Galactic Furzey

Artist callout for Furzey's 2026 Summer Trail!

The Story

Low on energy for their rocketship, young explorers land on strange planet Furzey, finding five portals to new worlds…

These worlds are full of creatures, unlike anything the explorers have seen before.

Can you explore new realms of creativity for Furzey’s 2026 trail?

Pick a theme, decorate a portal or creature and help families explore Furzey’s magical gardens — while supporting people with learning disabilities to thrive.

Deadline to submit your design: Sunday 11 January 2026

Apply now

Couple looking at plants at Furzey Gardens

What you’ll be part of

Furzey’s summer trails have been growing in size and ambition each year, and next year is no different!

With a storyline and brand new elements, we hope you are excited to become part of another year of creativity.

The trail will run from May – September, and all funds raised will go towards empowering people with learning disabilities.

How it will work

Our woodwork team, alongside people we support, will cut and prepare the marine ply shapes. You bring them to life.

Together, we’ll create five unforgettable worlds for visiting families.

Key information

The trail will consist of five distinct areas; themes can be found below.

On discovering the portal stop, there will be a ‘portal entrance’ in the shape of a big archway. Children can walk through this to explore the themed area.

These five portal archways will be a snapshot into what the planet looks like – so design carefully!

In this area, there will be a mix of small, medium and large creatures that reflect the area theme. These will be made of marine ply.

For 2026, we are also bringing in textile and hanging elements to adorn the portal areas and the spaces between each stop.

Can I work with the people you support?

There is an opportunity for an artist to work with the woodwork team to design a giant rocket ship which will be our focal point for the trail.

This will involve visiting the woodwork workshop in Minstead over a few weeks to create the design and work with the people we support.

Please get in touch with Onna.Borbely@minsteadtrust.org.uk if you are interested, with your experience and design ideas.

How it works

Choose a theme & creature size (small, medium, large) or portal archway
Apply via our form by 11 Jan 2026
If your artwork is chosen, we’ll arrange a time for you to collect your pre-cut wooden piece from Minstead Lodge
Decorate – remember, this will be an outdoor display for up to 16 weeks, so weatherproof finishes required
Return & install — we’ll do the fixing/anchoring

Apply now!

Quick specs

Please note these are all initial sizings, they may change.

Small Creature: 3ft tall · easy to transport

Medium Creature: 5ft tall · car/estate

Large Creature: 6 ft tall · van (or big car!) recommended

Portal Archway: Comes in two halves, to be connected back at workshop – 5ft at small opening, 7ft tall (at tallest point)

Material: Marine ply, primed with white paint; you finish & seal

Apply now

The themes

Pick a theme that sparks your imagination! We have created these moodboards to help keep each area cohesive, so it really feels like you have stepped into the portal.

Please use the colour palette provided when designing your piece. You can use different shades/hues of each base colour.

Pinterest Mood Boards

Most of our imagery has come from Pinterest. We are aware that a large amount of it is AI generated! Please take it as inspiration.

You can see the whole Pinterest mood board below:

Go to Pinterest!

We welcome artists of all backgrounds and experience levels. If you have access needs or require an alternative format, please let us know — we’re happy to help.

Creatures and Portal Archway Templates

Download creature template

Download portal template

Apply now

Textiles and Hanging Elements

Think hanging ribbon Octopi moving in the wind, windchimes clinking in the gem stone portal, strange patterns peeking through trees…

Apply now

How many designs can I submit?

Please submit as many as you’d like! We are open to all ideas and would love to see your creativity. Please submit a new form for each portal design.

Please specify in the form how many creatures you would be open to decorating and of what size.

What materials could I use?

We are open to hearing all ideas for mixed media work. Please bear in mind that these artworks will be outside and exposed to the all weathers for up to three months, and that it is your responsibility to weather proof them.

We may need to get in touch during the trail if your art piece needs a bit of care.

If your design is chosen, you can claim expenses up to £50 per item. Textiles will differ, and will be discussed at a later stage.

Where will I collect the wooden pieces from?

The marine ply pieces will be created in our woodwork workshop at New Forest Day Opportunities, at Minstead Lodge, which is just a mile down the road from Furzey Gardens.

We will send more information regarding collection and drop off at the necessary time.

Can you deliver the wooden pieces?

Unfortunately, this year we are unable to deliver the pieces. Please make sure you have the necessary transport available.

What will happen after the trail ends?

The art pieces will be auctioned off, using a similar set up to this year’s Jumblebee: Jurassic Furzey Auction. All funds raised will go back into Furzey Garden’s work with people with learning disabilities.

If, for any reason you would like to keep your design, let us know and we can make it unavailable for bidding.