The Garden of Ideas is a pleasure garden for the 21st Century, bridging the cultures of high arts and thrilling world class mass entertainment.
We will introduce new audiences to ground breaking arts, science and technology with exciting theatrical installations created by world class artists in a stunning beautifully planted garden within an all-weather building.
A day out like no other. In partnership with Tim Smit and the Eden Project.
Long before Coney Island or Disney’s ride through installations, Georgian Londoners enjoyed their own kind of amusement park: the pleasure garden. People from all walks of life could escape the clamour of London’s streets for the wonder of ground breaking, entertainment, art, music, socialising, romance, new discoveries – and a spot of scandal.
The most famous pleasure garden was The Vauxhall Gardens (Spring Gardens) on the south bank of the Thames. It was one of the leading venues for public entertainment in London, England from 1660 to the mid 19th century.
Pleasure gardens featured every sort of attraction, from the sedate to the salacious.
There were manicured walks, magnificent fountain displays, light refreshments, classical concerts, exotic street entertainers, hot air balloon ascents, dazzling fireworks and contemporary cutting edge, for all to enjoy and explore.
The Garden of Ideas will be the place where people of all ages, classes and cultures can experience the wonder and spectacle of ground breaking arts, science and technology that ignite the heart, head and gut.
Wander the stunning gardens to discover Exotic Pavilions that are entrances to the beginning of fantastic journeys through wondrous installations.
There are 12 massive artist-led-installations to explore, each the size of the turbine hall at the Tate.
The world’s largest hand-blown-glass concert hall by Dale Chihuly. Lay down, on a conveyor belt and be transported through an enchanting glass installation, listen to music in this venue like none on earth.
Lay down to see the world from a new perspective. Let yourself be carried through this artwork-installation by Pipilotti Rist, incorporating smells, movement, textures and fantastic images, asking us to explore A future nature, and how we will love in years to come.
Come and whirl through a John Waters ride reflecting All the Horrors of Every Day Living. Seep through a world imagined by artist Tony Oursler and see what it feels like to inhabit All the People’s Skin in the World.
I spy with my little eye…A wild BIG CITY trip through all the sights.. With moving Diorama encounters.. Electrical puppetry and fiendish movie trickery.
Tea and Cake? A little shopping and a show? Mild Peril? But why do your companions seem to be disappearing? Your attendance is required at the offices of Messrs. Wrench & Franks…But be very careful… you may have been followed…
Artists WRENCH & FRANKS’ delightfully disturbing journey takes you through the glamorous excitement and danger of an organised trip to town that goes deliciously wrong and horribly out of hand.
The Garden of Ideas is an All Weather Attraction within enormous naturally heated bio-domes that protect us from the British weather. The open park concert areas will conceal, hidden ‘rain sensing’ umbrella canopies, that ‘open out’ when it rains, ensuring that all planned events take place in the dry.
Explore the Hanging Gardens, or walk through the forest to discover INVISIBLE STRUCTURES (tree houses designed by Jerry Tate) hidden amongst them.
Looking for a culinary experience you like no other? Then take a seat on the Slow Food Moving Restaurant. It will be the world’s largest vending machine, where you actually ride through, to eat excellent food (that may not look like food) like nowhere else, you can also eat the plate afterwards!
Take the glass elevator to our Sky Garden, this garden 150 meters in the air enjoys breathtaking views of the city. How will you get down? There are 3 buttons to choose from in this elevator. First makes the lift gently descend, second, is the drop button making the lift descend so fast spare clean underwear may be advised. Then third, is the ‘let the lift decide’ button, if you’re in a group who just can’t decide, then let the lift decide your fate!
Water flumes in the stunning water park, created by theatrical artists to entertain and amaze.
Our 600 bedroom traditional four-star hotel, where the rooms have been imagined by Punchdrunk (leading total immersion theatre specialists), where you are invited to ‘sleep in other peoples’ dreams’. A coach load of people can check into our 700 bed children’s hotel (looking like birds’ nests clinging to the side of a hill), split into 20 adjustable rooms each with 35 beds.
The Garden of Ideas will be a profit making social enterprise, as we value our social outcomes as much as the financial profit.
We will bring sustained employment and training opportunities to East London. There will be access to paid internships and apprenticeships positions, vocational training opportunities and work placements, with career opportunities to participate and shape the future of the Garden of Ideas.
Tim Smit of the Eden Project is helping to focus our purpose and engage audiences.
We will set a new standard for the cultural entertainment destination.
