Throughout 2020 – 2022 a group of volunteers from Pride in Ageing at LGBT Foundation Manchester developed and created a new garden for Manchester Art Gallery. The Derek Jarman Pocket Park opened in June 2022.
Inspiration for the garden came from artist, gay rights activist and gardener Derek Jarman’s celebrated garden in Dungeness, Kent, as well as the life experiences of our over 50s LGBTQ+ communities in Greater Manchester.
Derek Jarman was diagnosed with HIV in 1986. He bought Prospect Cottage in Dungeness the following year and spent most of his time there, writing and creating new work until his death in February 1994. The cottage and garden were saved through a fundraising campaign by The Art Fund and are now cared for by Creative Folkestone. You can visit and they host artist residencies.
The film A Journey to Dungeness, made by Scout Stuart with artist Juliet Davis-Dufayard, follows the group’s journey to Jarman’s home and garden and reflects the experience through their own voices.
