Developed through a partnership between BCU, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, and dance organisation FARBIC, with funding from Dance Hub Birmingham, RiDA offers a dance artist the opportunity to explore research-led practice in a unique public setting.

As the programme's first Artist in Residence, Mary will use the Gardens as a living research environment, exploring the connections between people, place, and the natural world through movement and creative practice.

From the tropical glasshouses to the alpine collections, the Gardens will provide the backdrop for a year-long programme of research, public engagement, and artistic development.

Explaining the inspiration behind her project, Intergenerational/Intercultural Botanical Embodiment, Mary  said: “I'm interested in what becomes possible when humans and plants are approached as equals.

“Outside the walls of the Gardens, we live in a divided world. But inside, the presence of living ecosystems offers an orientation where co-existence is encountered at a biological level, linked to nourishment, safety, and connection.

“We can, if we want to, recognise ourselves as part of the same breathing system."

Mary will be in residence at Birmingham Botanical Gardens until September 2026, engaging visitors through a programme of events and workshops.

As part of the residency, she is launching a podcast, Rooted in Birmingham: Body and Bloom, alongside a blog documenting the project as it unfolds. She is also organising a community performance in July.

Reflecting on her hopes for the residency, Mary said: “What matters is that something remains – a shift in understanding, a different way of sensing relationship and meaning that can be carried forward.

“Rather than a fixed outcome, I hope this work opens something that can continue to move, be shared, and take form beyond the research itself.”

Dr Polly Hudson, associate Professor in Dance at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC) and project lead, said: “With the increased awareness of environmental issues, this important work can manifest in lots of different ways – from simple mindfulness and walking in nature to thoughtful gardening.

“The Gardens will host professional dancers as well as RBC students, giving them a space to learn, connect, and perform.

“This is a great opportunity for the public to get actively involved with local research by engaging in conversations at the Gardens and contributing to the development of the work.

“I hope people will experience themselves and their relationship with nature in a different way through this award.”

The research project builds on the formal partnership between Birmingham City University and Birmingham Botanical Gardens, which also saw the recent Sketch & Stitch event engage more than 750 people in sustainable arts and crafts activities this spring.

Developed through a partnership between BCU, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, and dance organisation FARBIC, with funding from Dance Hub Birmingham, RiDA offers a dance artist the opportunity to explore research-led practice in a unique public setting.

As the programme's first Artist in Residence, Mary will use the Gardens as a living research environment, exploring the connections between people, place, and the natural world through movement and creative practice.

From the tropical glasshouses to the alpine collections, the Gardens will provide the backdrop for a year-long programme of research, public engagement, and artistic development.

Explaining the inspiration behind her project, Intergenerational/Intercultural Botanical Embodiment, Mary (pictured) said: “I'm interested in what becomes possible when humans and plants are approached as equals.

“Outside the walls of the Gardens, we live in a divided world. But inside, the presence of living ecosystems offers an orientation where co-existence is encountered at a biological level, linked to nourishment, safety, and connection.

“We can, if we want to, recognise ourselves as part of the same breathing system."

Mary will be in residence at Birmingham Botanical Gardens until September 2026, engaging visitors through a programme of events and workshops.

As part of the residency, she is launching a podcast, Rooted in Birmingham: Body and Bloom, alongside a blog documenting the project as it unfolds. She is also organising a community performance in July.

Reflecting on her hopes for the residency, Mary said: “What matters is that something remains – a shift in understanding, a different way of sensing relationship and meaning that can be carried forward.

“Rather than a fixed outcome, I hope this work opens something that can continue to move, be shared, and take form beyond the research itself.”

Dr Polly Hudson, associate Professor in Dance at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC) and project lead, said: “With the increased awareness of environmental issues, this important work can manifest in lots of different ways – from simple mindfulness and walking in nature to thoughtful gardening.

“The Gardens will host professional dancers as well as RBC students, giving them a space to learn, connect, and perform.

“This is a great opportunity for the public to get actively involved with local research by engaging in conversations at the Gardens and contributing to the development of the work.

“I hope people will experience themselves and their relationship with nature in a different way through this award.”

The research project builds on the formal partnership between Birmingham City University and Birmingham Botanical Gardens, which also saw the recent Sketch & Stitch event engage more than 750 people in sustainable arts and crafts activities this spring.