Pride of Portsmouth Sculpture trail 2026
Wear with Pride celebrates Portsmuth’s strong tattoo and maritime heritage. Classic sailor tattoos, found everywhere from the high seas to tattoo parlours around the world, have long been symbols of adventure, bravery and resilience. Rooted in seafaring traditions and superstitions, these traditional tattoos were more than ink – they acted as talismans, reminders of home and signs of loyalty to a life at sea. A sailor’s tattoos were a map of his life and his voyage.
In this design, each tattoo is placed in its traditional placements. From the iconic Arches tattoo parlour to the famous Pompey dots, the lion proudly wears his collection of inky badges of honour. Together, they form a rich tapestry of life shaped by the ocean and the stories carried across roaring seas.
This trail is part of the landmark Portsmouth 100 centenary celebrations #portsmouth100
Sponsor Royal Navy Museums
A trail by Wild In Art and Portsmouth City Council
All trail info here: https://prideofportsmouth.co.uk
When: July 13th-September 13th
Where: Portmouth Historic Dockyard, Portsmouth
St Luke Guiding Lights Sculpture Trail Roaming Exhibition
Inkognito is a celebration of the maritime tattoo tradition used for centuries by sailors. Marking journeys, experiences, and achievements, ink and ocean ‘hold fast’ to one another. Permanently etched onto skin, they were not just works of art but recordings, symbols, living maps and even lucky talismans to some. This design showcases some of Plymouth’s history via tattoo flashes, camouflaging the ‘guiding light’ and exploring what lurks beneath the surface…….
Sponsor BLOCK Workspace
Raising funds for St. Luke’s Hospital Plymouth
A trail by Wild In Art and St. Luke’s Guiding Lights
Go hunting for lighthouses and see if you can find ‘Inkognito’
When: July 6th-September 28th
Where:
Salcombe Brewery Tap House, Salcombe, Devon 6th-19th July
Harbour House Gallery, Kingsbridge Library and the Velarde Gallery, Kingsbridge, Devon 20th-2nd August
St Luke’s Hospice Charity Shop, Tavistock, Devon 3rd-16th August
Dartmoor Zoo, Sparkwell, Devon 17th-30th August
The Barrow Centre, Mount Edgecumbe, Devon 31st-13th September
Farewell Weekend, Market Hall Devonport, Devon 25th – 27th September
Open Boats Day 2026
The hatches are open again for one day! Open Boat Day will commence 10.30am Sunday 28th June. An opportunity to come and have a nose about aboard, and ask questions about boat life in general. This tradition began back in 2019 as part of the Wolvercote and Wytham Midsummer Festival programme; a way to bridge the gap between water dweller and landlubber here in the villages.
When: 10.30-2pm, June 28th
Where: Wolvercote Lock
Alex from CRT @canalrivertrust shall be sharing waterway wisdom at Wolvercote Lock so come along and pick his brain and have a chat, especially if an interest in volunteering.
Midday 12pm Join @wyrdweeds who will wow you with a Community Weed walk, informing you of the treasures growing right here on the towpath and their foraging potential! (Near Lady Banbury-just north of Wolvercote Lock)
Marta will show you the ropes aboard Galileo so feel free to pick her boaty brain aboard and get yourself some tasty refreshments (blue/orange boat towards flyover bridge)
Lady Banbury Art market aboard selling cards, prints, posters and curios.
Wolvercote and Wytham Midsummer Festival
When: Midnight Market Friday 29th May 7pm-Midnight Where: Tap Social Tap Room, Botley, Oxford
I shall be selling my usual wyrd wares, predominantly prints, and doing Crankie demos.
Oxfordshire Artweeks exhibition 2026
Into the Nettle Patch; plant lore, folk ritual, and the liminal.
This theme is explored through illustration, paintings, and visual storytelling with Crankie theatre, all aboard an old boat. From faery dwellings to evil curses, the flora that grows here harbours mythologies and wondrous traditions. At the edges, in hedgerows and along canals, hides an ancient magic, a powerful agency for the common folk, a remedy for life.
When: May 16th-25th 2026
Venue: all aboard!
Location;; Lady Banbury Butty Boat, the towpath, Oxford Canal. North of Wolvercote Lock, access steps from Godstow Bridge. Follow the posters and artweeks signs……
What three words: flute.fire.tables
Address ; Lady Banbury Boat
The Towpath
Wolvercote
OX2 8QT
Feel free to email regarding location queries.
Opening Times:
Saturday 16th-Monday 18th May 11-6 Crankie show 4pm everyday
Tuesday 19th-Wednesday 20th May CLOSED
Thursday 21st-Monday 25th May 11-6 Crankie show 4pm everyday
Giant Crankie ‘The Last Believer’
I had the pleasure of painting a giant story scroll as well as designing the facades for this Crankie show, all about fantastic Tyneside folklore!
Moving Parts Arts presents……
Told on a unique two-metre high moving panorama called a 'Crankie', and with live original music, puppetry and storytelling, The Last Believer is a bold, colourful and fun adventure story for the whole family.
Where: GREAT NORTH MUSEUM: HANCOCK LAWN, NEWCASTLE
When: 8th - 11th APRIL | 11am, 1pm, 3.30pm daily | 40 mins approx.
Christmas Markets
The Nest Open Day (Young Women’s Music Project), 33-35 Little Clarendon St., Jericho, Oxford Live music/workshops/Yard Sale/Art Fair
Join me for the Art Fair Saturday 29th November, 11-5pm
Common Ground Christmas Market, 37-38 Little Clarendon St., Jericho, Oxford Sunday 7th December, 10-5pm
autumn events
A Towpath Through Time
Magical Gig Three Idle Women perform songs of the waterways with the Idle Choir
Karis Harrington Art Market
Saturday 11th October, 7pm
SHADOW STORIES in the bookshop
Karis Harrington performs 'Feed The Echo' on her Crankie theatre box
Presented by: Curio Bookshop
Tuesday 28th October, 8pm
Home from Home events
Variety Show
Magical Crankie Storytelling by Karis Harrington
November 1st 5.30-11pm
Previous Events 2025
OCCULTZ Oxford Comics, cult and zine fair September 6th, 10-4.30pm-The Bullingdon, Oxford
Open Boats Day Art Market aboard Lady Banbury-boaters open their hatches to the public! 10-2pm 29th June. The Towpath, north of Godstow Bridge, Wolvercote
Oxfordshire Artweeks Water and the Witch 3-10th May 11-6pm-I shall be exhibiting a mixture of drawings, paintings and storytelling art aboard the boat. The Towpath, north of Godstow Bridge, Wolvercote
Lines Event Illustration Night -I will be selling work and doing demos - 15th February 4.30-9pm, Jericho Tavern, Oxford
Commonground Art Market (date tbc) March, Little Clarendon St. Oxford
JST Summer Street Party pop up Art Market 12-6,pm James Street, Cowley, Oxford
Buzz In the City My Bee sculpture ‘Beethology’ will be on this public trail July-September in Chelmsford
A Mischief of Rats My rat sculture ‘Pirats’ will be on this public trails from May-August up in Hull
Great Tail Trail My giant mermaid tail sculpture ‘Fossil Fables’ will be on this public trail April-June Bournemouth
Waddle On Sea My penguin sculpture ‘Harley Guin’ will be on this public art trail July-September Southend-on-sea
Scenes Unseen Original Art Postcards Exhibition 17th-26th May Chipping Norton Theatre Gallery
My Lovely Postcards Original postcard art exhibition 30th April-25th May, Cloister Gallery, Oxford