On the historic grounds of RHS Garden Bridgewater, a majestic sweet chestnut tree – believed to be over 300 years old – stands as a silent witness to centuries of change. The public is invited to help imagine and honour its story through a unique participatory project led by acclaimed artist Yan Wang Preston. It is a rare opportunity to contribute to the early stages of a new artwork that will be part of a major exhibition at Salford Museum and Art Gallery in 2026/27.
As part of OFFSHOOT, three community photographers will work alongside Yan Wang Preston and local groups at RHS Bridgewater to explore themes of nature, wellbeing, and climate change. Yan is an internationally acclaimed photographer, whose stunning and ambitious photographic projects highlight the relationship between humans and the natural world. She won First Prize in the Professional Landscape competition, Sony World Photography Awards in 2019 and her work has been shown in numerous exhibitions, including the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery (2024).
As part of the project, each person will receive a random year between 1720 and 2025 and be invited to write a short story inspired by that moment in time – real or imagined, personal or historical. All contributions will help shape a poetic and artistic tribute to time, nature, and collective memory. If you are interested in taking part in the Memory Keeper Project, please contact Project Coordinator Rowan Pritchard by email at r.pritchard3@salford.ac.uk
“Trees are the ultimate memory keepers,” says Yan Wang Preston. “Through this project, we’re not just imagining the past—we’re weaving together a tapestry of shared human experience, rooted in nature and community.”
The project is ideal for anyone with an interest in art, photography, nature and the environment, local history and storytelling. Whether they are a gardener, writer, artist, historian, or simply curious, attendees will have the chance to become one of the 300 Memory Keepers and help tell the story of this very special tree—and of us all.
Memory Keepers is part of OFFSHOOT, a collaborative project between the Royal Horticultural Society, University of Salford Art Collection, and Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool, generously supported by Arts Council England through National Lottery funding.
Image: Yan Wang Preston