Upcoming Events

BAMM Events

Exhibition of Modern Mosaics at RHS Harlow Carr

The mosaic exhibition at RHS Harlow Carr has become an annual fixture. The event is curated by a local group of mosaic artists, BAMM North, part of BAMM (The British Association for Modern Mosaic – known as Modern Mosaic).

“The exhibition seems to get better every year. It has become a well-respected showcase of the variety of Modern Mosaic being created today” says BAMM North Chair, Lisa-marie Newman. “This year’s theme is “Up Hill and Down Dale: A Celebration of Yorkshire” and will feature the work of 20 artists from across the north, with a huge variety of approaches and styles, as well as subject matter. Artists use a swathe of different materials, from standard tiles to pebbles, stained glass to broken terracotta, ceramic tiles to cut bricks. The styles vary from abstract to figurative wildlife pieces, but all of them represent Yorkshire, its beautiful countryside, industrial heritage and diverse wildlife.”

The exhibition is staffed by the mosaic artists, who are always on hand to answer questions, explain techniques and point you in the direction of a mosaic course local to you, if you fancy giving it a go.

As well as the main exhibition, The Bath House has a gift shop area, where you will be able to buy smaller items and mosaic kits. Everything is locally hand-made by the artists.

The RHS Harlow Carr’s gardens are spectacular, and late spring is a particularly good time to visit. Entrance to the exhibition is included in the price to visit the gardens.

The 2026 BAMM North exhibition, “Up Hill and Down Dale: A Celebration of Yorkshire”, will take place at The Bath House at RHS Harlow Carr, Harrogate, 23 April – 17 May, and will feature the work of 20 mosaic artists.

For more information, please contact Frances Taylor

07984 424897 frances@mosaicmania.co.uk


THREADS OF REMEMBRANCE

Remembering piece by piece 2026

Threads of Remembrance

Useful links

BAMM website www.bamm.org.uk/news

NMS website www.thenma.org.uk

Make-along link https://BAMMThreads.eventbrite.co.uk

Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1785751988694524/

participation form https://forms.gle/eSvC2KRV5Zwcw8uU9

Infodoc https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rgTsSQ8lMDPhkJx_R7W18G3jrjhbqC4s/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=117814602454616023924&rtpof=true&sd=true

https://BAMMThreads.eventbrite.co.uk

Project Background

BAMM is delighted to be working in collaboration with the National Memorial Arboretum, in Staffordshire, to create a piece of memory-inspired mosaic art which will be displayed in their Remembrance Centre. With its amazing stories and over 400 memorials steeped in symbolism, it will be the perfect place to host an internationally created piece of artwork that represents the meaning of memory, remembrance and nature to people of all ages.

The artwork will be installed in 2026 when the Arboretum will celebrate 25 years since it officially opened to the public. Woodland, meadowland, lakes, gardens, and rivers, make up the Arboretum set in 150 acres on the edge of the National Forest. It abounds in wildlife and over 25,000 trees – not only native species but examples from across the globe.

Since earliest times, people, communities, civilisations and cultures have remembered lives by commemorating them. Remembrance is part of our shared heritage. From ancient burial grounds and religious rituals, through storytelling and war memorials to today’s social media pages and roadside tributes, humans have created many ways of remembering.

Remembrance has its own language. It is filled with symbols, imagery and motifs.

Remembrance is personal and means different things to different people. How and what we remember is up to us.

Remembrance is selective. It is the living who choose what to remember and what to forget.

The Arboretum celebrates lives lived and lives lost. We would love you to contribute to this specially commissioned piece of art by submitting a symbol that represents your own feelings about memory, remembrance or nature. Your contribution could reflect a person, a place or a thing; an event, an experience or a feeling; it could be representative or symbolic; a pattern or a flow of colours – it is up to you how you want to celebrate and immortalise your memory in this piece.

The Artwork – Vision

Inspiration for the overall shape of the artwork has been inspired by research showing spiral shaped neural activity within the brain.

