The Derek Jarman Pocket Park at Manchester Art Gallery

The Derek Jarman Pocket Park takes inspiration from artist, gay rights activist and gardener Derek Jarman’s celebrated garden in Dungeness. It has been designed, planted and is looked after by a group of Pride In Ageing volunteer gardeners, and provides a vibrant space at the entrance to the gallery for the people of Manchester and the wider world to come together, relax, share ideas and enjoy a taste of “immersive nature” in the centre of the City.

The garden is free to visit and is open from 10am-5pm, Tuesday-Sunday at Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, M2 3JL. See below for any special events or extended opening times for the garden.

Additional links and resources:

• Short film about the making of the Derek Jarman Pocket Park - with thanks to Hubbub and In Our Nature
• Let's Get Botanical Together Zine - with thanks to The University of Manchester
• Archive of Derek Jarman Pocket Park blog posts - via Manchester Art Gallery
• A Journey to Dungeness - short film by Scout Stuart

The Derek Jarman Pocket Park is supported by The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Pocket Parks, Pride in Ageing at the LGBT Foundation Manchester, The IGNITION Project, United Utilities, Exterior Architecture, Royal Horticultural Society, The Postcode Lottery Trust and Manchester Wellbeing Fund.

Upcoming Pride in Ageing Events

Derek Jarman Pocket Park - The Manchester Flower Festival 2023 (Extended Opening Hours 26th-29th May)

Pop-in to see the Derek Jarman Pocket Park at Manchester Art Gallery at its blooming best for The Manchester Flower Festival 2023 (26th-29th May). The park will be open from 10am-5pm every day during the show and is free to visit.

The space, which opened in July 2022, takes inspiration from artist, gay rights activist and gardener Derek Jarman’s celebrated garden in Dungeness. It has been designed, planted and is looked after by a group of Pride In Ageing (50+) volunteer gardeners, and provides a vibrant space at the entrance to the gallery for the people of Manchester and the wider world to come together, relax, share ideas and enjoy a taste of “immersive nature” in the centre of the City.

Find out more about how to get to Manchester Art Gallery here.

Find out more about The Manchester Flower Festival 2023 here.

Please note: This is an unsupervised event, however if you have any questions about accessing the space please contact [email protected] (please note: this email address will not be supervised between the 27th-29th May) or call Manchester Art Gallery on 0161 235 8888.

For LGBT Foundation's other events listings please head to lgbt.foundation/events