Listening Residency | Andrea Ku | Wavertree Botanic Park

Artist and environmentalist Andrea Ku was in residence at the Wavertree Botanic Park and gardens, a grade II listed Victorian park founded by Liverpool botanist and abolitionist William Roscoe. Offering children and adults an opportunity to climb, build and play outdoors, Andrea’s ‘Dens of Sanctuary’ project engaged with local frustrations about the park – mainly years of neglect – by setting up forest play activities, leading nature walks and sharing skills for building outdoor shelters using wood found in the park.

Andrea’s residency in collaboration with Friends of Wavertree Botantic Park re-enchanted this local forgotten green space as a site for play and as fertile ground for her artistic practice. Andrea shared ideas to revamp the park’s signage to be multilingual, inspired by the nearby Asylum Link and its migrant community, making the space more welcoming to all individuals who may lack private access to an outdoor garden.

Andrea led nature walks around the park, set up forest play activities and shared skills for building outdoor shelters using wood found in the park.