Kersal Vale Allotments residency was an arts-based research project initiated by Chrysalis Arts that took place between April and October 2004. The project was developed in partnership with Salford City Council Arts Development Unit and Kersal Vale Allotment and Horticultural Association, and was set up by artists Debby Akam, Rick Faulkner and Peter Hatton as a residency on the allotment site in Lower Kersal.

The project placed an emphasis on the benefits of sourcing food locally and investing in local communities. Seeking to focus on the relationship between people and small growing spaces to raise wider questions about how food is produced and the impact this has on the environment and human life. It aimed to place this project within the context of other similar initiatives in Europe.

Gardening and interacting was the way the artists researched the site by taking on an allotment plot and developing ideas. They developed a dynamic relationship with the plot holders, recording interviews, publishing a newsletter and holding occasional feedback forums. A communal shed acted as a project gallery, which was updated with video stills from other plots plus a weekly photo record of the plot. The regular communal tea breaks and lunchtime gatherings here were invaluable informal exchanges.