whilst exploring the history of masala chai at our Tuk Tuk.</h5>
<a title="" href="https://www.polinations.com/whats-on/events/tuk-tuk-chaiwallah" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tuk Tuk Chaiwallah</a> Every day of PoliNations 11am &ndash; 12pm and 3pm &ndash; 4pm
In the meantime, discover a <a title="" href="https://www.polinations.com/latest/a-brief-history-of-chai-dishoom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brief history of masala chai in our second blog with Dishoom.</a>
This recipe has been taken from Dishoom&rsquo;s cookery book, <a href="https://store.dishoom.com/dishoom-cookery-book/">Dishoom: From Bombay with Love</a>.&nbsp;

Hh Dishoom Npd Feb 2022 Chai T in 002 (1)

Make Masala Chai at Home

No morning in India starts without masala chai. From Bombay&rsquo;s innumerable tapris (street stalls), roadside kiosks or at home, it is an integral part of the rhythm of life in the city.
Our friends at <a href="https://www.dishoom.com/">Dishoom</a> have been lovingly brewing their masala chai for over ten years, using the same blend you&rsquo;ll encounter at Tuk Tuk Chaiwallah in the PoliNations super garden. Endlessly comforting and satisfyingly spicy, the mix is packed full of fond memories from leisurely Sunday mornings with family to chit-chatting with friends and summer holidays with numerous aunties and uncles.
<h5>But where does masala chai come from?&nbsp;</h5>
Just like the city of Bombay, chai is characterised by international transactions, a complex past and the ability to unite people of all backgrounds.
In 1901, the Indian Tea Association (largely consisting of British tea plantation owners) began a campaign to increase consumption of its product among Indians by providing tea. A daily tea break was introduced into the working day, on the grounds that it was believed to make workers happier and more productive.
During the 1920s and 1930s, Indians began adding masala (spice blend) to their tea to mask the bitter taste (and anyway, they had a long history of flavouring milky drinks with spices). In the 1930s, the Association tried to prevent this as they believed that this meant less tea being used and, in turn, less profit. Adding masala became, in a way, a form of quiet resistance.&nbsp;
In 1947, India achieved its independence from British rule. Indian tea was labelled 100% Swadeshi (Indian produced) and became a source of national pride. In the following years India began nationalising the plantations and, at the same time, the popularity of affordable CTC (cut-tear-curl &ndash; a method of production that breaks each tea leaf into smaller parts which ensures that it mixes beautifully with the spices resulting in a perfect infusion with superb colour and strength) tea soared. Tea soon became the fuel of the nation and, to this day, is the morning start and afternoon sustenance of Indian homes.
By the way, chai simply means &ldquo;tea&rdquo;
For this reason, you probably shouldn&rsquo;t say &ldquo;chai tea&rdquo;
Thank you to Dishoom for taking us on this fascinating chai-filled journey!&nbsp;
In the UK we import an epic 126,000 tonnes of tea from around the world every year! Some of it is grown in harsh working conditions and with the use of chemicals, so keep an eye out for Fairtrade and Organic tea to help support farmers and our ecological system.
<h5>You can enjoy a free cup of chai every morning at PoliNations: sample Dishoom&rsquo;s blend whilst exploring the history of masala chai at our Tuk Tuk.</h5>
<a title="" href="https://www.polinations.com/whats-on/events/tuk-tuk-chaiwallah" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tuk Tuk Chaiwallah</a> Every day of PoliNations 11am &ndash; 12pm and 3pm &ndash; 4pm 
In the meantime, perfect your chai making skills at home <a title="" href="https://www.polinations.com/latest/make-masala-chai-at-home-with-dishoom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with the Dishoom recipe</a>.

Hh Dishoom Ecom Npd Life Style Shoot Nov 21 Chai Sieve 004

A Brief History of Chai

The PoliNations digital project is a visual reflection of a moment in time &ndash; where thoughts, feelings and experiences are captured as flowers in a Virtual Super Garden.
<img src="https://cms.polinations.com/assets/04b4b9d0-1fed-4a02-b770-e0f5a7e8dcca?width=1080&amp;height=1080" alt="PoliNations Virtual Super Garden" />
<h4>How does it work?</h4>
 The Virtual Super Garden takes the idea behind PoliNations and translates it into a digital reality! Within the app, our thoughts, feelings and experiences are captured as flowers, unique to each individual. From the shape of the leaves to the colour of the petals, your flower is influenced by your own personal thoughts and feelings.
<h4>Slow down and reflect</h4>
 Creating your flower invites a moment to reflect. It asks you to be present, and think about perceptions of yourself; to consider thoughts, feelings and experiences that you may have never thought about before.
It&rsquo;s also about accepting how your feelings and perceptions change over time, meaning you could get a completely different looking flower on any different day!
<h4>Consider your feelings</h4>
 The questions in the app are driven by emotional meaning. They involve interpretation and personal reflection to generate thoughts, feelings and ideas around our identities.
The content was informed by a creative workshop, where we were able to collaborate with a diverse group of people to shape and design the questions. We then consulted a psychologist to focus the questions, ensuring they were reflective and open.
<img src="https://cms.polinations.com/assets/37782071-cacf-4fc1-a5a3-70e0873e5415?width=2418&amp;height=2065" alt="PoliNations Virtual Super Garden" />
<h4>Plant your flower</h4>
 Using Augmented Reality, you can plant your flower wherever you like and see how this representation of your feelings changes in your immediate environment. You can even mix your flowers with others, cross-pollinating to create new plant life in a shared experience
<img src="https://cms.polinations.com/assets/766801fb-0f82-4c8e-894b-58f42798e8db?width=1125&amp;height=1474" alt="PoliNations Virtual Super Garden" />
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This project was developed in collaboration with digital agency, Peter &amp; Paul.
&nbsp;&ldquo;From deep diving into nature to find out about all the weird and wonderful things in the natural world to hosting workshops to listen to as many thoughts, feelings and experiences around identity as we could, this experience has really pushed us to understand and embrace the nuances of how we see ourselves and others. It&rsquo;s been an opportunity to ask what is it about our identity that we think is valuable and how do we celebrate it?
We want anyone who visits the virtual super garden to go on a personal journey in which they can immerse themselves and be their authentic self.&rdquo;
Paul Reardon, co-founder
We hope you enjoy your AR experience! We'd love to see your flowers &ndash; please share with us using the #GrowYourMind hashtag and tagging us on social media. Happy growing!