Contributions from participants will be curated into threads of remembrance according to the nature of the pieces received. As we don’t know yet what participants will represent, the overall design remains flexible to include all contributions.

Individual elements

• Your piece should represent something important and personal to you.

• It could be anything that you wish to immortalise in this artwork in this special place and together it will form a visual feast of intensely personal remembrances.

• Participants are encouraged to create a small piece of mosaic in any format between the sizes of 5x5cm up to 20x20cm. The pieces do not have to be square and could be rectangular or odd shaped – for example 20x20cm, 20x10cm, 10x15x, 5x20cm etc.

• For the 5x5cm pieces, we are looking for a memento or keepsake that can be embedded into cement. We will be collating the stories behind the mementos so please share if you are able.

• For all pieces you are encouraged to write a few lines about what inspired your piece and the meaning behind it.

• If you have taken part in the Mosaic for Afghan Women project, or the Wild at Heart Nature roundels, you may be familiar with the format already: make a base from layers of mesh and cement, then stick your mosaic to the base to create a stand-alone piece of mosaic that will be fitted together with others during the installation.

• Materials must be suitable – exterior grade tiles/ natural stone/ glass/ metal etc – please no beads, crumbly tiles or flaky materials that will disintegrate during the installation process or get lost in the grout.

How to take part

Process

How to take part

Fill out the google form – if you don’t do this bit, your mosaic may be included but your name will not be on the list of contributors. https://forms.gle/eSvC2KRV5Zwcw8uU9

Sign up for an online make-along to share your ideas and memories together.

Further dates will be shared on the BAMM website and the Facebook page.

Think about what you would like to make and draw it out.

If you would like support, contact a workshop provider – see BAMM website

Choose your materials (carefully)

Make your base and stick your design to it – do not grout.

Mark the back of the mosaic with your name and country

Share you love for mosaics with your community and learn to be a workshop provider for this project. A suggested workshop outline will be provided.

Package your mosaic appropriately – this could be between pieces of card / or wrapped in bubble wrap.

Mark the package “MOSAIC PROJECT” and send your piece un-grouted to the NMA.

LLynda Baugh
National Memorial Arboretum
Croxall Rd,
Burton-on-Trent
DE13 7AR
United Kingdom

Share a photo of your progress and final piece on the FB page https://www.facebook.com/groups/1785751988694524

Threads of Remembrance – TAKE PART!

This is an open call to BAMM members to join us in a community making event to put together the Threads of Remembrance Mosaic.

 

COLLABORATIVE MAKING OPPORTUNITY

We will be holding an open making event to fill in the background to the mosaic around the memory mosaics that we have received. The background will be made up of Threads or lines of tiles, interweaving like lives and changing colours as they go.

BAMM members will be encouraged to work together and/or to take on a beginner volunteer if necessary, to enable them to participate alongide.

DATES

We understand that plans may change but we would appreciate it if you could give us an indication of when you are thinking of coming.

You are invited t0 join the team onsite at the NMA any day between

TUESDAY 7TH – FRIDAY 10TH APRIL 2026.

You can come for any amount of time and on multiple days if you wish.

There will be a morning session from 10 am-12:30 pm and an afternoon session from 1:30-4 pm on each day.

We hope that this will give you the opportunity to look around the wonderful grounds of the NMA at the same time.

LOCATION

Please come to:

National Memorial Arboretum

Croxall Road, Alrewas, Burton on Trent, Staffs DE13 7AR

HOW TO TAKE PART

• Pleasse let us know when you are hoping to come, just so that we have an idea of numbers by filling in the Google form here https://forms.gle/147WbbX1hgANdPkz5

• There is a minibus from Tamworth if you are coming by train

• If you are driving, please let us know your car make and registration number so that we can get you a free parking permit for your visit

• If you have clippers and an apron, please bring them. If not, please just bring yourselves.

Thanks in advance for your help putting this exciting project together.