SPEAKER: Kattie Kincaid
TITLE: Manchester’s Shakespearean Garden

SPEAKER PROFILE:
Kattie lives in Fallowfield Village and has been the project manager for the restoration since 2021. During this time the garden has gone from a state of severe neglect to the accolade 'Outstanding' at the RHS Britain In Bloom Awards and now has a group of highly dedicated volunteers. Initially intrigued by the garden's name, Kattie started researching the history of Shakespearean Gardens and, in particular, the garden in Platt Fields' which reveals a fascinating insight into the movers and shakers in Edwardian Manchester and the story of Rosa Grindon; suffragist, philanthropist, lecturer on Shakespeare and 'a devoted citizen' of this city.

Kattie describes herself as 'an enthusiastic amateur gardener with a new-found, bordering on fanatical, interest in Shakespearean Gardens'. She now realises she is not alone! There are garden historians, academics and others out there who share this esoteric interest. 

TALK OUTLINE:

In this talk, Kattie will explore the origins of the Shakespearean Garden in Fallowfield, Manchester, tracing its historical significance and unique place in British horticultural heritage. Drawing on current academic research and her private tours with head gardeners at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford and the Shakespearean Garden in Sandwell—the only other public garden of its kind in the country—Kattie will offer fascinating insights into how these gardens were designed and the legacy they carry today