What flavour was the soup??

Allotment Soup 08 took part on a fantastically sunny Autumn day at Meersbrook allotment site in the Gleadless Valley – a fantastically labyrinthine site with over 400 allotments. Grow Sheffield worked closely with the Heeley & District Allotment Society and Carfield Farm Community Garden to make this a great participatory day of sound, music, dance, performance, poetry, games, installations and artwork. Ten allotments and two community gardens were opened up for three hours and visitors explored the site with a map and guided by stewards. Home-made food and drink was provided (including freshly pressed juice and soups made from veg. grown on site).

Over 150 people experienced this seasonal cornucopia. People met their allotment neighbours for the first time or had the chance to visit an allotment. Many of the artists and performers responded directly to the site and materials found there in their creations. (see photos).

The afternoon concluded with a band of merry-makers dancing the newly created ABUNdance at Carfield Farm Community Garden with musical accompaniment by Rob Worthington and Jerry Simon (who also wrote the ABUNdance tune).

A huge thank-you to all of the people involved in the day as performers, artists, allotment holders, stewards, chefs, juicers, munchers and punters.

.

artists and performers:

Amanda Going

Amanda Packham

Anne-Marie Culhane

Conor Nutt & friends

Alys Mendus

Miriam Keye

Stephen Watts

Wayne Hill

Laura Wild

Matt Black

Sue Hale

Jerry Simon

Madame Zuccinni

Jo Salter

Claire Cannon

Danieli Rinauldo

Lois Palframan

Rob Worthington

Boomshanka Tribal Belly Dancers