Prosiect Llysiau'r Vetch Veg Project

The Vetch had been the home to the Swansea City AFC for 93 years. In 2005, they played their last game here. For 7 years, the pitch stood still... ...And in 2011, it was demolished. So, why am I talking about a football pitch on a gardening show? First of all, the pitch was named after a type of pea which was grown here before it was turned into a stadium. Although many thought it was a type of cabbage! 100 years later, they've started to grow vegetables here again. Look! The iconic stadium has been transformed into a community garden for 12 months. I've come here to see exactly what's going on. Marc, can you tell me what this project is about? The Vetch Veg is a part of the Adain/Avion project. It's the main project in Wales for the London 2012 cultural olympiad. The project revolves around an aeroplane without wings... ...Which has been transformed into a moveable art space. It will be coming to Abertawe, Llandudno... ...People will be bringing it in to spark new community ideas. Adain/Avion has commissioned the artist Owain Griffiths to take charge of the project. Owain, you're an artist, so how come you're in charge of the project instead of a gardener? Well, of course, I'm a part of the project along with local gardeners. My idea was to create a garden in the centre of Swansea. The idea had an art initiative all along. This project is a good chance to create something on this land... ...Something which will mean a lot to the people of Swansea. It's something cultural that brings them together here in Swansea. Many have told stories of how they've grown up around the Vetch. Although I'm unaware of all the stories, they've become a part of this project... ...They stories have built a network for the project. We have 110 plots on the site. They belong to individuals, families and even community groups. It can be a difficult process... ...But it's very interesting to work with different people within the same place. The kitchen is a big part of the project. We built this out of wooden palettes which came from the jail behind us. It's a good way of recycling all the wood. Instead of growing vegetables then going home to cook and prepare them... ...We have a kitchen here for them to do so. The idea is to share their food and all their stories together. It transforms the space into a social centre. Do you consider yourself a gardener? No, I'm still learning! What's important is that we're all able to learn together. Some here have a lot of experience, and others have never grown vegetables. The point is, everyone has a platform to try things out here. We're not just gardening here, but we're doing it as a community. Instead of going to the supermarket, we're able to grow our own vegetables here. That's an important symbol of this project.