What do we gather?
Dover Residency
‘What do we Gather?’
6.30 – 9pm on Monday July 27th 2026
An evening of reflection and discussion around Harvest Moon in the Urban Room.
As part of her Dover Residency, Laura J. Padgett showed three of her short films.
1.Replacement Therapy (1min 39sec, 2026).
2. A few Spaces In between (3Min 59sec, 2016)
3. So, tell me about your garden. (11min. 2005)
How close can we get to that which is outside ourselves, yet so much part of who we are? Even holding a leaf between our fingers can give us a sense of joy. In appreciating nature, even its diluted form, we intuitively accept the concept of imperfection, and somehow grasp the amalgam that we are.
Laura J. Padgett
Each of these films deals with nature, labor and our environment in a different way. One, by simply showing the artificiality of our attempts to recreate nature and how nature adapts within this setting. The other, using antiquated educational films, of how we construct rituals of analysis and control while trying to redeem what we have lost and thirdly our longing for nature in our lives.
The evening also introduced HARVEST MOON, a table built from chalk, gypsum, lime, split-chestnut palings, grubbed up apple tree branches, bailing twine and pallet straps, gleaned from local rural businesses. It is intended to be at the centre of curated events, gathering people and ideas together and will stay in the Urban Room for July and August 2026. The table project was funded by an internal research grant from UCA (University for the Creative Arts) and designed and built by Local Works Studio, Charles Holland and Cat Rossi, both Professors of Architecture at UCA Canterbury School of Art, Architecture and Design.
We are very grateful to The University for the Creative Arts (UCA) for their support with this event.
