
In late summer 2023, Small Acts invited audiences on a journey through Trengwainton Garden to discover Cornwall’s unique role in global plant collecting in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Katie Etheridge and Simon Persighetti collaborated with artist and writer Maria Christoforidou and performance artist and musician Amy Lawrence to create a meditative, multi-layered, immersive and sensory performance that invited audiences to reflect on difficult and sensitive questions in the context of a garden that was originally created with wealth derived from the labour of enslaved people.
‘It felt like I was being transported. I was left wanting to know more, with curiosity. I liked how it reflects on the rich history of each species. I had not contemplated before that so many plants were imported from countries and whether the plants are happy about that, I’d never considered that before. The performers did a good job of not forcing it down your throat, instead, they planted curious bits of information…it was special, a lovely way of encouraging people to question and invite awareness’. Audience member
‘One piece of information I’m going away knowing is the ability that plants have to grow and cultivate our experiences just as we cultivate theirs. Acknowledging the origin of such beauty and its paradoxical aesthetic value made me more deeply appreciative of the plants and the complex story that brought them here.’ Audience member
‘It made me feel awakened and like more people need to know this. I’m interested in plants and politics, but don’t know much about the Cornish context. I had a deepened experience, thank you.’ Audience member
Alongside the making of the performance, Small Acts also created a fold-out map exploring Cornish gardens and their global connections and brought to life by unique narratives on key people and plants. ‘A Variegated Map of Cornish Gardens’ has been created in consultation with National Trust staff and other experts in plants, people and place, and is informed by research into colonial histories and plant collecting by Cathy Turner (University of Exeter), Ann Matchette (University of Bristol) and Fridy Duterloo (National Trust).
CLICK TO VIEW Variegated Map of Cornish Gardens by Small Acts
Filmmaker Barbara Santi was commissioned to create a short film in response to the live performance. Closed captions are available and can be switched on or off on the Vimeo player below.
WATCH FILM BELOW
Collaborating Artists
Maria Christoforidou is a Zambian Greek artist, writer and researcher. Maria is motivated by a hope to generate temporary truths and pauses that allow multispecies justice, brown bodies and plant comrades to evade classification, come to rest, undoing unspeakable knots of otherness. Maria is a Fine Art lecturer at Falmouth University, she lives and works in Cornwall and Athens. uncategorisedmaterial.com
Amy Lawrence is a performance artist and music creator living and working near Penryn, Cornwall. They have recently been in residence at Britten Pears Arts, Gwithian Chapel and Prah Foundation. Amy’s studio is attached to a small garden and greenhouse where they grow herbs and vegetables.
Performance Credits and Thanks
PLANT NAVIGATIONS a Small Acts production
Written, created, composed and performed by
Maria Christoforidou
Katie Etheridge
Amy Lawrence
Simon Persighetti
Stage Manager
Vicki Cox
Wardian Case made by
Ryan Hollywood
Voices in the garden in order of appearance
Marina Rule Visitor Experience Officer, National Trust Trengwainton
David Garwood Former Head Gardener, Tremough
Fridy Duterloo National Trust Cultural Heritage Curator for Cornwall
Abi Hutchinson Arts and Culture Lead, Black Voices Cornwall
Harriet Gendall Ethnobotanist, University of Kent and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
John Lanyon Head Gardener, National Trust Glendurgan, Trelissick, Trerice
Plant Navigations film
Barbara Santi, Awen Productions
Photography
Steve Tanner
Thanks to
National Trust staff and volunteers at Trengwainton especially gardeners Cat, Jennie, Gareth and Matt
Clare North Visitor Operations & Experience Manager West Cornwall
Mark Nesbitt Senior Research Lead, Kew Gardens Economic Botany Collection
Fridy Duterloo National Trust
Cathy Turner University of Exeter
Ann Matchette University of Bristol
Black Voices Cornwall
Hypatia Trust, Annie Rhodes, Sophia Edlund, Carys Boughton
Sally Westaway, Will Kinchin
Additional Map Credits and Thanks
Graphic design: Will Works