Creative Production

A Room in Bloom

NOVUM Festival 2026

People looking at a large floral display made of fresh flower and paper

We all have a connection to flowers, big or small. A gift for your gran, a daisy chain in the playground, a bouquet on your wedding day, or a ‘weed’ that won’t stop growing out of your garden wall. A living artwork, A Room In Bloom was created as a response to our deep-rooted, unavoidable connection to flowers, their significance to us as human beings, and their pivotal role in nature.

Part living art exhibition, part event space, A Room In Bloom was a larger-than-life floral wonderland where fresh, locally grown flowers and intricate paper art blur the line between nature and imagination. The space served as a totally unique and atmospheric backdrop for live music for the Friday launch of the festival, and throughout the weekend, audiences could wander through the space to enjoy the floral artworks, with the opportunity to sit down and create a paper flower which they could take home or contribute to the growing exhibition.

All the flowers and foliage in the exhibition were grown or responsibly foraged within 30 miles of the gallery, by local flower farmers like Roisin at Verde Flower Co. and a troop of amazing Community Growers from around Newcastle Upon Tyne, including Newcastle Parks, Ouseburn Farm, Ouseburn Trust, Pendower Good Neighbour Project, Projects4Change, and Scotswood Community Garden. Winding through the living pieces were large scale paper flowers, echoing the soft, fresh petals of their living counterparts designed by paper artist Yvette Ja, again with support from community groups across the city.

Over 500 paper flowers were created during NOVUM’s A Room In Bloom. With sustainability being the core theme inspiring A Room In Bloom, all materials used in the piece have gone on to serve a further life. Potted plants used in the exhibit have been donated to communities across Newcastle, compostable materials will be used to grow more flowers locally, and paper blooms will be exhibited in local community spaces.

A Room In Bloom was commissioned for NOVUM Festival 2026. The lead floral artist was Roisin Taylor from Verde Flower Co and the paper artist was Yvette Ja Studio.

Photos by TyneSight

Large paper flower against floral backdrop

A Bandstand in Bloom

Ouseburn Festival 2026

Big, bouncy floral arrangements softened the edges of this inner-city modern bandstand, surrounded at the time with unexpected building works!

The flowers helped to mark a community's annual celebration of a place, its people and its green space. Locally-grown flowers and foraged foliage brought their summer magic, and encouraged conversation about where flowers come from and why we value their presence in our lives.

A woman with dark, curly hair singing into a microphone and playing an acoustic guitar, surrounded by colorful flowers with an orange background.
A variety of colorful flowers including pink, white, purple, and yellow blooms, surrounded by green leaves and foliage.
Close-up of various colorful flowers, including white daisies with yellow centers, purple flowers, and white blossoms with green leaves in a garden.
A woman with dark hair and makeup singing into a microphone at a colorful outdoor event with flowers and banners.
A man operating electronic music equipment at an outdoor event decorated with flowers, under a yellow canopy.

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