App Teaser Fb Twitter

Introducing: The PoliNations Virtual Super Garden

Dreamt up by Trigger and brought into reality by a standout team of horticulturalists, growers and gardening experts, the PoliNations super garden is coming together with an extraordinary amount of expertise behind it.
Sustainability is at the heart of the garden concept, along with the desire to create a vibrant, lush and colourful oasis for our festival site. We spoke with three nurserymen behind many of the trees, shrubs and plants that'll be bringing Victoria Square to life this September: read on to hear how they are approaching the project, managing sustainability and ensuring the incredible selection of flowers bloom right on time...
Part Three: Cian Lynch, Wyevale Nurseries
How long has Wyevale Nurseries been growing trees in the Herefordshire countryside, and how has your relationship to sustainable growing developed over this time? &nbsp;
Wyevale nurseries is a family run business that was first established 90 years ago. We use composted waste from our tree and shrub production to help put feed and structure back into the land as well as sowing Ley crops on the fields being rested.&nbsp;The hedgerows and headlands around our fields are vital areas for wildlife habitats, corridors, and food sources.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Over the years we have reduced our use of fertilizers and chemical control of pest and diseases with an increase in biological control methods such as Phytoseiulus Persimilis, a predatory spider mite that feeds on the smaller species that can potentially destroy whole crops.&nbsp;&nbsp;
What sort of colours can we expect to see in the PoliNations super garden in September?  &nbsp;&nbsp;
You will see a wide range of shades of greens in the foliage of the trees as well as species with purple foliage and grey foliage. You will be able to see some oranges and reds from berries on some of the species and some white stems on the birch varieties.&nbsp;&nbsp;
 Can you remember the first tree you ever planted - and how is it looking now?&nbsp;&nbsp;
The first tree I planted was for a project with St Michael's Hospice. At the time, I had a very close family member who had cancer and so I felt this was a very personal and meaningful project to be a part of.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The trees that we planted were Betula Utili Jaquemontii which have a striking, white bark and offer some real interest during the winter period where most trees have dropped their leaves. These are still looking magnificent and I will always remember this project for obvious reasons!&nbsp;&nbsp;
 Do trends in your tree sales tie in with the current emphasis on building natural wildlife habitats, and the greening of communal spaces?  &nbsp;&nbsp;
Currently the trend in tree sales Is toward native UK species. This is in line with the building of natural wildlife habitats. Greening of communal spaces requires a bit care, communal spaces can often be quite small and not lend themselves to large, wide spreading native plants. We can see designers using smaller growing varieties of the native species in these areas, plants such as weeping birch or fastigiate birch rather than common birch.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
What makes growing trees an enjoyable job, and what sort of skills do you need to perform the task well?  &nbsp;&nbsp;
First and foremost, you must enjoy working outside and not mind the weather conditions.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Planning, prioritising, timing, patience, chemical knowledge, pest identification, disease identification, understanding of growth habits &ndash; and a thick skin when someone decides they do not like the beautiful specimen that you have spent 10 years growing! &nbsp;
And finally, do you have a good plant fact you can share with us? &nbsp;&nbsp;
The tree most likely to get hit by lightning is the oak tree and this is because they are notoriously larger than most other trees and often standalone in large open areas such as fields and parks!&nbsp;&nbsp;

Image 09 08 2022 at 12.12

Growing PoliNations: meet the nurserymen - Cian Lynch, Wyevale Nurseries!

Dreamt up by Trigger and brought into reality by a standout team of horticulturalists, growers and gardening experts, the PoliNations super garden is coming together with an extraordinary amount of expertise behind it.
Sustainability is at the heart of the garden concept, along with the desire to create a vibrant, lush and colourful oasis for our festival site. We spoke with three nurserymen behind many of the trees, shrubs and plants that'll be bringing Victoria Square to life this September: read on to hear how they are approaching the project, managing sustainability and ensuring the incredible selection of flowers bloom right on time...
Part Two:&nbsp;Dave Root, Kelways Nurseries&nbsp;
Kelways have been growing plants for timed events for many years. What has been one of the hardest plants to get to flower for a particular time, and how did you make it happen?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Nicotiana is proving very difficult, September is very late to get this plant to flower, and we have had to rely on a really late sowing in July. We are trying to grow the plants with as much nitrogen in the pot as possible to promote leaf growth because we do not want flowers until the last minute, and we also want the plants to be as tall as possible&nbsp;
There are various Dahlias within the growing list. How do you go about raising these to flower at the right moment?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Dahlias are naturally flowering in September, but we want them to be at the start of their flowering period rather than at the end, in order that they keep looking good through to end of the festival. So we have potted them on three&nbsp;times into larger and larger pots to keep them lush and healthy&nbsp;
Your growing list also includes some highly coloured tender species like Begonia Bossa Nova and Amaranthus caudatus. Have you grown these before, and how long will they take to develop the full flowering effect? &nbsp;
We haven&rsquo;t grown either begonia or amaranthus before, however we like a challenge! As with most of the other plants we want them fresh in September not tired, and so our growing plan was to not start them growing until quite late.,&nbsp;
Can you describe your relationship to sustainable growing practices, and how they have evolved during your time in the profession?&nbsp;
Our use of pesticides has reduced dramatically and we rarely use them these days, preferring to rely on natural predators, and good husbandry in monitoring the environment and watering to ensure that plants are stressed as little as possible,&nbsp;&nbsp;
What would you describe as the most enjoyable or surprising aspects of your profession for aspirational young growers?&nbsp;&nbsp;
Working outside and with nature is inspiring, and there is always something new to learn.&nbsp;&nbsp;
And finally, do you have a good plant fact you can share with us?&nbsp;&nbsp;
Its better to work with nature than battle against it.

Image 09 08 2022 at 12.13

Growing PoliNations: meet the nurserymen - Dave Root, Kelways Nurseries!

Dreamt up by Trigger and brought into reality by a standout team of horticulturalists, growers and gardening experts, the PoliNations super garden is coming together with an extraordinary amount of expertise behind it.
Sustainability is at the heart of the garden concept, along with the desire to create a vibrant, lush and colourful oasis for our festival site. We spoke with three nurserymen behind many of the trees, shrubs and plants that'll be bringing Victoria Square to life this September: read on to hear how they are approaching the project, managing sustainability and ensuring the incredible selection of flowers bloom right on time...
Part One: Adam Pope, Palmstead Nurseries&nbsp;
&nbsp;How many of your different species are involved in this project, and do any of these have particular challenging growing requirements? &nbsp;&nbsp;
The species we&rsquo;ve grown for PoliNations are a small proportion of the 1000s of lines we grow, but they are important native species for the UK.&nbsp;&nbsp;
The variety of plants, although native, can be challenging to grow as can all plants. Pest and disease, weather and the location where they are growing are all factors that need to be carefully considered for the best results.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;
PoliNations takes place fairly late in the year - almost autumn.  Which of the varieties being grown will benefit from this in their appearance?&nbsp;&nbsp;
Most of the plants we are growing for this project are deciduous so will have good autumn leaf colour. The roses, lavender and fuchsia should still have a few flowers on so will provide some flowering colour.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
There are other plants that may be starting to lose their leaf but will provide interest with stem colour and shape, and the Corylus will also be almost finished forming their fruit: the hazelnut.    &nbsp;&nbsp;
In what ways have sustainable practices been considered in this growing project?&nbsp;&nbsp;
At Palmstead we try to be as sustainable as possible. We recycle all water which we store in 3 large reservoirs. This includes rainwater run off from buildings and poly tunnels and irrigation run off. We collect and store our own electricity through solar panels, which run the pumps for the irrigation and all office appliances.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Any plants we have needed to pot up have been potted into recyclable pots, and all of our growing is considered with as soft a footprint on the environment as possible.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Are there any varieties being used that are particularly attractive to specific wildlife?&nbsp;&nbsp;
The Euonymus europaeus will not only be attractive for its leaf and fruit but they also attract birds and insects. Bees will love the lavender and roses. Aphid will flock to the Euonymus, Corylus and Cornus which in turn will bring their predators like ladybirds. Squirrels, mice and voles will love the hazelnuts.&nbsp;&nbsp;
And finally, do you have a good plant fact you can share with us? &nbsp;
The oldest living trees in the UK are Yew trees (Taxus baccata): their life spans can be up to 3,000 years old. If you are ever looking for living history on your doorstep just have a look in your local Church yard. There is sure to be one there.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

20220713 111205(fil Eminimizer)

Growing PoliNations: meet the nurserymen - Adam Pope, Palmstead Nurseries!

