The future of urban and rural green spaces will take centre stage the Garden Museum in a live-broadcast panel event focused on the proposed Green Spaces Bill, hosted in collaboration with the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) and the HTA (Horticultural Trades Association).
The Green Spaces Question Time, chaired by broadcaster Evan Davis, will welcome speakers such as Caroline Voaden MP, the Bill’s proposer, alongside a distinguished panel including Rev Canon Giles Goddard, vicar of St John’s at Waterloo, and Arthur Kay, Board Member, TfL, and garden designer, John Little.
The event will be attended by a live studio audience of experts and industry leaders advocating for green spaces who will discuss the key themes of the Bill.
Focusing on promoting the value of green spaces, particularly their role in improving environmental and social health and wellbeing, the Green Spaces Bill seeks to elevate the importance of green spaces by addressing the policy gaps that currently hinder their development and protection. A central proposal within the Bill, which echoes the Horticultural Trades Association’s (HTA) manifesto, is the creation of an Office for Green Spaces. This dedicated office would aim to deliver structural change within government, ensuring a coordinated, cross-departmental approach to maximise the immense environmental, social, and economic benefits derived from green spaces, gardens, and horticultural businesses across the country.
Artist Alice Sielle will open the event with an introduction to her “Photosynthesis Paintings”, a series she created in her own garden in response to the climate crisis. The works will be available for purchase from the Garden Museum to raise funds for the Horticultural Traineeship.
The event will be broadcast live from the Garden Museum.
Speakers
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Evan Davis, Chair
Evan Davis, Chair
Evan Davis is a distinguished British broadcaster and economist. Currently, he serves as the presenter of BBC Radio 4's 'PM' programme, a role he has held since 2018. Prior to this, he was the main presenter of BBC Two's 'Newsnight' from 2014 to 2018, and a presenter on Radio 4's 'Today' programme between 2008 and 2014. He also gained popularity as the host of the BBC Two business reality show 'Dragons' Den' since 2005
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Caroline Voaden MP (Liberal Democrat, South Devon)
Caroline Voaden MP (Liberal Democrat, South Devon)
Caroline Voaden MP is a committed advocate for environmental sustainability, with a strong focus on protecting and enhancing public green spaces. As proposer of the Green Spaces Bill, she is working to ensure parks, gardens, and urban green areas are preserved for future generations, recognising their vital role in public health, biodiversity, and climate resilience. With a background in journalism and a previous role as a Member of the European Parliament for South West England, Caroline brings a practical, community-focused approach to policymaking, and continues to be a leading voice in shaping greener urban environments.
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Rev Canon Giles Goddard
Rev Canon Giles Goddard
Canon Giles Goddard is a prominent voice within the Church of England and an advocate for environmental action. Serving as the Vicar of St John's, Waterloo, and Chair of SoWN (South Bank & Waterloo Neighbours, a voluntary organisation that brings together the people who either live or work in the Waterloo area). He gained national attention during the Extinction Rebellion protests in London. At Waterloo Bridge, he welcomed activists who transformed the bridge into a "garden bridge," adorned with trees and shrubs, symbolising the urgent need for climate action. Canon Goddard's support for these protests underscores his belief that spiritual and ecological crises are intertwined, necessitating systemic change.
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Alice Sielle
Alice Sielle
Alice Sielle is a London-based artist whose multimedia work bridges the beauty of nature with urgent climate themes. At the Garden Museum’s Green Spaces Question Time, she is exhibiting 44 “Photosynthesis Paintings”, a series she created in her own garden in response to the climate crisis. Each painting features the essential photosynthesis equation (6CO₂ + 6H₂O → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂) to emphasise her simple yet powerful message: without plants, there is no oxygen — and no life.
The ‘Photosynthesis Paintings” are executed in oil and gold leaf on paper. The works depict a wide variety of plants, drawn from Sielle’s own garden. Her artistic mission is matched by a strong commitment to environmental education: she is generously donating the entire collection to support the Lambeth Green horticultural traineeship at the Garden Museum. In her words, “Without properly trained horticulturalists, we are sunk.”
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John Little
John Little
John Little started the Grass Roof Company in 1998 and has for many years been involved in gardening public spaces. For 15 years he has worked with the Clapton Park Estate, or ‘Poppy Estate’ as it is known locally, becoming somewhat of an expert in taking care of a public space maintained by residents for residents.