Go behind the scenes at the National Theatre to visit its rooftop Dye Garden

Claire Venice· Host0:00

[gentle music] Hello, and welcome to the award-winning BBC Gardeners' World Magazine podcast, brought to you by the team here at the magazine. Join us as we chat all things gardening with the nation's favorite experts. We're stepping behind the scenes at the National Theatre to explore one of its most vibrant and quietly transformative projects, the National Theatre Dye Garden. This living, growing space is part creative laboratory, part sustainable experiment, rooted in the idea that color can be cultivated, crafted, and reimagined. Hello, I'm Claire Venner from the magazine. Joining me are two people at the heart of this work. First, trainee textile artist Lorelle Aboagye, whose passion for natural dyes is shaping a new approach to theatrical textiles, and Simon Stevens, head of the Skills Center, who's championing hands-on learning and sustainable craftsmanship across the organization. Together, they'll share how the dye garden began, what it offers to makers and artists, and what plants you can grow in your gardening space to create your own dye garden. Hello, Lorelle. Welcome to the podcast. It's lovely to have you here and to talk about such an interesting subject.

Lorelle Aboagye· Guest1:16

Thank you for having me.

Claire Venice· Host1:17

Now, you're a trainee textile artist there at the National Theatre. What first drew you to natural dyeing, and how did that interest lead you to the National Theatre's dye garden?

Lorelle Aboagye· Guest1:28

Well, my journey began