New Film Shows Bluecoat from a Bee’s Eye View

New Film Shows Bluecoat from a Bee’s Eye View

In a brand new film, Andrea Ku Bluecoat’s Gardener in Residence describes her projects so far, plans for the future, and what makes Bluecoat’s garden so special.

In October 2020 Bluecoat was delighted to appoint a Gardener in Residence thanks to funding from Without Walls. Since then, L8 Artist, gardener and bee keeper Andrea Ku has created a series of nature-based activities for Bluecoat, aimed at those who have been missing out on restorative contact with nature during the first and second lockdowns. 

In the film, Ku has captured drone footage of Bluecoat’s famous garden from a bee’s eye view, as well as describing her work at Bluecoat so far, and her future plans:

The first of Ku’s activities was a map of accessible green spaces in the city centre, which includes Bluecoat’s iconic and much loved garden, where she is based. The map highlights long lost civic gardens and contemporary green areas in less visited areas that are safe for families to explore. The map is available to collect from Bluecoat during opening hours, or to download here https://bit.ly/3nE6N1v  

Ku has also created bee-themed educational activity packs for families, which have been especially popular. Over 50 bags were collected from Bluecoat by the public, with 30 bags going to The Florrie and more going to city centre primary schools. The packs contain art materials, printed activities, pots, seeds and child-safe compost to allow families to grow their own window sill plants, along with a zine (also available to download here https://bit.ly/3nEfeKb) teaching children about the importance of bees. 

Ku’s work has inspired activities for Bluecoat’s inclusive arts programme Blue Room, which holds workshops for learning disabled artists. The group have designed their own wildlife-friendly garden spaces and imagined what it’s like to see Bluecoat’s garden from a bird’s eye perspective.

Bluecoat has extended Ku’s activities into Winter and before Christmas she will host an online advice session from our garden, as well as social-distanced tutorials with the public. Her role is key in making Bluecoat’s garden biodiverse and bee-friendly, and enabling the people of Liverpool to connect with nature. 

For more information on Andrea Ku please visit: http://www.b4biodiversity.co.uk or follow her on Instagram and Twitter as @b4biodiversity