Did you know that some trees become more than just part of the landscape? They become landmarks—symbols that anchor a community’s shared stories and identity. Farnborough has just such a tree. A Mother Tree.

Concept and performance: Judita Vivas

Sound: Boris Allenou

Visual Design: Barbara Touati-Evans

Part of The Places That Link Us project, funded by Farnborough Airport Community Fund and Pride in Place / UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

After nearly a year of creatively exploring Rushmoor’s urban green spaces and connecting with local communities, The Places That Link Us invited the community to come together in celebration of a magnificent London plane tree whose wide, sheltering canopy has graced the green next to Farnborough Library for generations. A natural gathering place, it has been a spot for resting, sharing a picnic, and finding shade from the sun or shelter from the rain.

Mother Tree is a celebration of our shared time on the green space we named the Library Green — and of the many conversations it has inspired with residents, historians, artists, and ecologists. It’s a tribute to:

• The seasonal transformations we’ve witnessed — from spring’s stark shadows to summer’s lush vibrancy, and the quiet turning of autumn.

• The trees that have stood silently through decades of change, holding our collective past.

• The power of co-existence, not dominance — and the deep-rooted connections between people, place, and time.

At its heart, Mother Tree is an ode to community, memory, and the beauty of the natural world we share.

Joined by sound artist Boris Allenou, Judita presented an intimate performance that blended movement, visuals and sound—a moment to pause, reflect, and connect with nature and one another.