At this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, the charity Freedom from Torture will harness the healing power of horticulture to create an environment that evokes happier homeland memories for survivors.
The Freedom from Torture Garden: A Sanctuary for Survivors, designed by award-winning duo John Warland and Emma O’Connell, is a naturalistic space using horticultural therapy to aid recovery journeys. Featuring handcrafted elements like a bread oven by Bushman Woodfired Ovens, the garden symbolises solace and community.
Complementing the garden is the launch of Recipes from Home – a special cookbook featuring recipes from torture survivors and renowned chefs like Prue Leith, Nigel Slater, and Big Zuu, with an introduction written by Joanna Lumley. Developed by Pearlfisher London, the branding and art direction for the food photography showcase the culinary heritage, recipes and personal stories of torture survivors from across the world.
“The design aims to bring a sense of global togetherness, community, and the authentic taste of home to life,” said Kellen Brown, Senior Designer at Pearlfisher London, who led the cookbook design. The food photography captures dishes plated in a rustic, imperfect way using colourful backgrounds to evoke the warmth and soulfulness of home cooking. As you flick through the pages, a handwritten typeface provides a personal touch from the chefs and survivors sharing their recipes and showcasing their culinary traditions equally.”
As Sonya Sceats, CEO of Freedom From Torture, comments: “In our treatment service, growing and cooking food plays a key role in enabling torture survivors to begin their healing journey. We are delighted that with the generous support of Pearlfisher, we have created our new Recipes from Home cookbook. What makes this book special is the collaboration between renowned chefs, with survivors of torture, who have shared their culinary heritage and personal stories. A huge thank you to everyone who has so kindly given their time and skills to make Recipes from Home possible. We can’t wait to share it with you.”
After the Chelsea Flower Show, the garden will relocate to Freedom From Torture’s rehabilitation centre in North London as a working therapeutic garden for therapy sessions. Visitors can secure the Recipes from Home book for free during the Show, with proceeds from later online sales benefitting the rehabilitation of torture survivors in the UK.
Find out more about Freedom From Torture:
www.freedomfromtorture.org
Project Team Credits:
Kellen Brown, Senior Designer at Pearlfisher London
Ani Ibranyan, Client Director at Pearlfisher London
Selene Fernandez Alberti, Senior Artworker at Pearlfisher London
David Jenkinson, Pearlfisher Partner, Design & Experience
Victoria Buckle, Corporate Events & Engagement Manager at Freedom from Torture
Samuel Morton, Special Events & Philanthropy Manager at Freedom from Torture
John Warland, Garden Designer
Rachel Fitzgerald, PR & Creative Communications
