17.03.25
Alongside Dundee’s Changemakers Hub, we’re delighted to bring back Fabric – an informal peer-learning journey to share, reflect and imagine how collective action can shape a better tomorrow.
Bringing together creative practitioners and community organisers, this iteration of Fabric will focus on community climate action, giving participants the knowledge, skills, confidence and connections to fuel future work or projects.
In this blog originally shared with Dundee’s Changemakers Hub, Skye Sutherland takes us through the third session, ‘Gardening for the Future’, and reflects on her experience of a packed day exploring community gardens and permaculture practices.
Entering the third Fabric session, ‘Gardening for the Future’, our journey took us to three inspiring community spaces: The MAXwell Centre, Campy Growers, and Forgan Arts Centre, where we explored food sustainability, participatory practice, and the intersection of design and nature. Gathering at one of Dundee Urban Orchard‘s growing spaces, we set off on a tour of thriving community greenspaces.
At The MAXwell Centre, we were welcomed with hot cups of tea and an introduction to the 12 Permaculture Design Principles by Claire. We were also given a beautifully illustrated flip book of the principles by Cara Rooney, printed at Yalla Riso, to take along with us on the tour. The flash cards helped guide us in applying the principles to the learning we were making throughout the day.
Before the sessions, I hadn’t heard of these principles and wasn’t sure how to incorporate them into my practice. However, the visual representations in the book made each principle easy to understand and helped me grasp them from a design perspective. They are not just about gardening; they are design strategies – ways to work with a system rather than against it and to respond creatively to what already exists, rather than imposing something rigid or unsustainable.
Guided by Manuela de los Rios, MAXwell’s Community Garden Coordinator, we explored the thriving green space. One insight that stood out was how the garden embraced imperfection. Rather than forcing a singular structure, they trusted the process, allowing plants (and people!) to find their natural place.
Manuela pointed out how the centre was able to maximise small, overlooked spaces, whether through vertical gardening, accessible herb gardens on the back of benches, or pollinator-friendly corners. This brought the permaculture principle “Use edges & value the marginal” to life, reminding us that some of the most vibrant, unexpected growth happens in the margins. This struck a chord with me as a designer. So much of good design is about embracing the unconventional, finding opportunity in constraints, and trusting collaboration rather than seeking control. The principle of “Integrate rather than segregate” reminded me of participatory design, creating inclusive spaces where all voices, even the quiet ones, contribute to the whole.
As we gathered around the pond, talking about the many frogs that call it home, I asked Manuela to show us the famous tiger worms living in the compost spaces next door. She courageously reached into the compost to find one, and as she held some worms in her hand, it was a delightful reminder of how even the smallest elements of a system can contribute massively to its resilience.
After our tour, we gathered for an insightful discussion with Alexander Daniels from Transition Dundee, who introduced us to the food systems approach, a model focused on creating sustainable solutions for a sufficient supply of healthy food. We explored how this approach could be applied to Dundee, looking at ways to reduce food waste, improve accessibility, and strengthen local food networks.
A particularly eye-opening part of the discussion was about gleaning – the practice of recovering surplus crops that would otherwise go to waste, ensuring that perfectly edible food from farms is redirected to those who need it. This is directly tied into the permaculture principle “Produce No Waste,” challenging us to rethink what we discard and how we can redistribute, repurpose, and regenerate resources. I wondered what surplus looks like in my own practice and how I could contribute to a more circular, resilient system. The conversation also reinforced “Obtain a Yield,” reminding us that sustainability isn’t just about growing food but ensuring that what is grown reaches people in a fair and accessible way.
From our tour at Campy Growers with Nadège Depiesse-Borgeal, we witnessed regenerative growing in action. Situated within Camperdown Country Park, Campy Growers is Dundee’s largest community growing space, dedicated to sustainable food production and supporting local wildlife with help from hard work of many dedicated volunteers. A highlight of the tour was finding out two senior volunteers beautifully handcrafting netting for one of the polytunnels, which perfectly captured the hands-on, community-driven spirit of the project.
Sitting down to a meal made from locally grown ingredients, we reflected on what we’d learned throughout the day. Over a delicious blueberry and apple crumble, I admitted being a novice gardener, I was encouraged by the others to start small and take one step at a time instead of feeling overwhelmed by the bigger picture. A light-hearted phrase emerged from our end of the table: “Sow it out and see what grows.” It was a reassuring reminder that it’s okay to try things out and go from there. This captured the spirit of experimentation, embracing small, slow solutions. Growth takes time and requires both enthusiasm and intentional action. Passion sparks change but planning and dedication ensure lasting impact.
Our final stop was Forgan Arts Centre in Newport-on-Tay, a community-led hub that blends creativity and sustainability. With its diverse artistic workshops, allotments, and artist studios, the centre nurtures both artistic expression and environmental practices. We heard from director, Jenifer White, who told us how they have taken inspiration from social permaculture to inform their upcoming programme, from the intergenerational entanglement of trees to the resilience of migrating communities.
Then Claire guided us through a reflective exercise, mapping our personal and creative projects as if they were gardens we were cultivating. Three core questions resonated with me: What is thriving? What needs more care? And what could we let go of? This activity tied into the permaculture principle of self-regulation and feedback, encouraging us to assess what’s working and what needs adjustment.
Team Toadstool (Rod, Suzanne, and I) collaborated to map out our current project, reflecting on how to zoom in on the details while keeping the bigger picture in focus. This dedicated time to pause and reflect gave us a clearer understanding of where we were and where we want to go with the project. It was an incredibly valuable tool for coming together as a team and charting our path forward.
As the day came to a close, we gathered for tea and shared reflections on the day. Some spoke about the joy of connecting with the community, while others reflected on the deeper connections between permaculture principles and their own creative practices.
Personally, I felt energised by the idea that we all have the power to create spaces, whether gardens or not, that reflect our values and nurture growth in meaningful ways.
There is value in taking a moment to reflect on what’s thriving in your life, what could use more attention, and what you might let go of. The insights from the permaculture principles are an invitation to think differently, act responsibly, with no step too small, and all contributing to a future that values sustainability, community, and care.
Skye Sutherland is a community-centred designer focused on enhancing health and wellbeing through creative, inclusive practices. Her work often blends traditional design practice with digital technology, fostering exploration and growth. She’s dedicated to driving social impact and environmental justice through innovative design solutions that empower and connect diverse communities.
Dundee’s Changemakers Hub is being designed and delivered by a collective of five local community organisations: Transition Dundee, The Maxwell Centre, ScrapAntics, Uppertunity, and Creative Dundee. The Hub will offer support, events, workshops and micro-grants to connect and amplify collective community action.
The Hub is part of a growing national network of Climate Action Hubs funded by the Scottish Government’s Climate Action Fund, which aim to build local awareness of the climate emergency, develop local plans, help groups take up funding opportunities, and contribute to a Just Transition.
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