The Leighton Hospital site has courtyard gardens, some which are specifically allocated for staff to use. We wanted to encourage staff to take a break from their busy and often stressful days, even if for a couple of minutes – allow them to feel the benefit of connecting with nature.
We approached Wild Rumpus, an arts organisation focused on nature connectedness. They installed an innovative series of art installations across Leighton Hospital’s courtyard gardens, designed to deepen our connection with nature. Through immersive and thought-provoking works, the installations offered a peaceful refuge for staff to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the natural world.
It was important to us that the installations were available 24/7 so staff working overnight and at the weekend could also experience them.
Letters to the Earth – The Telephone Table
First created for Timber Festival 2021, the vintage telephone table invites you to listen to deeply moving letters written in response to the climate emergency. Featuring voices such as Kae Tempest, Emma Thompson, and Sam Lee, the recordings bring together poetry, storytelling, and heartfelt reflections on our relationship with the planet.
The Lost Words – Telephone Table
A second telephone table featured The Lost Words, a series of soundscapes inspired by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris’ book. This project, first developed at Bolton Library, revives nature words disappearing from children’s vocabulary.
The recordings include beautifully crafted soundscapes, with words read by Elbow’s Guy Garvey, Benjamin Zephaniah, Cerys Matthews and Edith Bowman – immersing listeners in the magic of language and the natural world.
Giant Lotus Flowers
The striking, larger-than-life lotus flowers created a serene and meditative atmosphere within the courtyard gardens. Symbolising renewal and resilience, they provided a visual celebration of nature and our relationship with the environment, transforming outdoor spaces into sanctuaries for rest and contemplation.
Letters to the Earth Project: Originally commissioned as part of Letters to the Earth: Writing to a Planet in Crisis, a book curated by Emma Thompson, this telephone offers a moment of quiet contemplation through words of artists and creatives.
