As Artist in Residence for Left Coast from April 2025 to May 2026, I worked with the community in Revoe, Blackpool on and around the site of an old pub which was demilished a few years ago.
Revoe is in an area designated for redevelopment and there is a great deal of uncertainty about the future among some local residence there.
The area where the George Hotel once stood has now become a community green, a common space for people to meet and come together.
Over the first part of my residency I was looking at the pioneer plants which had established themselves in the rough ground there.
The precariousness of the area means that art-making was challenging but also that the community was very open to, and interested in the project.
As I began to survey the area and engaged with people there, I realised that there was a real interest in the medicinal qualities of the so called ‘weeds’ growing there.
I ran simple sessions making seed bombs, calendula cream, sleep pillows and even strawberry jam and jam tarts! I also led a forage walk around the local area.
All of this then led to the creation of a zine, ‘Pioneers of Revoe’, which told the story of the plants with recipies and drawings of the seagulls, pioneer plants and the old pub.
As my initial Residency came to an end I made a proposal for the community to create a Medicinal garden in Revoe, on the site of the old pub, and I was invited to continue the work, which felt as though it had only just got started!
‘Medicine from the Rubble’, was the second phase of my Residency with Left Coast. Over the course of my residency I worked alongside local residents to explore the medicinal plants and forgotten botanical knowledge growing in and around Revoe.
The culmination of the residency was the Revoe Botanicals super club – a one-night-only reimagining of the George Hotel, on Revoe’s Alternative Public Square.
It was a beautiful evening of herbal remedies, shared stories, and collective remembering, transforming the site of the former George Hotel into a temporary botanical bar.
Former landlady Penny returned as we served alcohol-free delights including Elderflower Champagne and Ginger Beer Cherry, while guests gathered for a pub quiz, a ploughman’s lunch, and conversations inspired by the memories of the George and the plants that now inhabit the space.
The evening also marked the launch of Medicine from the Rubble, my second zine – a compendium of recipes and plant engagement activities developed throughout my time in Revoe.
And it show-cased the five sound pieces that I created based on the plants that are growing within the foot print of the old pub, overlaying the history of the area with the folklaw and medicinal properties of the plants.
A huge thank you to everyone who supported me, especially the Left Coast team and all those at Revoelution Community centre. Thank you also to those who contributed their stories, memories and knowledge over the 18 months.
Many of the photos used above were taken by Rebecca Lattin