The Necropolis Flower Memorial is the opening part of Glasgow Requiem, a 3-year creative programme by Aproxima Arts, spanning public ceremony, community archaeology, horticultural design, sound works, live performance, writing and imaginative responses to Glasgow’s mediaeval roots, pre-industrial history and founding mythologies.

The Necropolis, Glasgow's great silent 'City of the Dead', contains over 50,000 burials; it is well known for the grand memorials to the richer residents of the city. Less well known is that the cemetery contains 21,000 common or unmarked graves, where people were buried when their families or friends could not afford the price of a headstone or lair.

The story of so many people being buried without a headstone or memorial in such a grand cemetery garden, touches everyone. As if only money and status can buy immortality, but the truth is that Glasgow was built on the lives of thousands of folks who lived, worked and died here, often in terrible conditions. The humour, warmth and support for a socially just world that the city is famous for comes from them.

It feels right to make a simple permanent flower memorial carefully designed with beautiful 'successional planting' that will create visual interest from Spring to late Summer. The planted triangle of land in the Eta compartment of the Glasgow Necropolis, contains 8,000 burials, so now we can begin to remember them and find out more about their lives, staging events as we look after the memorial together in years to come.

But we need your help!

Together with the National Wild Flower Centre and Friends of the Necropolis, Aproxima Arts will plant 15,000 bulbs across a large area, in remembrance of those who built and shaped our wonderful city. Your donation will directly support this work and all associated costs of its upkeep. A plaque with all supporters' names (if you would like to be included) will be prominently placed next to the flower bed.