Following our super successful How to Bury the Giant exhibition in Plymouth in November 2025 for COP30, we would like to take it on tour to visit many of the communities who have joined in creating The Mossy Carpet artwork.
This exhibition asks ‘How do we Bury the Giant?’
How do we all help to keep the carbon climate giant buried?
How can we and the land become more resilient?
How to Bury the Giant: On Tour
“Unique, phenomenal, beautiful- the revolutionaries in action!! Amazing ideas and art, constantly intriguing, challenging and yet very human-scale, personal and friendly.”
“Inspiring, creative & engaging! Want to see it in more spaces like this. Thank you!”
What is How to to Bury the Giant?
Carbon looms large, it is the giant of our times. On our own, we can feel powerless, but when we work together we can Bury the Giant!
Art and Energy create artworks to give people inspiration, comfort and hope. Creative activities help us to slow down, have better conversations, imagine new things, have fun and feel more connected.
How to Bury the Giant is a programme of activity that began in early 2022. Since then, the Art and Energy team, cross-sector partners and participants have collaborated to grow a range of accessible creative invitations including:
The Mossy Carpet, an 80+m long tactile textile artwork made by thousands of hands. On a backing of Dartmoor fleece, each brightly coloured hand-crafted textile tuft represents the small actions participants are taking for a better future.
Arts activities to explore real mosses, learning from bryologists and ecologists about the roles moss plays in landscapes from city pavements to wild rural peatlands. We bring the moss to events to get up close and gently feel, but we also invite you out to see real mosses and learn from experts working to support these precious ecosystems.
Observing the tardigrades, the tiniest most resilient creature in watery moss and The Tardigrade Telephone, a fun way to record messages about the actions you’re taking - and its cousin the talking tardigrade which plays them back to inspire us all.
Large metaphorical solar-powered interactive artworks - artworks that speak of energy and spark curiosity about renewable energy. When we act together we can make change happen for a brighter, greener future.
Peat-Fest South-West - Running workshops online and in person, recording young voices to create an audio-visual Manifesto for the future of these mossy landscapes we all rely on.
What will the Tour include?
An exhibition of How to Bury the Giant artworks - adapted to fit each location.
Art & Climate Seminars: At a time when the impacts of the climate and ecological emergencies are becoming increasingly visible, there is growing recognition that the cultural and creative sector has a vital role in helping people imagine and shape better futures. Our delivery of Plymouth Culture’s Creative Climate programme over the last 3 years shows growing demand for creative, participatory, hope-focused approaches to climate engagement. We have seen increasing interest from local artists and cultural-sector organisations who want to develop their own projects, share ideas, build confidence and learn from others. In response, we have included an Art & Climate Seminar at each location on this Tour.
Community Workshops - Accessible, fun, inviting ways for people to join in with hands-on creativity for deeper understanding and connection.
Where will the Tour go?
Over 80,000 people have joined in with the project so far, many of these through community events in and around Art and Energy’s home county of Devon. We were thrilled to receive many requests from participants and venues to bring the project to their community. We’ve carefully shaped this tour to include both urban and rural locations, with a wide range of venues so as to be accessible and appealing to a diverse audience. All of the venues have hosted Mossy Carpet workshops, so we will reach existing participants but also new audiences.
Each of the venues are significantly different, so we will adapt the offering to best suit that space and location.
Please see more details below:
Libraries Unlimited
Tavistock, Exeter, Barnstaple, Newton Abbot, Ivybridge and Paignton.
November 2026 - March 2027
Our tour starts with a series of smaller installations in libraries (the green circles on the map above) - these cultural hubs are such important spaces for connection and expanding of horizons.
We’ve had lots of fun, met so many new people, and had the most amazingly varied conversations whilst making The Mossy Carpet in libraries over the last few years - we want to celebrate this!
Due to constraints on space, these will be smaller installations with a section of The Mossy Carpet, an invitation to explore mosses, and community workshops with a creative activity to make and take away. We will encourage visitors to book in to join us at one of the main tour venues to experience the wider project.
“I’ve emailed a few libraries and have had a very positive response - a lot of them have hosted The Mossy Carpet before and said how wonderful it was. ”
RHS Garden Rosemoor, nr Torrington
16th - 24th January 2027
The RHS team have generously offered us the Garden Room, so we can exhibit the full Mossy Carpet, solar artworks, Tardigrade Telephone box, mosses and more!
