ACAVA is pleased to announce the launch of a new publication celebrating the people, plants, stories and relationships that have shaped Cultivate Create since the programme began in 2022.
Created with contributions from participating families, the publication captures life in the Cultivate Create garden at Maxilla Walk Studios, where families in North Kensington come together to grow food, explore nature, share knowledge and build community.
Through reflections, recipes, photographs and personal stories, the publication traces the growth of a programme that has become an important gathering space for local families. Designed by Patrick Fisher and featuring photography by Amelia Wornell, it brings together voices from across the Cultivate Create community in a beautifully documented record of the programme’s first four years.
Set up in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy and the social isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cultivate Create was developed as a welcoming space for families to connect with one another and with nature. Since then, participants have transformed the garden into a thriving green space beneath the Westway, growing fruit, vegetables and flowers while creating a strong and supportive community.
The publication reflects the diversity of the families who make up Cultivate Create. It includes recipes inspired by produce grown in the garden and stories that connect food, memory and heritage across generations and cultures. From Jamaica to India, Turkey to the Philippines, families share experiences and traditions that have become part of the programme’s collective story.
As Dannielle Jemmott, Project Coordinator, Social Practice, reflects:
“What excites me most is seeing all these children from really different backgrounds and different schools come together and share their views on the garden, a place they spend every other Saturday.”
The publication is the result of a wider collaboration involving families, staff, artists and creative contributors who have supported Cultivate Create over the years. Patrick Fisher’s design and Amelia Wornell’s photography help capture the atmosphere, energy and sense of belonging that make the programme unique.
The book will launch at the Cultivate Create Community Open Day on Saturday 22 August 2026, a free community celebration featuring live music, food and drinks, gardening activities and family-friendly workshops led by Hyde Park Learning Centre.
Cultivate Create Community Open Day and Book Launch
Saturday 22 August 2026, 12.30-5.30pm
Where to find us
ACAVA Maxilla Walk Studios
4 Maxilla Walk
London W10 6NQ
Find out more about Cultivate Create
https://www.acava.org/programmes/cultivate-create/
