Living Wall: Tuesday 19th May to Saturday 13th June, 2026
Project / Activity Leader: Shirley Faraday
Exhibition Times & Public Reception
Tuesday 19th May to Saturday 13th June 2026: 10:00am to 4:00pm at the Godalming Museum.
Public Reception on Saturday 23rd May, please join us and meet the artists.
How to Take Part
Submissions now open for Living Wall
- Complete the submission form below and e-mail a photograph of your work by Monday 4th May
- Paintings, drawings and photographs will need to be ready to hang, please.
- We will aim to include as many pieces as we can fit into the Museum; there is some space for sculptures inside and out.
- There will be a reception in the Museum on Saturday the 23rd May at 3pm, all welcome.
Click here to go to the submission form
Exhibition in 2025: Water is Life
Some of the artwork from our exhibition in 2025.
Water gives us life. All living creatures depend on water. We are mostly water. Let’s celebrate the gift of water with a work of art.
At What Next, we have imagined a secure future where everyone has clean water, to drink, to grow things with and to bath in. We can’t take this for granted. We need to remind each other how important water is.
Coming Soon!
Exhibition in 2024: ‘Earth Sprites Emerging’
Some of the artwork from our exhibition in 2024.
Our Mayoral Reception
Artist, Freya (9), with her brother and the Mayors.
Mayor of Waverley, Penny Rivers, and the Mayor of Godalming, Paul Rivers.
Artist, Andrew Hurst from Artventure, with the Mayors.
Pam Cookney from Conquest Art speaking at the Reception.
Event Organiser, Shirley Faraday, speaking at the Reception.
Chair of What Next Trustees, David Faraday, speaking at the Reception.
Exhibition in 2023: ‘Our Other Mother’
The Original Our Other Mother Project
Details of the Our Other Mother project can be found at: Our Kids Climate, Parents for Future or Mothers Rise Up!.
The Original Our Other Mother Artists
Anita Bagdi is a freelance illustrator, currently living in Dorset, UK. She is the mother of two amazing girls. Website: https://www.anitabagdi.com/. Insta: @anitab_art. Twitter: @bagdianita. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bagdiani
Benji Davies is an illustrator, author and animation director. He lives in London, UK. His first self-penned picture book The Storm Whale won the inaugural Oscar’s Book Prize and was Dutch Picture Book Of The Year 2017. His second, Grandad’s Island, won the children’s book category of the AOI World Illustration Awards and has since been adapted for the stage. Website: Benji Davies (squarespace.com). Insta @Benji_Davies. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/benjidaviesdraws
Emily Gravett is an award-winning English author and illustrator of children’s picture books. She has received the Kate Greenaway Medal – recognising the year’s best-illustrated British children’s book – twice for Wolves and Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears. Other books include Meerkat Mail, Tidy and Too Much Stuff. Insta: Emily Gravett (@emily_gravett) • Instagram photos and videos. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Emily.Gravett1
Gabrielle Reith is an illustrator and artist based in Scotland. Insta: Gabrielle Reith (@small_stories_scotland) • Instagram photos and videos Twitter @gabiReith
Guy Parker-Rees is the illustrator of international best seller Giraffes Can’t Dance and many other children’s books. He lives in Brighton UK, with his wife and three children. Website: http://guyparkerrees.com/. Insta: @guyparkerrees. Twitter: @GuyParker_Rees Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GuyParkerReesillustration
Jim Field is an award-winning British illustrator of children’s books. He grew up in Farnborough, worked in London and now lives in France with his wife and young daughter. His first picture book, ‘Cats Ahoy’ written by Peter Bently won the Booktrust Roald Dahl Funny Prize in 2011. Since then he has won multiple awards including Oscar’s Book Prize, Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Awards and the Lollies Book Award. He is perhaps best known for drawing frogs on logs in the bestselling picture book ‘Oi Frog! Website: https://www.jimfield.me/. Insta: @_JimField. Twitter @_JimField
Mark Chambers is a British illustrator and author of children’s picture books and young fiction. Mark was shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize in 2013 and won the Sheffield Children’s Picture Book Prize in the same year. Mark A Chambers Illustration. Insta: markAchambers, @markAchambers. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chambersillustration
Rebecca Cobb is an award-winning British children’s book illustrator. She collaborated with author Julia Donaldson on The Paper Dolls, and writes and illustrates the Aunt Amelia series. Website: Rebecca Cobb Illustration. Insta: @rebecca_a_cobb, Twitter: @rebecca_cobb
Rob Biddulph is a bestselling and multi award-winning British author/illustrator. In March 2020 he started #DrawWithRob, a series of twice-weekly draw-along videos designed to help parents whose children were forced to stay home from school due to the coronavirus pandemic. It proved immensely popular, garnering millions of views and international media coverage. Website: Rob Biddulph. Insta: @rbiddulph. Twitter: @RobBiddulph. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robbiddulphauthor/
Irene Silvino is an illustrator and surface pattern designer based in London. She was born and grew up in Livorno, Tuscany, Italy. She is the founder of Editartz (https://editartz.com), an online creative community of illustrators from around the world. Website: https://irenesilvino.com/. Insta: @irenesilvinodesign. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/irenesilvinodesign
Submit Artwork for Living Wall Exhibition
- Submit a photograph of your work by Earth Day 2025, Tuesday the 22nd of April to shirley@whatnext.earth.
- Paintings, drawings and photographs will need to be ready to hang, please.
- We will aim to include as many pieces as we can fit into the Museum. There is some space for sculptures inside and out.
- Deliver your selected piece to the Museum or Library by Sunday the 18th of May.
- There will be a reception in the Museum on Saturday the 24th of May at 3pm, all welcome.
Dates of Exhibition: 19th of May to the 13th of June.
Reception: Saturday 23rd May, 3:00pm
Venue: Godalming Museum.
Closing date for Submissons : 4th May 2026
Delivery and Collection: please deliver your artwork to the Godalming Museum between Tuesday 12th May and Monday 18th May (by 11:00am). You will be able to collect your artwork on Monday 15th June before 11:00.
Complete the form below and then send a photograph/s of your artwork to shirley@whatnext.earth.