RHS are championing the ‘Peat Free’ campaign, which links strongly with our Peat-Fest South-West project.
Whilst on site, we will run a minimum of 18 workshops and an Art & Climate Seminar to support the local cultural and creative sector to develop their own responses.
“At Rosemoor, we are increasingly developing programmes that bring together horticulture, arts, science and wellbeing to help visitors experience the gardens in new and meaningful ways. We believe How to Bury the Giant and The Mossy Carpet align strongly with these ambitions and will offer opportunities to engage existing visitors whilst attracting new audiences with an interest in creativity, environmental action and community participation.”
The Landmark Theatre, Ilfracombe
15th - 16th February 2027
Art and Energy ran a North Devon Mossy Carpet tour in April 2024 working with venues in Barnstaple, Braunton and Northam Burrows. We have also worked with The Landmark Theatre on our previous project Moths to a Flame.
In 2024 at Barnstaple Library, we had the pleasure of meeting Alison from the North Devon Craftivists, from this, the group continued to deliver community based Mossy Carpet activities at the events they attended and created a number of their own pieces of the artwork. We met up with the group at our exhibition in November 2025 were they could see their community pieces added to the 80m artwork. We’re excited to take the How to Bury the Giant project to Ilfracombe where their members can visit us to see their contribution as part of the larger artwork.
Due to demand on the space, we’ll only be at The Landmark Theatre for two days, but we’re planning to pack lots in including two community workshops and an Art & Climate Seminar.
“Landmark Theatres have previously collaborated with Art and Energy CIC... We consider them a company that creates high-quality, innovative and entertaining work which engages with communities in a meaningful way...and look forward to collaborating with them alongside our communities in North Devon.”
Sparks Bristol
6th - 10th April 2027
Sparks Bristol is a department store with a difference in the heart of the City. A ground floor of shops, events and installations and upstairs a hub for local artists, with studios and a performance space.
Art and Energy has previously worked with Bricks Bristol, delivering Mossy Carpet workshops to inner-city communities.
We will deliver workshops and an Art & Climate Seminar as part of the tour.
“The theme and experience fit perfectly with our aims to engage the public in fun and immersive ways with climate and nature. We believe this collaboration will bring mutual benefit and encourage more people to appreciate and help protect our natural world, as well as provide a fun, free activity for low income families during school holidays.”
MAKE Southwest, Bovey Tracey
20th - 30th April 2027
How to Bury the Giant: On Tour will have a focus on making at MAKE Southwest - an acclaimed exhibition space for contemporary craft and design. They have supported Art and Energy and The Mossy Carpet since the beginning, and we are honoured to be invited back; this feels a big endorsement of the quality of our work.
We will deliver workshops and an Art & Climate Seminar.
“MAKE Southwest believe The Mossy Carpet aligns with our charitable mission and would make a significant contribution to our public programme. We have a long-established reputation for delivering ambitious exhibitions alongside high-quality learning and engagement programmes for audiences of all ages…. We would be particularly excited to develop accompanying workshops, talks and community activities”
Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Honiton
How to Bury the Giant: On Tour will visit Thelma Hulbert Gallery in East Devon twice in 2027.
April/May 2027 dates TBC - Art and Climate Symposium
12th October - 31st October 2027 - How to Bury the Giant full exhibition
We have previously delivered Mossy Carpet events and a Youth Art Network workshop at this venue, we are looking forward to returning to deliver workshops and an Art & Climate Seminar.
“I think How to Bury the Giant would be a strong and timely project to share with communities… We would be happy to be part of the tour and are pleased to support this funding application.”
Sterts Arts & Environmental Centre, Cornwall
Summer 2027 dates TBC
Sterts is best known for its performance focus but they are expanded their rural hub, combining creativity and nature to serve communities with participatory and place-based activities. Sterts hosted our Peat-Fest South-West launch event and we are excited to return this special place with special people.
We know Sterts are keen to make space and time to develop their own creative responses to the exhibition which brings with it great potential for legacy work and new invitations.
We will run workshops and an Art & Climate Seminar.
“This project closely aligns with our ambition of raising our status as an environmental centre and embedding the natural environment into our programme of work.”
Exeter Custom House
19th August 2027 - 7th September 2027
Exeter Custom House (managed by Exeter Canal & Quay Trust) is an arts and cultural hub hosting a variety of events and activities in the heart of the city for locals and tourists alike.
