Garden stories in a time of pandemic digital storytelling pilot workshops
By Dr Mimi Tsai, 2022 John Oxley Library Fellow | 10 March 2023
Guest blogger: Dr Mimi Tsai - 2022 John Oxley Library Fellow
Memories are hidden in day-to-day living environments and represent a sense of self and identity. Therapeutic environments are places of ontological security and facilitate mind-body-spirit connections, which promotes health and wellbeing during critical times.
Over the past two years, collectively, the world has been through a lot of environmental, physical, social and psychological stress in particular during the COVID-19 pandemic. Various state and city lockdowns brought additional impacts of social isolation and emotional stress.
This photograph shows the closure of public space during the pandemic. Josie Huang COVID-19 Central Brisbane photographs, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Image number: 18380202130-0001-0026
As Queensland collectively experienced, even during the tough times in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, people still wanted to connect with each other. Teddy bears in the front windows of neighbourhood houses could be found while taking a walk on the street, to bring children joy during the lockdown.
Teddy bear sitting in a letterbox at a house in Alderley during the Covid-19 pandemic, March 2020. Jeremy Santolin, COVID19: A Brisbane story in photographs, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Image number: 18379552070-0001-0032
Young boy draws a chalk rainbow on a letterbox at Ferny Grove during the Covid-19 pandemic, April 2020. Jeremy Santolin, COVID19: A Brisbane story in photographs, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Image number: 18379552070-0001-0007
Jeurgen and Vicki Landmann sitting with their three children around a firepit during the height of COVID-19 restrictions in Brisbane, April 2020. 32785, The Jewel Box community, Holland Park, COVID-19 portraits, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Image number: 32785-0001-0003
Simultaneously, the pandemic’s gardening boom began with people who started their garden projects as a result of the unexpected outcomes of the pandemic. During the lockdowns and with the imposed restrictions and limitations of geographic movements, some people turned their energy and time to domestic gardens. It is evident that gardens and outdoor environments can contribute to people’s health and wellbeing in multiple ways. Researchers also suggest that there are psychological and physical benefits of being outdoors which sequentially contributes to the improvement of the overall quality of life.
Narrative is a way to express thoughts, develop discourse and reflect on human experiences. Yet, now more than ever, Queensland needs to consolidate experiences over the past two years of dramatic environmental change and disruption by learning from stories of resilience and catharsis emotional upheaval and by sharing their voices in a post-pandemic period. My fellowship project was born out of this idea. Apart from learning from the histories, I would also like to explore Queenslanders’ COVID-19 pandemic gardens and gardening experiences as part of my fellowship project, Vernacular Landscapes and Queensland Memories: Exploring Queensland’s resilience through narratives of therapeutic environments. The fellowship also proposes to run co-creative digital storytelling workshops to capture Queenslanders’ collective memories as an oral history collection about the pandemic experiences and to create new knowledge about Queensland’s recent pandemic history.
Help us document your experience for history!
Please leave your photos and stories about gardening during the COVID-19 pandemic in our Facebook group - Garden stories in a time of pandemic. These contributions will contribute to Mimi's Fellowship project.
Garden stories in a time of pandemic digital storytelling pilot workshops
Free digital storytelling workshops will be held in various community gardens and at The Edge Digital Recording Studio, State Library of Queensland on the following dates:
- Fri 6 October 2023 10am-12noon | The Edge
- Fri 1 December 2023 10am-12noon | The Edge
The purpose of these workshops is to explore the role of gardens during the pandemic and capture people’s life during this critical time.
If you have any special stories in relation to your garden during the COVID-19 pandemic and if you are happy to share your stories with like-minded people, I would love to hear your stories! In this workshop, you will be writing your own garden story (100-200 words only) and reflecting on the past few years of pandemic experience. You may bring along any pictures of your gardens or garden related images that inspired you during the pandemic. Your stories will be part of the 2022 John Oxley Library Fellowship, Queensland Memory Awards.
As there is limitation on space and resources, there will only be a limited number of people accepted to participate in these workshops. Please complete the form at this online form to submit your expression of interest.
Mimi Tsai
Other blogs by Mimi:
Children gardening at home in Ferny Grove during the Covid-19 pandemic, April 2020. COVID19: A Brisbane story in photographs, Jeremy Santolin, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.
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