FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 15, 2015

CONTACT:
Carin Brastow
Managing Director
(215) 496-9160 (office)
carin@enchantmenttheatre.org

ENCHANTMENT THEATRE COMPANY SELECTS NEIGHBORHOOD GARDENS TRUST AS THE RECIPIENT OF THE 2015 EDEN AWARD

Philadelphia, PA—Enchantment Theatre Company has selected the Neighborhood Gardens Trust as the winner of its 2015 Eden Award. Since 2009, Enchantment has presented this award to an individual or organization that exemplifies the values that guide Enchantment – imagination, originality, transformation and community. This award will be presented at the opening performance of Enchantment’s newest original production, Peter Rabbit^TM Tales, December 12, 2015 at the Arts Bank Theater.

“We are so pleased to recognize the Neighborhood Gardens Trust with our 2015 Eden Award,” says Carin Brastow, Managing Director of Enchantment Theatre Company. “Neighborhood Gardens Trust is dedicated to preserving community gardens and shared open spaces that enhance quality of life in Philadelphia’s neighborhoods.  NGT, an affiliate of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, has protected 35 open spaces across Philadelphia, which were transformed from vacant lots to beautiful gardens that grow flowers and organically grown produce.

With our world premiere production of Peter Rabbit^TM Tales, based on the original tales of Beatrix Potter – a pioneer in land conservation – it seems only fitting that we honor the Neighborhood Gardens Trust for preserving and protecting the very nature that inspired Ms. Potter’s art and stories. We feel that Ms. Potter and Mrs. Eden would have been proud of the Committee’s choice!”

“We are honored to receive this award and delighted that Enchantment Theatre Company has selected an organization dedicated to improving the urban environment,” says Neighborhood Gardens Trust’s Executive Director, Jennifer Greenberg. Just as ETC introduces city youth to the creative possibilities that are inherent in the arts, NGT supports and sustains opportunities for urban residents of all ages to creatively engage with the natural world.”

The Eden Award was established in 2009 to honor the late Judith S. Eden, friend, Advisory Board member and faithful supporter of Enchantment Theatre Company. Eden, a resident of Center City, was a zoning attorney and civic activist who died of cancer in August 2008. Eden was an exceptional leader in many civic organizations and causes, including the Society Created to Reduce Urban Blight. This award keeps alive the memory of an extraordinary woman who devoted her energies to her family, her work and her community in a way that was truly transformational.

About Neighborhood Gardens Trust: The Neighborhood Gardens Trust, an affiliate of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, has preserved 35 gardens and shared open spaces and has the goal of protecting as many as 100 spaces throughout the city. The Philadelphia Land Bank, a mechanism for turning vacant land into productive use, will help NGT reach this goal, reflecting the rising trend of households growing their own food and the increased interest in community gardening.

The parcels of land under NGT’s umbrella range from single house lots to 3.7-acre spaces. The gardens include tranquil spots filled with flowers and trees to bountiful vegetable gardens that contribute to the PHS City Harvest program, which raises healthy food for families in need. Among the NGT gardens are long-established, stunning landscapes such as Aspen Farms in West Philadelphia and the urban oasis filled with found art called Summer Winter Garden, as well as Moore Street Garden, the green space most recently protected by NGT.

About Enchantment: Enchantment Theatre Company is a professional non-profit theater company with a reputation across the country for excellence in both theater and arts education. For more than 35 years, Enchantment has been guided by its mission: to create original theater for young audiences and families that inspires, challenges and enriches our audience. We accomplish this by combining great stories with our distinctive signature style, blending music, puppetry, dance, magic and masks into an engaging theater experience. Our vision is to share Enchantment’s unique artistry with as many children and families as possible. This includes those in the Philadelphia region reached by Enchantment Everywhere who many not otherwise have access to theater and also the more than 100,000 children reached by its national tours.

For tickets to Enchantment’s Opening Day Benefit: An Enchanted Garden Party on the 12^th of December, go here.