What is The Speaking Garden?
The Speaking Garden is a multimedia installation inspired by the British Library’s Unearthed exhibition, Leeds Libraries special collections and the gardeners and growers of Leeds, created by Buffalo Sound Design.
You can expect a peaceful space for reflection with colourful projected visuals and a soothing soundscape that includes a growing ‘garden of voices’ who will share what gardening or growing means to them and what they’ve learned that they would pass on to others.
Where will it be?
The Speaking Garden will be in Room 700, Leeds Central Library from 10th September 2025. Room 700 is on the Arts Floor and is on the 1st floor of Central Library. To find out out about accessibility and library opening times, please have a look at the Leeds Libraries website HERE
How can I get involved?
If gardening or gardens means something to you, we’d like your voice to be part of The Speaking Garden! We’re in the process of collecting the seeds for our garden of voices. We’re gathering audio clips of the people of Leeds answering two questions:
Why do gardens or gardening mean something to you?
What have you learned from gardening that you’d like to pass on to others?
If you’d like your voice to be part of The Speaking Garden there are a few ways you can get involved.
You can:
Record yourself on your phone or computer answering our two questions and send it as an attachment or link to Leeds.Libraries@Leeds.gov.uk. You can find some instructions about how to do this on an iPhone HERE and on Android HERE
Attend one of THESE Leeds Libraries events and record your audio with one of the library team.
Look out for the Buffalo Sound Design team who’ll be at THESE gardening related places over the next two months. Lins, Jon or Tom will record your contribution for you.
Contact
Leeds.Libraries@Leeds.gov.uk
Location
Room 700 Central Library
Municipal Buildings Calverley Street
Leeds
LS1 3AB
United Kingdom