Helen Freudenberg, PoliNations Sustainability Consultant
<blockquote>
Tell us a bit about your role in PoliNations.
</blockquote>
I support the whole team but particularly the sustainability lead in making environmentally sustainable decisions. I advise on and research things from materials for sculptures to energy use for the site and think about the carbon impact of the whole project.
<blockquote>
How does sustainability fit into your role?
</blockquote>
It is everything! I sleep, eat and breathe sustainability.
<blockquote>
What has been the biggest sustainability related surprise for you since starting on PoliNations?
</blockquote>
How responsive people are. I was expecting to have to convince people to do the most sustainable thing but if you show people the impact, they are very happy to adapt to make things more sustainable.
<blockquote>
What has been the most challenging aspect of trying to be sustainable?
</blockquote>
Sometimes society isn't ready for the most sustainable option. It's not always possible to make the most sustainable decision because the systems aren't in place or are not affordable.
<blockquote>
What advice would you give to other members of your profession who also want to put sustainability at the heart of what they do?
</blockquote>
Go for it! Just get on and do it. We don't have time to be perfect and it&rsquo;s easy to spend a lot of time dwelling on things rather than actually reducing your environmental impact.
<blockquote>
What sustainability initiative are you most excited about for PoliNations?
</blockquote>
I'm a data geek so I'm really exciting about measuring the carbon impact of the event.
<blockquote>
When I need a boost, where can I get inspired about sustainability?
</blockquote>
<a href="https://www.positive.news/">Positive News</a> - positive global news stories with a social/sustainability slant
<blockquote>
If you had a sustainable super power what would it be?
</blockquote>
To digest plastic and turn it into something useful.

Img 20200117 122854

Making PoliNations sustainable with Helen Freudenberg

<img src="https://cms.polinations.com/assets/f4a469d4-1316-4346-bb0f-85ee8524f296?width=2048&amp;height=1929" alt="Birmingham Czech and Slovak Club" />
Stemming from the fact that nearly 80% of plants in UK gardens originate overseas, PoliNations uses the garden as a metaphor for how different people, with different stories, can unite in celebration.
This core idea gave the participation team a challenge; we wanted to engage lots of different people around Birmingham in one uniting activity. The answer was obvious: PoliNations had to be literally co-grown by people across the city. Everyone involved has been encouraged to grow flowers to go into the PoliNations garden and invited to the opening of the garden to plant together. The challenge was where to start, and how to do the project sustainably.
There were no clear cut criteria for reaching out to different groups across Birmingham, except us asking the questions &lsquo;who would love this, and who should be part of a city-centre project?&rsquo; After lots of calls, suggestions from the council, emails, and word of mouth, over 50 groups, from all over Birmingham, from varied backgrounds and experiences, are currently growing flowers for PoliNations using our Grow Packs.
<img src="https://cms.polinations.com/assets/15f19a5f-9cef-418b-8072-801c305b010f?width=2776&amp;height=2082" alt="PoliNations Grow Packs" /><img src="https://cms.polinations.com/assets/e5c509b6-a561-4346-be69-91194e588fa9?width=2016&amp;height=1512" alt="PoliNations Grow Packs" />
Grow Packs
We have experts, beginner gardeners, non-English speakers, and children under 5 years old. This gave us our next challenge of creating a growing pack that was fun, simple, and sustainable.
Sustainability is hugely important to our garden groups, and a key priority for PoliNations as a project. This meant choosing, when possible, materials that could be recycled, were made in the UK, and affordable.
Our grow packs included:
Seeds: We chose the marigold as our flower. As a relatively simple flower to grow, it meant we could offer the grow packs to groups without outdoor space, with little to no growing knowledge. Marigolds are a much-loved flower across the world, from India to Mexico, and it&rsquo;s joyful, bright colours work with PoliNations garden colour scheme. We opted for Calendula seed; a marigold particularly loved by pollinators.
Pots: The most difficult product to source sustainably were the pots; we needed pots that would allow growing participants to carry their flowers to site, meaning biodegradable pots wouldn&rsquo;t work. We found a brilliant solution from Aeroplas: a kerbside recyclable product that is made up of materials from post-consumer waste streams. Another great bonus: they&rsquo;re made in the West Midlands!
<img src="https://cms.polinations.com/assets/a9c512c4-35a9-4db3-aad1-b061d306dfff?width=1080&amp;height=947" alt="Masefield Community Garden" />
Compost: The compost and jiffy pellets were easy to buy peat free from a wholesaler. Peat is found in a lot of compost products. But worryingly, 80% of our peatland has been lost or damaged contributing to global heating and harming the habitat of many rare species. Since is our largest carbon store, maintaining peatlands is incredibly important to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere. The UK government will ban sales of peat compost from 2024. The compost we chose, Melcourt Sylvagrow, was made in the UK and vegan friendly, made from the by-product of sustainability managed British forests.
Our designers Peter and Paul designed colourful and bright eco-friendly packaging, in a sustainable and fair-trade tote .
Now hundreds of people across Birmingham are growing for PoliNations. We invite you to join our co-grow groups who will be planting their marigolds at our opening event on September 3rd, to plant your own plant. Head to <a href="about:blank">www.polinations.co.uk</a> for more details.
Written by Holly Bond, Engagement and Programme Coordinator
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The Community Environmental Trust Birmingham 4

Co-Growing for PoliNations!