We have worked in Exeter regularly over the past five+ years with Mossy Carpet events and workshops at Exeter Quay, Exeter Phoenix, Princesshay, University of Exeter and Exeter Cathedral.
We’ve planned this location to coincide with the IUCN UK Peatland Programme Peatland Conference which will be held at the University of Exeter from 31st August to 2nd September (see below).
We will run workshops and an Art & Climate Seminar.
“I confirm that the Exeter Canal & Quay Trust is fully supportive of the proposed project and the opportunities this will bring to the Custom House and Quay, as well as partner organisations and the
wider arts/creative community.”
IUCN UK Peatland Programme Conference 2027
University of Exeter
31st August - 2nd September
Peatland experts from across the UK will be visiting Exeter for the 2027 Peatlands conference and we will work closely with Jane Akerman, Programme Manager for the IUCN UK Peatland Programme.
A visit to the How to Bury the Giant: On Tour at Exeter Custom House will be one of the conference activities. We will hold workshops and an Art & Climate Seminar to encourage cross-sector conversations and creative responses.
We have previously attended and presented at the 2024 Conference in Scotland and 2026 conference in Wales.
National Trust Lydford Gorge, Dartmoor
27th September - 3rd October 2027
This is a beautiful inspiring mossy location on Dartmoor, it’s a busy National Trust site with many volunteers and local experts. Having worked with the team here on Peat-Fest South-West we would love to return and showcase The Mossy Carpet in the heart of a temperate rainforest.
We would hold workshops and an Art & Climate Seminar.
“This project will be a great opportunity to connect people with nature and help raise awareness of the special qualities and the need to care for and restore temperate rainforest habitat. The team at Lydford Gorge were engaged with the creation of the Mossy Carpet and it will be wonderful to have it return to the property for display.”
Royal William Yard, Plymouth
24th October - 1st November 2027
It feels fitting to return to Plymouth for the final stage of How To Bury the Giant: On Tour as we held many of our workshops and activities here plus our exhibition in Market Hall in November 2025.
RWY is an iconic venue, showcasing the City’s heritage and historic naval past with spectacular views of Plymouth Sound.
We would look to welcome many local participants and invite many of the 80,000+ people who helped make The Mossy Carpet to return to see it one last time.
We would hold workshops and an Art & Climate Seminar.
“We would be pleased to support the delivery of this activity in whatever practical ways we can, including assistance with venue access, on-site coordination, and promotion of the exhibition to our visitors and networks”
Glastonbury Festival
25th - 29th June 2027
We were invited to take displays and activities to the Green Futures Field, Glastonbury Festival in 2024. Our Mossy Carpet display and activities were so successful we were asked to return in 2025.
2026 was a ‘fallow’ year for the Festival, at this stage the 2027 Festival isn’t included in this bid as it is too early to confirm but we have a strong suggestion that we will be invited to return. We will seek additional funds to enable us to do so as we feel Glastonbury Festival is an amazing opportunity to disseminate our projects to a broad diversity of audiences who come from a wide geographic spread.
We would look to deliver workshops, an Art & Climate Seminar and explore opportunities to work with the volunteers at the Festival who are particularly interested in what we do.
The story to now
In 2021, Art and Energy installed ‘Moths to a Flame’ in the Glasgow Botanic Gardens to coincide with the UN Climate Conference, COP 26. More than 59,000 people contributed to this artwork which explored our relationship with energy, and asked world leaders to make the changes needed to heal rather than harm our earth.
Whilst surrounded by many exotic plants, the team drew inspiration from a display of tiny humble mosses.
Why Moss?
At the dawn of time, moss was the first plant to venture out of the sea and onto the barren land.
Over millions of years, mosses trapped energy and buried carbon deep beneath the surface, transforming our planet into a place where life could thrive.
Moss grows in the cracks, at the edges and in the shadows. Look closely and you will discover a truly wild place on your doorstep.
Each tiny moss reveals skills for using energy well and successful living. Persistence, resilience, simplicity, adaptability. From mosses we gain hope as they return carbon to the earth.
Have you heard about the tiny tardigrades that thrive within mosses? Scientists believe they are the most resilient creatures on earth. We know we need to make changes to be more resilient with the changing climate, this project also looks to Tardigrades for inspiration.
There is so much to learn from nature. Though small, moss tells us that tiny actions can make a big difference. When we work together, we can bring abundance back to abandoned places.
