Library theatre show promotes the benefits of gardening for mental health
A theatre show promoting the benefits of gardening for mental health is being hosted in nine libraries across the county between Monday 19 February and Saturday 2 March.
The Head Gardener show features the story of brothers Jake and Warren Oldershaw and brings audiences a performance that digs deep into the reasons why we could all do with a bit more horticulture in our lives.
During the show the pair tell personal tales of why gardening is so important for mental health; design, draught and bring to life a unique and beautiful garden; share fascinating stories of different projects, plants and species; and even throw a few songs into the mix.
The show has been given the thumbs up by celebrity gardener Alan Titchmarsh who described the performance as: ‘Living proof that gardening is good for you’.
The theatre tour is being jointly funded by Buckinghamshire Council’s Healthy Libraries programme and the national Rekindle programme. Rekindle is led by Creative Arts England and funded by Arts Council England and is designed to empower libraries to strengthen ties with local arts and make it more accessible to local communities. The Healthy Libraries programme brings public health initiatives direct to residents, providing a range of events, activities and information to help people live healthy and happier lives.
Clive Harriss, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture & Leisure said: “Local libraries are much loved by their communities and provide a valuable venue for learning, socialising and creativity. The Rekindle programme builds on the core values of libraries as community hubs and helps to bring the arts to communities in an informal and accessible way. Head Gardener is a fantastic show that is entertaining to watch and also shares some important messaging about looking after our mental health, all taking place in your local library.”
Tickets for Head Gardener cost just £5 and are available to book online.
Angela Macpherson, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing said:
“Our Healthy Libraries programme brings public health initiatives direct to residents, providing a range of events, activities and information to help people live healthy and happier lives. It is a great example of the innovative and creative work that libraries and public health are doing together to support communities.”