The Derek Jarman Garden was designed by Dan Bristow (Propagating Dan) in 2013. It is inspired by artist and film-maker Derek Jarman (1942-1994), who left behind an extraordinary legacy in the form of his garden at Dungeness in Kent, recognised as a spectacular artwork in itself.

Derek Jarman’s own garden is located in the wild, dynamic landscape of Dungeness with its expansive shingle beach, lighthouses and power stations; the Derek Jarman Garden here at Peckham honours its essence with the garden as an organic foil to an urban, at times hostile, environment in the way that the seascape influenced the design of the garden at Dungeness. The Derek Jarman Garden at Bold Tendencies will always be in a shifting state, and through it we hope that Derek Jarman’s ideas continue to be explored and brought to new audiences.

The Derek Jarman Garden was commissioned by Bold Tendencies as part of the artistic programme curated by Joe Balfour with Greta Hewison in 2013, welcoming the original Dungeness garden’s colour and magic to the site to flourish against the harsh climate of the car park. The Garden here was imagined by Keith Collins (1966-2018) long-time companion of Derek Jarman and keeper of the Dungeness legacy, with the critical guidance and support of David Gothard.