We're so excited to share our programme for PoliNations - a super garden of magical proportions taking over Birmingham&rsquo;s city centre for 17 days this September!&nbsp;
Inspired by the fact that the majority of plants in our city gardens come from overseas, PoliNations will celebrate the cross-pollination that has shaped British culture. Across two spectacular long weekend festivals, a community planting weekend, and a daily programme of inspiring activity, PoliNations will present artist commissions, talks, workshops, garden tours, and performances spanning live music, spoken word, dance, and drag. All events will be free and open to everyone!
Taking place in Birmingham, one of the most multicultural, creative and green cities of the UK, which has &lsquo;Tree City of the World&rsquo; status, PoliNations will highlight stories of migration shared by plants and humans alike. The epic programme will shine a light on our differences, similarities, roots and freedoms.
Angie Bual, Creative Director, Trigger, said:
&ldquo;The idea behind PoliNations derived from the wave of Black Lives Matter protests that happened at the same time as the coronavirus lockdowns, when more and more people were reconnecting with nature. These phenomena made me think about my own identity and place in the UK, and at Trigger Collective we began exploring the relationship between plants, cultural identity and civic activism. We were surprised to find out that most of the plant life in our city gardens has travelled in from outside of the UK and wanted to use the vibrancy of plant life as a metaphor to understand why we're multi-cultural. Together we make the world more beautiful and interesting, and we've been doing this in the UK for thousands of years. Migration isn't a recent action - it's as old as the rose, apple and lavender are to our gardens. The PoliNations programme is the result of collaborations with members of many diverse communities and it's a true celebration of cultural diversity, individuality and self-expression.&rdquo;
Martin Green, Chief Creative Officer at UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, said:
 &ldquo;PoliNations will be a joyous celebration of the incredible creativity and cultural diversity across the UK today. We&rsquo;re thrilled to have commissioned the festival as a part of UNBOXED, and that it will also provide a spectacular free event for everyone in the final month of the Birmingham 2022 Festival. Audiences from the region and far and wide will be able to experience an event that embraces diverse forms of art, and myriad ways to tell captivating personal and collective stories that reflect the magnificent richness of our society.&rdquo;
<h5>THE SUPER GARDEN</h5>
PoliNations was inspired by the surprising fact that over 80% of plants found in UK city-gardens originate from overseas.
Audiences will discover a super garden in Birmingham&rsquo;s town centre, with giant architectural trees and thousands of colourful living plants beautifully arranged in zones ranging from meadow to forest. As part of a partnership with Birmingham City Council,&nbsp; plants from the PoliNations garden will go back out to re-green the city.
The visionary team behind the super garden, <a href="https://www.triggerstuff.co.uk/">Trigger Collective</a>, include experts in horticulture, arts, science and architecture, brought together by arts organisation Trigger. The Collective includes: <a title="" href="https://www.triggerstuff.co.uk/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Angie Bual</a> (<a title="" href="https://www.thehatchling.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hatchling</a>), <a title="" href="https://www.carlrobertshaw.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Carl Robertshaw</a> (Bj&ouml;rk, Kylie Minogue, London 2012 Olympics Ceremonies), set and costume designer <a href="https://bronia.co.uk/">Bronia Housman</a> (Bristol Old Vic, Take That, Sadler&rsquo;s Wells), design and architecture studio <a href="https://thiss.works/">THISS</a> (The Bartlett, UCL, 2021 Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism), and award-winning horticultural designers Chris and Toby Marchant (RHS Chelsea Flower Show medal-winners, Hauser &amp; Wirth Somerset).
<h5>ICONIC PLANT SCULPTURES AND WALKING WORKS OF ART</h5>
Beyond the super garden&rsquo;s living plants, throughout Victoria Square and Chamberlain Square visitors will discover Iconic Plant Sculptures, inspired by the incredible diversity of plant-life in the UK and their equally colourful origins and uses ranging from protest to ritual and wellbeing. Designed by Carl Robertshaw, the sculptures will feature soundscapes created by local and international artists, in collaboration with Olivier Award-winning sound designer Tom Gibbons.
Throughout the finale weekend, Ballistic Seed Party&nbsp; (15-18 September), a cast of Walkabout Performers led by artist and performer Symon&eacute; (Guinness World Records) will personify the iconic garden plants. Dressed in Met-Gala worthy costumes designed by Clary Salandy (Mahogany Carnival Design) and Bourgeoise aka Joey A. Frenette (RuPaul&rsquo;s Drag Race), these walking works of art will animate the super garden and conclude each day with a choreographed performance at Sunset. Among the cast is the celebrated performance artist aka &lsquo;living sculpture&rsquo; Daniel Lismore.
<h5>PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS</h5>
The PoliNations programme will unfurl across two main stages including the Main Stage and Mother Tree Stage, as well as a workshop dome, Wondersphere. Highlights include two extraordinary weekend festivals, a daily programme of diverse and inspiring activities and a community Plant Up! project open to the public.
<h5>BALLISTIC SEED PARTY Thursday 15 - Sunday 18 September, 2022</h5>
The Ballistic Seed Party will be a four-day weekend finale celebrating self-expression with queer, South Asian, African and Caribbean artists from the West Midlands and beyond leading the programme. Thursday offers a day of glitz and glam for all the family. Friday evening offers an Indian summer&rsquo;s evening of dance and music curated in partnership with Sandwell &amp; Birmingham Mela, the biggest Asian music festival in Europe. Saturday will host an all day - all night party in the spirit of Carnival, Holi, and Mardi Gras brought to life thanks to collaborations with ACE Dance and Music, the national touring company based in Birmingham, Sandwell &amp; Birmingham Mela and Symon&eacute;&rsquo;s cast of Walkabout Performers. On Saturday festival goers will also get to see the tree canopies bursting in a cloud of colour and confetti. Sunday will present local live music from Birmingham and the West Midlands, including Kofi Stone, TrueMendous, and Rosie Tee.
Across this four-day festival, unmissable events celebrating self-expression and queer culture at the Main Stage include The Catwalk Extravaganza hosted by the formidable performer, writer and director Rikki Beadle Blair, which will present queer collectives and individual performers for stunning fashion, lip-sync, make-up and dance battles produced in partnership with Darren Pritchard. Meanwhile the Family Catwalk Extravaganza - part theatre, part competition - ensures all the family can join in. Yshee&rsquo;s Drag Party hosted by Drag artist Yshee Black will also unite an extraordinary group of talent for a showcase of drag, dance and cabaret to reflect on the theme of &lsquo;growth.&rsquo; At the Mother Tree Stage, Drag Queen Storytime, a children&rsquo;s story hour capturing the imagination and play of the gender fluidity in childhood, will give kids unabashedly queer role models. While at Chamberlain Square, visitors can attend free costume-making workshops at the WonderSphere with esteemed designers Clary Salandy and Bourgeoisie aka Joey A. Frenette in preparation for the final party on Saturday.
Elsewhere in the Ballistic Seed Party, music will feature renowned disco collective Horse Meat Disco, playing alongside the UK&rsquo;s most exciting new talent including rapper and hip hop artist Kofi Stone and leading Afro fusion collective Balimaya Project, world music group The Turbans, and many more. Visitors will discover vibrant Rangoli street art by Ranbir Kaur unfolding across Chamberlain Square and Victoria Square and will be able to have their hands decorated by henna artists.
<h5>Poetry &amp; Performance Festival in partnership with&nbsp; BBC Contains Strong Language Friday 9 - Sunday 11 September, 2022</h5>
The Poetry &amp; Performance Festival in partnership with BBC&rsquo;s Contains Strong Language festival will highlight 22 poets from across the Commonwealth including both regional and UK poetry talents. Special performances will include &lsquo;White Juju&rsquo; a live musical performance written in response to the Black Lives Matter movement, Black British History and lockdown by saxophonist and rapper Soweto Kinch (Mercury Prize Nominated). Jasmine Gardosi (Birmingham Poet Laureate Finalist) will present &lsquo;Dancing to Music You Hate&rsquo; a genre-defying performance by the poet, slam champion and beatboxer whose poems explore sex education, LGBTQ+ issues and mental health. Further programming includes screenings of animated films created as part of BBC Words First, Contains Strong Language Radio Club workshop sessions with local schoolchildren and more artists to be announced.
<h5>Plant Up! Friday 2 - Sunday 4 September</h5>
During the opening weekend of PoliNations, the public are invited to attend the Plant Up! which will see diverse local community groups and schools planting flowers in the super garden accompanied by Head Gardeners from The Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
In preparation for the Plant Up! weekend, over 1000 local people have been growing marigolds around Birmingham. The groups involved in the city-wide growing project reflect the diversity of Birmingham&rsquo;s communities, ranging from youth to elderly groups, from expert gardeners to total beginners, including refugee groups, women&rsquo;s groups, and disability action groups.
<h5>DAILY PROGRAMME Wellbeing &amp; Relaxation</h5>
Unfolding beneath the giant and otherworldly tree installations, daily events to relax the body and mind will span the PoliNations site. Each day begins the Awakening, a soundscape (by internationally renowned composer Max Perryment and co-created by Tom Gibbons, PoliNations&rsquo; award-winning Sound Designer) and closes with the Sunset Shift, a light and soundscape (created by Lighting Designer Matt Daw, Sound Designer Tom Gibbons and Composer Max Perryment, in partnership with Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, part of Birmingham City University) inspired by the sound of the bullroarer and transitioning the super garden from day to night time.
Daytime offerings also include Yoga, Pilates and Tai-Chi provided by local groups, Into the Garden: horticultural tours led by experts from The Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
<h5>ICONIC LUNCHTIME TALKS</h5>
A series of Iconic Lunchtime Talks hosted by drag artist Yshee Black will delve into topics including freedom of expression, protest, decolonisation, sustainability and wellbeing, including a special series curated by organic food grower and author Claire Ratinon with artist and educator Sam Ayre. Talks include:&nbsp; &lsquo;Horticultural Appropriation&rsquo; by Claire Ratinon and Sam Ayre, Sui Searle and Dr. Ros Gray on &lsquo;Decolonising the garden&rsquo;, Jon Drori on &lsquo;the histories and roles of plants in our lives,&rsquo; and Sue Stuart Smith and Chris Marchant on &lsquo;The Well Gardened Mind.&rsquo;&nbsp;
<h5>SEE, TASTE, TOUCH</h5>
Tea Tuk Tuk Chai Wallah in partnership with Dishoom Restaurants will be a place to enjoy a cup of tea every day, whilst exploring the history of the beverage and its journey to the UK. From Soil to Sip will invite participants to discover fragrant seeds and plants and brew the perfect mix of herbs and spices. &nbsp;This sensory experience is presented by performance company, Spectra, who hold neurodiversity at the heart of their work. At the TukTuk visitors will also encounter dance performances led by renowned&nbsp; dancemaker, choreographer and cultural producer Jaivant Patel Dance, and performers dressed in specially designed costumes as part of a partnership with British Council - Pakistan/UK: New Perspectives 2022, PoliNations.
Touch Tours of the super garden will also be offered across on selected days for the site for those who are blind, partially sighted or would benefit from a tour of the site exploring textures and sounds.
<h5>VIRTUAL SUPER GARDEN</h5>
For those who cannot access the festival, as well as those who can, the PoliNations app&nbsp; launching in July, will invite audiences to step into a virtual super garden, create flowers and watch them come to life in augmented reality.
<h5>Don't forget, all of our events are free and open to everyone!</h5>
Check back here for the latest udpates or sign up to our email to be one of the first to hear about all thinsg PoliNations!&nbsp;
&nbsp;
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An Artist Render of Poli Nations, Courtesy of Trigger Collective. Credit Thiss, Carl Robertshaw, Trigger (2)

