Booming Brilliant talks: Alice McCabe from Metafleur

Join Brilliant Bamboo for our next Booming Brilliant talks programme: with Alice McCabe from Metafleur.

Date: Thursday 19 March 2026

Time: 6.30pm - 7.30pm

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

Alice will be talking 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 will find out about Kyoto certified bamboos, the art of Japanese bamboo fencemaking and fencemaking techniques. We'll hear about 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. Alice will offer advice on sponsorship and bursaries for travel to Japan offered too as part of Q&A. General enthusiasm for travels and collaborative experience shared as well!

The talk is possible 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 Keele in Town, and a Newcastle Business Festival: Shaping the Future event. 

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.