Film, Marketing — Torbay Culture

Heritage Gardens on the English Riviera

Place-based storytelling film for councils and cultural partnerships — 6 minutes, 2022

Commissioned by Torbay Culture, this short heritage film celebrates Torbay’s historic gardens and the people, stories and landscapes that shape the English Riviera. The project forms part of my wider work supporting councils and place-based partnerships with marketing and storytelling, using film to bring local heritage, culture and community identity to life.

Guided by Ali Marshall, Head Gardener at Torre Abbey, the film journeys across Cockington, Oldway, Royal Terrace Gardens, Tessier Gardens and Torre Abbey. It explores how Torbay’s mild, sheltered coastal climate enables Mediterranean-style planting and exotic species to thrive — a distinctive feature of the area’s place identity and cultural heritage.

The narrative weaves contemporary voices with reflections from Edwardian fruit tree specialist Albert E. Germain, connecting Torbay’s living landscapes with its horticultural history. The film showcases a mix of formal and informal gardens, highlighting how heritage spaces can support community pride, cultural placemaking and place-based regeneration.

This commission reflects how place-based storytelling and heritage-led marketing can be used by councils and cultural partnerships to engage residents, celebrate local identity and strengthen the visibility of place-based programmes. Following the closure of Torbay Culture, the film now sits within the wider legacy of cultural projects supported by Torbay Council.