Drum roll..... the PoliNations programme is here!

Our mega costume designer Joey A Frenette has landed in Pakistan embarking on a brilliant new collaboration with two acclaimed fashion designers in Karachi as part of the Pakistan/UK New Perspectives porgramme!
As part of their residency, Joey is working side by side with Pakistan based Yousuf Bashir Qureshi and Riffat Aliani to design and create a series of costumes for our live event in Birmingham this September.&nbsp; They&rsquo;ll be basing their designs on the themes of PoliNations, journeys along the Silk Road and the history of tea, as well as learning from each other&rsquo;s practices. And their pieces will be worn by dancers as part of PoliNations. We can&rsquo;t wait to showcase this amazing collaboration as part of the festival!&nbsp;
Joey, Yousuf and Riffat will also be showcasing their designs at The PoliNations Pakistan Costume showcase in Karachi on Saturday 18th June, make sure you drop by for a sneak peek of their work if you&rsquo;re in the area.&nbsp;
We&rsquo;ve also got distinguished sitar player Rakae Jamil will also be composing&nbsp; two new compositions responding to the themes surrounding tea and the tulip flower - joining forces with PoliNations&rsquo; sound designer Tom Gibbons to present this new work in Birmingham.
PoliNations Creative Director and Artistic Director of Trigger, Angie Bual said: &ldquo;We&rsquo;re so excited by the creative opportunity and collaboration this partnership provides. Exploring, celebrating and learning from the diversity and creativity across our cultures is at the heart of what PoliNations is, so bring part of this season and collaborating with such talented Pakistan based creatives through the programme is a really exciting opportunity for us. We&rsquo;ve worked with Joey on other projects too and know that their creativity knows no bounds &ndash; I can&rsquo;t wait to see how their designs are influenced by time and collaboration in Pakistan this summer.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Laila Jamil, Director Arts, British Council Pakistan said: &ldquo;We are very pleased to have enabled this cultural exchange between UK and Pakistani artists. It&rsquo;s exciting for us to also have collaborative projects for fashion and music under the PK-UK Season. This is a great programme for learning and future projects in the arts.&rdquo;
After the showcase, the costumes will be making their way back to Birmingham where they will be showcased in spectacular fashion by renowned dancers for a special series of performances around a beautifully designed Tea Tuk-Tuk that will serve free chai to visitors while telling the story of tea across history and the Silk Road. Audiences will also have the opportunity to listen to the Rakae&rsquo;s new piece, bringing PoliNations and Pakistan together once more in the garden!&nbsp;&nbsp;
The New Perspective programme showcases the cultural wealth and contemporary creativity of both countries; facilitating professional collaboration for culture, creative and education sectors; with a focus on a shared future through building lasting partnerships. Find out more <a href="https://polinations.com/whats-on/">here</a>!
Fancy a cuppa? Find out more about tea and it&rsquo;s journey to the UK <a href="https://polinations.com/taking-part/">this way...</a>

Whats App Image 2022 06 16 at 9.39.23 Am (2)

We’re in Pakistan!

Fenella Dawnay, Senior Producer&nbsp;
<blockquote>
Tell us a bit about your role in PoliNations.&nbsp;
</blockquote>
I lead the brilliant Trigger producing team. We work to make sure we're on track to deliver the festival. I manage the overall budget, oversee artists engagement, work closely with the production and design teams, liaise with our key partners and work to ensure the best possible experience for our audiences across the festival. All in all, the producing team are here to help the creatives and designers realise their vision!&nbsp;
<blockquote>
How does sustainability fit into your role?&nbsp;
</blockquote>
A big part of this project is the importance of biodiversity. We knew from the start that we wanted to go on an honest and educational journey with sustainability to see exactly how sustainable we could be when developing this event from scratch, and share our findings with the industry. One of our first actions was to engage a sustainability consultant who would act as a critical friend and guide our decision making from the start - pushing us to find the most sustainable solutions we could to the challenges of putting on an epic festival in Birmingham. It has been a really eye opening experience and an illuminating and educational process for many of our creative team on this project.&nbsp;
<blockquote>
What has been the biggest sustainability related surprise for you since starting on PoliNations?&nbsp;
</blockquote>
That biodegradable glitter isn't really biodegradable! And that there's always a better way. Just by asking the question, "how can we make this more sustainable?", you can identify solutions and understand more about the carbon footprint left by our industry.&nbsp;
<blockquote>
What has been the most challenging aspect of trying to be sustainable?&nbsp;
</blockquote>
The fact that the most sustainable thing you can do is not to put on the project. So if you start there and then work backwards, you're just trying to make the lowest impact on the planet while still delivering something awe-inspiring, long-lasting and extraordinary for the audience. It can feel like an uphill battle. And in many cases it's impossible to make something legitimately low carbon, let alone carbon free.&nbsp;
<blockquote>
What advice would you give to other members of your profession who also want to put sustainability at the heart of what they do?&nbsp;
</blockquote>
Engage a sustainability consultant - right from the off! Always ask - "can we do this better?". Have a materials policy!&nbsp;
<blockquote>
What sustainability initiative are you most excited about for PoliNations?&nbsp;
</blockquote>
I'm excited about some of the wins we've made by changing tack to pursue a more low carbon solution - but the audience might not see all of those - so I'll say donating our plants back to the city and seeing the results of the biodiversity assessment. I'm looking forward to seeing how bringing this green space into the centre of Birmingham, even for a short while, might impact the insects and air of the city.&nbsp;
<blockquote>
When I need a boost, where can I get inspired about sustainability?&nbsp;
</blockquote>
Read Jonathan Drori's "Around the World in 80 Plants" to get you excited about the extraordinary diversity of plants and their importance to human life, through medicine, folklore and our cultural history.&nbsp;
<blockquote>
If you had a sustainable super power what would it be?&nbsp;
</blockquote>
Ohhhh - probably cleaning water of impurities and pollution - we need clean seas/rivers!&nbsp;

