Date: Thursday 19 March 2026 // 6.30pm – 7.30pm

Location: Keele in Town, Newcastle-under-Lyme Town Centre. 

On Thursday 19 March 2026, we were joined by Alice McCabe who gave a public talk at Keele in Town.

Alice talked about her exploration of bamboo within her work, the talk will cover an introduction to Japanese Bamboo Fence Making (and potential for structural application in large-scale floral design) following training in Japan, sponsored by RHS travel bursary, Japanese Garden Society and Daiwa Foundation.

Together we learned about Kyoto-certified bamboo, the art of Japanese bamboo fencemaking, and fencemaking techniques. We heard about Alice’s ideas for working with UK bamboo how the shortlisted design for Chelsea Flower Show 2026 installation / collaboration with Trebah Gardens, Cornwall was developed and designed.

Thanks to those who joined us. Images by Joel Harrison from Life through a Lens:

With thanks to Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council and the #UKSPF funds for Brilliant Bamboo’s project for the area, and with thanks to Arts Keele and Keele University for the support at the venue: Keele in Town.

More about Alice:

Director of Metafleur Alice McCabe is a multi-media artist who works with flowers for a living, creating floral installations, paintings and performances often with foraged and found materials of an ephemeral nature.

Integral to her practice as a floral artist is to create both sustainable and conceptual designs drawing attention via flowers and their meanings to point to other contexts alongside their beauty.

Alice has worked with flowers and plants for over twenty years, having trained with the Royal Horticultural Society and Permaculture Association alongside pursuing her art career. She set up Alice McCabe Flowers in 2016 followed by Metafleur in 2020 focusing on large scale installations, land based designs and green arts education.