The Making of Cleavley Community Forest Garden marks Adelina Court’s debut as a documentary filmmaker — a story of imagination turning wasteland into a thriving urban forest garden. In just four years, a forgotten plot by the M60 motorway near Eccles, Greater Manchester, has been reborn. The spark? A pencil and a vision. Through bold sketches and genuine collaboration with Incredible Education CIC, Adelina's drawings helped propel blank space into the attention of funding bodies by proposing a living, growing community. This is nature reclaimed, one drawing at a time.
Urban green space is becoming increasingly important in a hyper-urbanised landscape. With most green space consisting of private gardens, the Greater Manchester area (UK) is on a quest to address green inequality and offering communities more green space. Nature is a key indicator of how healthy a city is and the links between mental health and nature are undisputed.
Having started as a research project run in partnership with Salford University and Incredible Education, CIC, the film showcases the use of visual methods (drawing, co-creation with communities and stakeholders, and collage) in creating radical green space. Using graphic recording and graphic facilitation, the creation of the Cleavley Community Forest Garden happened through systematic engagement with the stakeholders and users.
Stills from the film 🔽
Useful links: