Garden Series
An evolving choreographic investigation into plant life
SAFFY SETOHY & CLAIRE PENÇAK
A collaboration exploring our sensory engagement with plants — how they change us, and how we might become more attuned to what they offer.
THE INVESTIGATION
How plants change us, and what dances and gestures might arise from this.
Garden Series is an evolving collaborative choreographic investigation between Saffy Setohy and dance artist Claire Pençak, exploring our sensory engagement with plant life. They are interested in how plants change us, and in how we might orientate towards and become more attuned to what plants offer.
In touching plants, we are given access to their roots and to the soil. Plants take us down with them into the earth, opening up ways for us to become more earthly and more grounded in our bodies, lives and communities.
In touching plants, we are given access to their roots and to the soil — ways to become more earthly, more grounded.
A year at Gartnavel Royal Hospital and Walled Garden, across four seasons - 2025-2026
The artists are currently culminating a year-long residency at Gartnavel Royal Hospital and Garden and Centre for Integrative Care, working across all four seasons of the year in Glasgow, and supported by Creative Scotland, Art in the Gart and The Work Room.
Working with staff, patients and garden volunteers, they have been exploring ways to bridge the wards and garden ‘bringing the outside in’ for those who can't access the garden, as well as finding ways to reconnect people with this verdant place. They work with themes inspired by the season and the plants growing prolifically at that time. Staff wellbeing sessions have also been part of the offer.
THE PRACTICES
Ways of attending.
Movement improvisation scores
Somatic practices forefronting different senses
Drawing, writing and conversation
Working with the season's prolific plants as themes
HOW IT GREW
The roots of the work.
OCTOBER 2022
Cyrenians Community Garden
The project was seeded through a Dance Base residency at the Cyrenians Community Garden, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. A description of this residency in scores, images and words can be found in the PDF, Spending Time with Rosemary.
2023
Gartnavel Royal Hospital and walled garden
The research was further developed through a Work Room residency between the garden and hospital at Gartnavel Royal Hospital and Garden, Glasgow in 2023.
IMAGE CREDITS — SAFFY SETOHY, CLAIRE PENÇAK, LYNSEY GRAHAM, AND KIRSTY SOMERVILLE.