Event took place on: 14 October 2022

Hip-hop artist and urban-food growing pioneer Ian Solomon-Kawall (aka KMT), shares his story of hope, grit and passion. During this episode, he describes the journey that led him to transform his late mother’s London garden into a dynamic community hub where permaculture, music and creativity ignite social change and empowerment. As the co-founder and CEO of award-winning CIC May Project Gardens, Ian has channelled the pain and grief of his childhood experiences and the challenges of dyslexia into what he calls ‘rays of light’ and ‘compassion to the max’.

“We use nature, food and creative arts to work with marginalised groups – mostly young people, people of colour and refugees – to create social change. Having genuine care for the people around us and the environment is pivotal to our success.”

–Ian Solomon-Kawall

In Ian’s We As Nature story, he shares:

  • The impact of his mother’s physical and mental health and the insights it’s brought forth
  • The permaculturist who landed in his home by chance and transformed not only Ian’s garden but his life path
  • The pitfalls and obstacles he faced when working in the music industry and charitable sector
  • The challenges and strengths of having dyslexia
  • How the three core principles of permaculture inform the May Project Garden ecosystem ethos
  • The journey of May Project Gardens, from a run-down patch of grass to a 16-yr old grassroots organisation engaging people from all over the world
  • The influence of growing up in an all-female household and how this informed his approach to employment equality
  • How the natural environment serves as a guide and reference point for his choices

You can listen below or find this episode on all major podcast platforms including Spotify, Amazon and Apple

About Ian:

Ian Solomon-Kawall (a.k.a KMT) has channelled his relentless passion for the environment and conservation into positive social change and awareness raising for a multitude of social issues. His methods are diverse and include the power of song, spoken word, the rhythms of Hip Hop, dance and permaculture.

KMT’s pioneering work combines a love for music and nature, grounded in a deep respect for Mother Earth’s beauty and abundance, with a focus on addressing issues of global food security and local food growing systems, all whilst entertaining and educating with infectious enthusiasm.

This unique combination has weaved together to form the South London community-led food growing space, May Project Gardens, designed and guided by permaculture principles. Here, Ian and his team run an array of community events and programmes, including a 6-month youth leadership programme called Hip Hop Gardens, which nurtures ideas and fuels passions through music and connection to the environment.

Find out more about Ian’s work:

Illustrations by Rohama Mailk.

 

Podcast
Date Added: 13 February 2023