David Livingstone Birthplace has announced three new workshops called ‘My Own Scottish Flower Garden’. The workshops will be facilitated by artist Sophie Minervini and aim to promote curiosity and connection with our natural world. Each workshop will be supported by ‘Grow Wild’ which is a national outreach programme of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Livingstone had a strong connection with the Kew Gardens, he wrote letters and sent plants and seeds to Kew to be identified during his journey across Africa. He also sent sketches of maps of lakes along the river and even tools made from plants to be displayed in the Kew’s Museum.
The David Livingstone Museum is set in acres of beautiful park land and includes nature trails, the Livingstone and Lion sculpture, and the exciting play park, which was inspired by Livingstone’s steamboat and his journeys along the Zambezi River.
Each workshop has been inspired by Livingstone’s love for exploring and his connection to the Kew Gardens. They will run between the 21 August to the 4 September and are open to all ages between 5-14 with accompanying adults. Each workshop is free of charge and encourages participants to explore the surroundings around the museum and connect with Scotland’s nature.
Natalie Lorimer, Youth Engagement Officer at the David Livingstone Birthplace Museum, said: “Each workshop will teach participants about different plant life in our local surroundings and will also give the opportunity for everyone to be creative.
“In our first workshop, after we have explored our local plant life, we will then draw our findings and create beautiful art pieces influenced by flowers we see. We are combining learning about nature with creativity and encourage each participate to be curious and connect with our natural world.”
Workshop One: Seed Head & Drawing from 1pm-3pm on Sunday 21 August
In this free workshop, participants will collect seeds and document the flowers they see through the David Livingstone Birthplace grounds. The workshop will ask questions about each plant such as is it invasive? Is it native? How does this plant spread it seeds? After discovering all the intriguing plants across the grounds, the group will draw their findings using inspiration from the plant life. These artworks will then be used in a final artistic output for the project.
Workshop Two: Seed Bombs Workshop from 1pm-3pm on Sunday 28 August
During the workshop participants will learn all about seed bombs which are balls of compost, clay, and flower seeds squeezed together and left to dry in the sun. Each participant can make their own seed bomb to take home and plant in a garden or plant pot. The museum will share knowledge about native Scottish flowers and explore the future of plant life in Scotland.
Workshop Three: Natural Watercolours Workshop 1pm-3pm on Sunday 4 September
In this workshop, participants will make natural paints using Scottish plants and flowers grown and foraged within the David Livingstone Birthplace grounds. These can then be used to create beautiful artworks to be displayed.
The workshops will be located at the Pavilion Events Space and will also be outdoors on the museum’s grounds. To book to attend a workshop, go to the David Livingstone Birthplace Museum website: www.david-livingstone-birthplace.org/events
