Who Took THe Mary Out of Christmas?
A Story About Vision, LEADERSHIP, and the Future We're Capable of Creating
November 25th, 2025, 17:30 - 19:30 | Swiss Church in London | 79 Endell St, London
Every leader eventually arrives at the same question.
How do you imagine a better future before anyone else can see it?
This November, Garden of Even™ brings its acclaimed Christmas experience, Who Took the Mary Out of Christmas?,
to London for the first time.
An intimate evening of storytelling, historical insight, and conversation designed for people who believe ideas have the power to shape cultures, organisations, and the future itself.
What if we've misunderstood one of history's greatest visionaries?
For centuries, Mary has been remembered as a quiet symbol of devotion.
But when placed back into her historical context, a different woman emerges: A young woman living through political upheaval who refused to accept the world exactly as it was.
Mary imagined that something entirely new could be born.
History changed because of her vision.
Why this Matters
Every generation inherits stories.
The most influential leaders know when it's time to question them.
Today's leaders are navigating extraordinary complexity with changing expectations of leadership.
The challenge is more than simply making better decisions: it's imagining new possibilities that don't yet exist.
Through historical reframing and original art, Garden of Even™ Founder Kadie Philp explores one of history's most influential stories and asks what it can teach us about vision, courage, and leading through uncertainty.
This is not a theological lecture.
Nor is it a traditional Christmas event.
It is an exploration of one of Western culture's most influential stories—and what changes when we hear it differently.
The evening
17:30 – 18:30
Arrival Reception
Begin the evening with a glass of wine and the opportunity to explore a curated selection of Garden of Even™ original artworks while connecting with fellow guests.
18:30 – 19:30
Programme
A signature Garden of Even™ keynote by founder Kadie Philp, offering a thought-provoking re-telling of the Christmas story through Mary's historical lens.
A conversation hosted by Chloe Richardson exploring the enduring relevance of Mary's story and its implications for leadership, vision, and our shared future.
The London unveiling of (Mother) Mary, the newest work in the Garden of Even™ collection.
19:30 - 20:30
Christmas Reception
Continue the conversation over premium wine and seasonal canapés in an intimate setting surrounded by select original Garden of Even™ artwork and fellow leaders from across business, culture, and the professions.
Venue
Swiss Church in London | 79 Endell St, London
Nearest Tube:
Leicester Square (Northern / Piccadilly Lines)
Covent Garden (Piccadilly Line)
Your speaker
Kadie Philp is the Founder of Garden of Even™, an award-winning storyteller, and a sought-after international speaker whose work sits at the intersection of history, culture, leadership, and social change.
Over the past twenty years, she has worked in more than 100 cities across 30 countries, advising leaders, institutions, and communities navigating transformation. Her insights have been featured in the Financial Times, The Globe and Mail, and other international media.
Through Garden of Even™, Kadie explores the women, myths, and stories that have shaped our collective imagination. Her signature experiences combine historical research, immersive storytelling, and original art to reveal how the stories we inherit influence the futures we create. Through Garden of Even™, she invites audiences to reconsider familiar stories and discover what becomes possible when we see them, and ourselves, differently.
Your Host
Chloe Richardson is an internationally recognised event host, moderator, and keynote speaker known for creating thoughtful conversations that connect people, ideas, and action.
With more than 15 years of global experience, Chloe has hosted awards ceremonies, executive roundtables, global conferences, fireside conversations, and leadership summits, bringing warmth, curiosity, and insight to every stage she leads. She has facilitated more than 300 think tanks and roundtables, helping organisations create meaningful dialogue that strengthens relationships and inspires new thinking.
As host of Who Took the Mary Out of Christmas?, Chloe will guide the evening's conversation, helping connect Mary's story to the questions and opportunities facing us today.
A conversation worth having
Join a room of curious minds, thoughtful leaders, executives, and founders,
and people who believe something better is always possible.
Together we'll explore a question that sits at the heart of every meaningful transformation:
What becomes possible when someone is courageous enough to imagine a future others cannot yet see?
Two thousand years later, perhaps Mary's greatest gift isn't the story we've remembered.
Perhaps it's the one we've overlooked.
That even in uncertain times, something new can be born.
Reserve Your seat Early
This special London presentation has intentionally limited capacity to create an intimate experience for conversation and connection.
If this story speaks to you, we invite you to reserve your seat today.
Bring someone who enjoys meaningful conversation, compelling ideas, and seeing familiar stories through a new lens.
You’ll leave with more than a new understanding of Christmas: leave with a renewed sense of possibility, and perhaps a clearer vision of what might be waiting to be born in the year ahead.
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