Fenella Dawnay Website

Making PoliNations sustainable with Fenella Dawnay

Carl Robertshaw, Lead Designer
<blockquote>
Tell us a bit about your role in PoliNations.
</blockquote>
I'm responsible for all elements of design from costumes and props to the large architectural trees and iconic plant sculptures alongside a team of architects, designers and costume designers.&nbsp;
<blockquote>
How does sustainability fit into your role?&nbsp;
</blockquote>
It comes into the thinking about the types of materials - how far have they travelled? How much do they weigh? As well as the design and legacy of anything we create.&nbsp;
<blockquote>
What has been the biggest sustainability related surprise for you since starting on PoliNations?&nbsp;
</blockquote>
Installing solar and wind power on the site would be more costly to the environment than using power coming into the site that is already green. [Birmingham City Council have 100% renewable electricity!]&nbsp;
<blockquote>
What has been the most challenging aspect of trying to be sustainable?&nbsp;
</blockquote>
We've had to adapt our design to be more sustainable but I think of this quite philosophically - any adaptations are generally going to make the project better and are a natural part of the process for a designer. &nbsp;
<blockquote>
What advice would you give to other members of your profession who also want to put sustainability at the heart of what they do?&nbsp;
</blockquote>
Design out non-sustainable aspects of your project. Think about how far things travel, resources that are used to make them, being conscious about single use - what can we reuse things for? Be creative with what you already have. Us designers can help figure out new ways of using things in an artistically attractive way. Things don't have to be heavy (!) and they can be implied, not literal. Keep these things in a corner of your working mind so that you are constantly interrogating what you're doing so that it leads to a more sustainable result.&nbsp;
<blockquote>
What sustainability initiative are you most excited about for PoliNations?&nbsp;
</blockquote>
The rainwater capture from the large architectural tree sculptures. Each tree can capture up to half a cubic meter of rain which will be used to water the plants onsite.&nbsp;
<blockquote>
When I need a boost, where can I get inspired about sustainability?&nbsp;
</blockquote>
David Attenborough's TV series&rsquo; e.g. The Private Life of Plants.&nbsp;
<blockquote>
If you had a sustainable super power what would it be?&nbsp;
</blockquote>
I'm really into things that fly and fluid- and aero- dynamics so I'd love to be able to fly without such a high environmental cost and have that amazing privilege of being held up by the air.&nbsp;

Carl Robertshaw Square

Making PoliNations sustainable with Carl Robertshaw

Angie Bual, Creative Director
<blockquote>
Tell us a bit about your role in PoliNations.&nbsp;
</blockquote>
The dreamer, weaver and developer of the vision. The cheerleader, joker and overall enthusiast.&nbsp;
<blockquote>
How does sustainability fit into your role?&nbsp;
</blockquote>
It's every part of the vision, scoping and shaping of the project. From plant pot to tree top - how can we make our programme tread lightly as we try to switch on power, move objects, erect an installation. How can we feed our team sustainably, transport them and make the whole programme work.&nbsp;
<blockquote>
What has been the biggest sustainability related surprise for you since starting on PoliNations?&nbsp;
</blockquote>
It's been extremely eye opening. We thought we could put in wind turbines and generate our own power. But it would do more harm than good... in this case the energy used to transport and make the turbines would outweigh the amount of energy that could be created in a city centre for a couple of weeks!&nbsp;
<blockquote>
What has been the most challenging aspect of trying to be sustainable?&nbsp;
</blockquote>
Seeing ideas that sound nice on paper turn out to be simply green washing.&nbsp;
<blockquote>
What advice would you give to other members of your profession who also want to put sustainability at the heart of what they do?&nbsp;
</blockquote>
Bring on a sustainability consultant. You'd be surprised at what mistakes we make without realising.&nbsp;
<blockquote>
What sustainability initiative are you most excited about for PoliNations?&nbsp;
</blockquote>
The great plant/ tree giveaway [at the end of the project we will give away plants used in the installation].
<blockquote>
When I need a boost, where can I get inspired about sustainability?&nbsp;
</blockquote>
The Guardian&nbsp;
<blockquote>
If you had a sustainable super power what would it be?&nbsp;
</blockquote>
Solar!

Angie Bual Headshot 2

Making PoliNations sustainable with Angie Bual

Sustainabililty has been at the heart of PoliNations since day one, and as the project progresses, we are keen to share our thoughts, decisions and learnings on how we're making this large-scale outdoor event as sustainable as possible. Production &amp; Events Manager and Sustainability Lead Jenny Hutt and our Sustainability Consultant Helen Freudenberg will be sharing a number of blogs, posts and Q&amp;As to track our impact. This is the first one - welcome!
PoliNations is being created and produced by a diverse collective of like-minded independent creative companies working together to produce an epic outdoor cultural &amp; horticultural arts event in Birmingham in 2022, celebrating colour, beauty, natural diversity, nature and greening cities, to which everyone is invited!&nbsp;
With a creative staff team of around 30 people and an additional 250 people working on the project including dancers, musicians, speakers &amp; artists, crew, production and events teams and 100 volunteers, sustainability is at the heart of what we do and it has been since the very start of our conversations about this fantastical, floral project. We want to make sure that sustainability is considered in every decision we make.&nbsp;
<img src="https://cms.polinations.com/assets/3c0b29e0-a66b-4d32-84b6-16f51a967bcf?width=3780&amp;height=2126" alt="Globe 1850 2021 Mo Bars" />Credit <a title="" href="https://showyourstripes.info/b/globe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#ShowYourStripes</a> <a title="" href="https://showyourstripes.info/b/globe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">[1]</a>
The image above shows the huge increase in global temperatures and research tells us we have 7 years to stop the world from warming so much that we can&rsquo;t go back [<a title="" href="https://www.ipcc.ch/2022/04/04/ipcc-ar6-wgiii-pressrelease/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2</a>]. The festival industry is responsible for over 24,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK every year <a title="" href="https://www.vision2025.org.uk/the-show-must-go-on/" target="_self">[3]</a>, which is a sobering statistic. But the good news is, the industry has the power to not only reduce the direct impacts of live events, but also to lead by example and show its audiences sustainable alternatives at the events they love so that we can continue to enjoy festivals like this for years to come.&nbsp;
For PoliNations, this means thinking about sustainability from the beginning to the end and beyond, and we&rsquo;re lucky that we have an amazing team who don&rsquo;t need any convincing that being sustainable is the right thing to do! In practice this means looking at the sustainability of different materials used to build a stage or sculpture or in a costume, as well as its design; working out the power requirements for the shows; making sure waste is appropriately sorted and disposed of; limiting team flight travel; designing a website that has a low negative environmental impact; bringing sustainably sourced plant-life into the space and working out where it will go afterwards; working with sustainable suppliers and low carbon logistics to name a few. Everyone working on the creation of our project has sustainability on the brain, and we&rsquo;re also taking guidance and advice from professional sustainability consultants along the way to ensure we&rsquo;re really considering all the options. The aim? To show that it is possible to produce outstanding, high impact arts events whilst minimising the detrimental impacts on the environment.&nbsp;
We&rsquo;re doing this within the framework of our <a title="" href="https://cms.polinations.com/assets/4cb4ac18-4379-49b2-80b7-ca41402d8499.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sustainability Policy</a> and Action Plan which the team created together to keep us on track.&nbsp;
One of the main commitments of the project is to publicly share knowledge and our experience about the processes and choices made to inspire others so you&rsquo;ll find lots of info in our blogs in the coming months from &lsquo;Making drag sustainable&rsquo; to &lsquo;The Future of our Plants&rsquo;.
Written by Helen Freudenberg
<img src="https://cms.polinations.com/assets/347fdce3-e0b1-4de7-806f-6d32865117dc?width=300&amp;height=400" alt="Img 20200117 122854" />

Untitled Design

An Introduction to Sustainability

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Today, 10th May 2022, hundreds of children and adults across Birmingham began growing flowers in preparation for the spectacular pop-up garden festival PoliNations taking place from 2-18 September. Produced by Trigger Collective as a part of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK, PoliNations will turn Birmingham&rsquo;s city centre into an urban oasis for a celebration of the cross-pollination that has shaped British culture.
&nbsp;
Over the next 4 months, over 1000 people from 60 diverse community groups across the city will be growing calendula flowers, commonly known as marigold using the PoliNations Grow Packs with all the resources provided. The project will culminate in the co-planting of 600 marigolds in the magical PoliNations pop-up garden. After the two-week festival, all plants will go back out into Birmingham to re-green the city.
&nbsp;
Open to all, PoliNations is part of the UK-wide UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK, and will bring the cultural programme for the Birmingham 2022 Festival to a spectacular close. Through free events, workshops, and performances including live music, dance, spoken word and drag, the festival will celebrate the beauty, colour, and diversity that makes up British horticulture and culture. Up-and-coming and renowned artists from Birmingham and beyond will perform under the shelter of giant architectural trees and surrounded by thousands of colourful plants.
&nbsp;
The groups involved in the mass growing project reflect the diversity of Birmingham&rsquo;s communities, ranging from youth to elderly groups, from expert gardeners to total beginners, including refugee groups, women&rsquo;s groups, and disability action groups. Among the local communities involved include Saheli Hub, a women and girls group focused on community wellbeing; Kinmos, a mental health charity; Women with Hope, a charity dedicated to improving the lives of women asylum-seekers, refugees and migrants; Open Theatre, working with young people with learning disabilities on non-verbal physical theatre; the Czech and Slovak Club, which promotes the welfare and culture of the Czech and Slovak community living in UK; the volunteer growing group Highbury Orchard Community; and Birmingham Cathedral.
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Amanda Clinton, a youth leader involved in the project with The Factory Young People's Centre, said:
<blockquote>
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s fantastic to be part of this PoliNations project. Gardening has helped me through difficult times and I want to teach my young people the mental health benefits of gardening, by getting outside with them and growing for PoliNations. We can&rsquo;t wait to see our marigolds flowering in the pop-up garden this autumn.&rdquo;
</blockquote>
Angie Bual, Creative Director, Trigger said,
<blockquote>
&ldquo;We are so pleased to be working with such a diverse range of community groups across Birmingham for this co-growing project, which is a key part of the festival and its ethos. PoliNations is about celebrating the beauty, colour, and diversity that make up British horticulture and culture. For this particular project, we chose Marigolds, known as Shakespeare&rsquo;s favourite plant and much-loved around the world. They are used in celebrations from Mexico to India, in food, and in medicine and have equally diverse origins.&rdquo;
</blockquote>
The idea for PoliNations grew from a simple but surprising fact: over 80% of the plants found in UK cities&rsquo; gardens originate from overseas. Across the festival programming, visitors will be invited to learn more about the incredible biodiversity of plant-life in the UK, the importance of our green spaces, and celebrate the equally colourful roots, journeys and histories of British people. In addition to live performances and talks, PoliNations will present a programme of events ranging from costume-making workshops with Joey Frenette (RuPaul&rsquo;s Drag Race) and Clary Salandy (Notting Hill Carnival) to garden tours, story-telling, light shows, and more.
&nbsp;
Trigger Collective, a multidisciplinary creative team of experts in horticulture, arts, science and architecture will be supported by local trainees to develop PoliNations across design, architecture, costume, sound, and production. The team is also collaborating with treasured local and national organisations to help bring the pop-up garden to life, including partnerships with the <a href="https://www.birminghambotanicalgardens.org.uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Birmingham Botanical Gardens</a>, <a href="https://www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire">Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, part of Birmingham City University</a>, the poetry and spoken word festival <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p058nfry">BBC Contains Strong Language</a>, <a href="https://www.paradisebirmingham.co.uk">Paradise Birmingham</a>, and the <a href="https://www.dishoom.com">Bombay-inspired restaurant group Dishoom</a>.
The festival programme, which will be announced in June, is poised to showcase a stellar mix of talent including Birmingham&rsquo;s much loved drag performer Yshee Black. As part of her role as PoliNations Associate Artist, Yshee Black said she plans to bring together &ldquo;a group of creatives from the world of Drag, dance and cabaret to celebrate the growth of the city, the people who inhabit the midlands, and personal growth to create a better lasting society for future generations&rdquo;.
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For those who cannot access the festival, as well as those who can, the PoliNations app, designed by agency Peter &amp; Paul, is set to launch this summer. Audiences will be able to step into a virtual super garden, create flowers that are based on your thoughts and feelings and watch them come to life in augmented reality.
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PoliNations is one of 10 major creative projects commissioned as part of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK, which are the result of collaboration across science, technology, engineering, arts and maths and bringing hundreds of free events and activities across the UK in 2022. PoliNations is presented as part of Birmingham 2022 Festival in collaboration with Birmingham City Council.
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Martin Green, Chief Creative Officer at UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK and Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, said,
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&ldquo;PoliNations perfectly embodies the two primary objectives of UNBOXED: to celebrate creativity and to bring people together. Their brilliant work with local communities is only the beginning of what will be a powerful celebration of the many facets of creativity and UK culture, as well as an awe-inspiring and joyous experience for diverse audiences.&rdquo;
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Hundreds of locals start growing marigolds for PoliNations

This year between March and October, the United Kingdom will experience <a class="body-link" href="https://unboxed2022.uk/" data-vars-ga-outbound-link="https://unboxed2022.uk/">Unboxed</a>. The one-of-a-kind government celebration is made up of <a class="body-link" href="https://unboxed2022.uk/explore" data-vars-ga-outbound-link="https://unboxed2022.uk/explore">10 large-scale</a>art projects pushing forward ideas in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics designed to create a larger-than-life experience. But for Angie Bual, the creative director of <a class="body-link" href="https://polinations.com/" data-vars-ga-outbound-link="https://polinations.com/">PoliNations</a>, which will create a surreal urban forest in Birmingham, the idea of art as a form of social good isn&rsquo;t a new concept. Whether it&rsquo;s creating <a class="body-link" href="https://www.withyou.org.uk/" data-vars-ga-outbound-link="https://www.withyou.org.uk/">an app that</a> creates playlists and personal messages for people in the hospital or constructing large-scale theater and art with the <a class="body-link" href="https://www.instagram.com/trigger_stuff/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-vars-ga-outbound-link="https://www.instagram.com/trigger_stuff/">Trigger Stuff</a> collective, she&rsquo;s seen art&rsquo;s power to create connections.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m interested more in the audience than I am the art form,&rdquo; Bual says. &ldquo;I have to make art for a reason. And I think there&rsquo;s a bit of reticence against art taking on the role of social care, social housing, social good because of the public funding that we received, but for me, I think [making] art out of all types of things [is] great. But for me personally, I&rsquo;m driven by issues and driven by frustration. I&rsquo;m driven by trying to solve a problem. And that&rsquo;s how I come up with the ideas that we create.&rdquo;
<a title="" href="https://www.shondaland.com/act/a39797412/5-women-working-for-social-good/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read the full feature&nbsp;</a>

