Community Harvest

On the 22nd October 2016 DUO celebrated a city-wide Community Harvest at the University of Dundee Botanic Garden.*

There were stalls sharing produce and promoting DUO’s orchard network. We also ran a programme of events: music, dance, storytelling, talks, a DUO exhibition, and Qi-Gong.

As a lead-in to the Community Harvest DUO organised a series of workshops over the October holidays. The workshops explored different aspects of the Orchard City.

In the art workshops we made two carnival dragons inspired by Dundee’s Coat of Arms. The dragons represented Social Justice and Environmental Justice – the twin fires that animate DUO. The dragons are now prowling the city breathing fire into its belly!

As well as creating the dragons, DUO worked with the storyteller Owen Pilgrim to develop a story for the Orchard City. We ran two story-gathering events to develop the story before sharing it at the Community Harvest.

DUO also worked with Joan Cleville and Solène Weinachter to create an Orchard City dance. Joan and Solène worked with participants from the The Space, Gowrie Care, and the wider DUO network to create a wild finale for the Community Harvest.

Dudhope Multicultural Centre – another DUO orchard group – were also out in force. The Bharatiya Ashram Arts Project shared their unique combination of classical Indian and contemporary dance and Gordon Connor led us in Qi-Gong.

Haystack Monolith and Sonny Carntyne provided a musical backdrop for the Community Harvest. And the stallholders, speakers and apple pressers ensured there was plenty of knowledge shared, imagination sprung and juice drunk!

We ended the celebrations by planting a final plum tree in the Botanic Garden orchard. As usual Andrew and Margaret Lear supplied the tree.

Next year promises to be another year of abundant harvest and community sharing. If you’d like to find out more about the orchard network or join one of the orchard groups we’d be happy to hear from you.

*University of Dundee Botanic Garden are part of the Dundee Urban Orchard network. They have a fabulous orchard and growing space. To find out more contact them via their website.

Thanks to the various stallholders and speakers not mentioned in person. More information about those stallholders and speakers can be found here: Dundee City Council Neighbourhood Services, Dundee Botanic Garden Coffee Shop, Dundee Science Centre, Ninewells Community Garden, One World Centre, British Science Association (Tayside and Fife Branch), and Tayside Biodiversity Partnership.