Irish humanitarian aid organisation GOAL has teamed up with award-winning garden designer Tünde Perry for Bloom 2023, to create a vibrant and engaging garden, which celebrates the diverse, yet interconnected nature of our world. Taking inspiration from the ecosystems, plants and crops from the various regions that GOAL works in, including Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Ukraine, GOAL’s Global Garden will spark conversations around how people in Ireland can act in pursuit of a sustainable, resilient and inclusive world.
Under GOAL’s Global Citizenship initiative supported by Irish Aid, GOAL NextGen, the garden features olive trees, hazelnuts and flax from the Middle East, sweet potato and Ethiopian banana from Africa, corn and beans from Latin America and sunflowers from Ukraine. GOAL’s Global Garden explores the similarities and differences of these multipurpose plants, interweaving them within the planting scheme so that they can flourish together.
GOAL CEO Siobhan Walsh commented; “GOAL NextGen is focused on empowering a generation of Global Citizens to understand and critically reflect on the interconnected nature of our world and the root causes and consequences of global crises and inequality. By challenging stereotypes and encouraging independent thinking, we hope to inspire the Irish public to take practical actions, big or small, so that we can together achieve a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive future for all. Everyone can do something to change our world. Our Global Garden is certainly worth a visit and we look forward to entertaining and engaging families at Bloom 2023 through interactive storytelling, music and dance.”
Each item in the garden has been carefully selected by Tünde Perry to signify its region of origin and what it represents within the ecosystem and our world as a whole. For example, the olive trees and sunflowers signify the garden’s themes of hope and resilience. At the centre, a woven pergola made from Irish willow, holds the sections together and represents Ireland’s solidarity with highly vulnerable communities around the world and support needed for a fair, inclusive, and sustainable future for all.
Commenting on the garden, designer Tünde Perry said; “Designing and creating the GOAL Global Garden was a true labour of love. I am so interested in exploring and showcasing the many varieties of plants that grow around the globe. A lot of the plants we used are edible, functional and thrive alongside each other. The beauty of the garden is in the interconnection and diversity which symbolises our world. I really do believe that nature is transformative, and that people can learn so much from it and gain so much when we live peacefully alongside it.”
Visitors to the garden on Thursday 1st June, will be able to enjoy a fusion performance of Irish and global music from multi-instrumentalist Matthew Berrill and jazz artist Mike Neilson.
GOAL NextGen and Smashing Times will also present Changemakers Storytelling throughout the weekend in the Budding Bloomers Area at Bloom. This family-friendly interactive storytelling session will feature performances spun around three stories from GOAL’s Global Citizenship Education Resources. The stories aim to inspire a sense of global connectedness and oneness and are interspersed with audience participation including singing, dancing, and meditation.
GOAL’s Global Garden at Bloom 2023 will be open to the public from Thursday 1st June until Monday 5th June. For more information and to purchase tickets visit https://www.goalglobal.org/bloom/