Angie Bual Website New 1

Angie Bual interviewed as one of Shondaland's '5 Women Working for Social Good'

<h5>The fall of the Colston Statue was one of the main inspirations behind PoliNations.</h5>
Following the trial, our Creative Director Angie Bual joined other <a title="" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bristol?src=hashtag_click" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#Bristol</a> locals in discussing what the verdict means to them and spoke to the BBC saying:
&ldquo;To be found not guilty of something that we literally saw happen, it did surprise me.&nbsp;But I think it was a bold decision and is validating.&nbsp;We're one of the most unequal societies in Britain.&nbsp;We have to revisit our history to understand why we are a multicultural nation.&nbsp;We've been trying to get it pulled down or the name changed since the '70s and it took an act like this to take it away.&nbsp;Our legal system has acknowledged that citizens can have a role in their future.&nbsp;I think it is enough. We don't need to pull down any more statues.&rdquo;
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&ldquo;We're one of the most unequal societies in Britain.&nbsp;We have to revisit our history to understand why we are a multicultural nation.&rdquo;&nbsp;Angie Bual
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<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-59969039">Read the full feature</a>.

Angie Baul, Creative Director of PoliNations and Artistic Director of Trigger

Colston Four verdict: What should happen next?

<h5>Our Creative Director Angie Bual and Professor Jane Memmott discuss the inspiration behind PoliNations and how the themes of botany and seed dispersal connect with Scottish history.</h5>
&ldquo;PoliNations was inspired by the toppling of the Edward Colston statue in Bristol during the Black Lives Matter movement. It made us think about how and why we are such a multicultural nation and ways to tell this story better. Obviously it made us think about slavery, which has links to Edinburgh and Glasgow in particular, then empire and colonialism and migration, but we wanted to look at it in a more positive and accessible way. So we decided to use plants as a metaphor for the multicultural vibrancy that has been brought to the UK and invite us to reimagine our societies as more diverse, greener and wilder places to be.&rdquo;
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&ldquo;&hellip;while the festival brings all of this imperial history to light, it&rsquo;s not about making people feel guilty or bad. It&rsquo;s about educating and highlighting things many of us know nothing about but that actually directly affect us in our daily lives so we can be more informed.&rdquo; Angie Bual
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Professor jane Memmott also explains the history behind some of the everyday plants you may not have realised aren&rsquo;t native to Scotland and the UK, such as apple trees, potatoes, roses, Douglas fir trees and more.
<a href="https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/putting-down-roots-festival-to-celebrate-the-immigrant-plants-of-scotland-as-almost-80-of-city-plants-hail-from-overseas/">Read the full article.</a>

Various people relaxing under a canopy of synthetic trees in the centre of Birmingham

Putting Down Roots: Festival to celebrate the immigrant plants of Scotland as almost 80% of city plants hail from overseas

<h5>Birmingham Live get excited about our &lsquo;bold plan to create a giant forest-garden in Victoria Square&rsquo; as PoliNations heads to Birmingham in 2022!&nbsp;</h5>
&lsquo;A major cultural event to be held in Birmingham after the Commonwealth Games will show how the city's human diversity is reflected in gardens across the UK.
PoliNations will celebrate 'the extraordinary diversity of the UK's people and plants' as part of an exploration of migration.
As well as creating a forest in Victoria Square, collaborative projects and performances will include evening light shows. Educational tents will provide 'havens' for visitors to learn about people of all genders, ethnicity and religions. There will also be a Glam Dome - featuring leading Drag costume designer Bourgeoisie&nbsp;(RuPaul&rsquo;s Drag Race) for Drag makeovers.
The forest-garden will feature &lsquo;Hybrid Tea Rose&rsquo; (hybridised China and Asian forms), classic &lsquo;Weeping Willows&rsquo; (introduced from China and the Middle East), lavender (brought over from countries around the Mediterranean), productive apple trees (imported from Kazakhstan) and tulips (Central Asia). The plants will be co-grown and co-planted with local schools and community groups.
Each day there will be forest tours, audio baths, light shows, talks and performances while the towering &lsquo;supertrees&rsquo; will capture rainwater and create electricity through wind power to deliver a low carbon event.&rsquo;
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Organisers say the event - to be held in Victoria Square next September &ndash; &lsquo;has been inspired by the pandemic as well as 'the long-awaited reckoning of the impacts of slavery, empire and colonialism through the Black Lives Matter movement protests'.
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<a href="https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/victoria-square-forest-garden-40ft-22238048">Read the full article</a>.&nbsp;

Large sculpture being lifted out of Victoria Square

Victoria Square to get a forest-garden with 40ft trees and 'Drag' makeover dome

<h5>The Guardian showcase the ten UNBOXED commissions, highlighting PoliNations as a celebration of the multicultural origins of the UK&rsquo;s people and plants.</h5>
Ten projects selected from nearly 300 submitted ideas form a &ldquo;once-in-a-lifetime&rdquo; extravaganza, according to Martin Green, Unboxed&rsquo;s chief creative officer, who was the head of ceremonies for the 2012 London Olympics.
He said it was the UK&rsquo;s &ldquo;biggest and most ambitious public creative programme to date. Unboxed represents an unprecedented and timely opportunity for people to come together across the UK and beyond and take part in awe-inspiring projects that speak to who we are and explore the ideas that will define our futures.&rdquo;
Free events will take place &ldquo;from the Outer Hebrides to Dover, and from Omagh to Swansea, right across the UK&rdquo; between March and October next year, said Green. Thousands of schoolchildren will take part in competitions and educational programmes, and hundreds of jobs and &ldquo;opportunities for emerging talent&rdquo; will be created.
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&ldquo;As the programme unfolds, it will both entertain us and inspire us to imagine what the future might hold.&rdquo; Dame Vikki Heywood, the chair of the Unboxed board.
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<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/oct/21/ten-projects-chosen-for-unboxed-creativity-in-the-uk-festival">Read the full article</a>.&nbsp;

Ten projects chosen for ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ UK festival of creativity

<h5>Birmingham Live announce PoliNations as an &lsquo;ecological celebration of diversity&rsquo; with promise to ignite the senses and deepen understanding of our shared history.</h5>
&lsquo;A spectacular forest garden used to represent diversity is set to be unveiled in Birmingham city centre in 2022. The monumental pop-up, known as "PoliNations", is a celebration of multiculturalism through the biodiversity of plant life.
The immersive forest will be filled with real and architectural trees as well as plants, grasses and flowers grown in collaboration with local communities. From daisies to horse chestnut trees and dahlias to the English rose, many of the plants that we consider to be part of the UK landscape originate overseas.
PoliNations &ndash; also part of the <a href="https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/commonwealth-games-2022-announce-festival-21602913">Birmingham 2022 Festival</a> &ndash; will celebrate the global origins of the UK&rsquo;s plants and population. It will feature immersive installations, live music, talks and performances next summer and autumn.&nbsp;
The event will culminate in a party that brings together the spirit of the Notting Hill Carnival, Pride and Mela with the joyous anarchy of Thailand's Songkran celebrations and the Hindu festival Holi.&rsquo;
<blockquote>
"PoliNations celebrates the colour and vibrancy that plants and flowers have brought to the UK and invites us to reimagine our cities as greener and wilder places to be" Angie Bual
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<a href="https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/spectacular-forest-garden-created-birmingham-21924436">Read the full article</a>.

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