‘Very Peri’: New Colour of the Year inspires things to do in Britain in 2022

For the first time for its Pantone Colour of the Year selection Pantone has created a new colour 17-3938 Very Peri to reflect the innovation and transformation taking place all over the world.

The new shade of blue with violet-red undertone is described as ‘displaying a carefree and a daring curiosity that animates our creative spirit, inquisitive and intriguing’ and helping us to embrace ‘altered landscape of possibilities, opening us up to a new vision as we rewrite our lives.’

Ahead of the International Colour Day celebration on 21 March we rounded-up a selection of exhibitions and festivals from across Britain where the power of colour and creativity take the spotlight.

Pip & Pop at Kew Gardens

21 May 2022 – 5 Mar 2023

Award-winning artist Pip & Pop presents a new exhibition at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, Kew Gardens. The immersive installation is created from a mixture of materials such as sugar, modelling clay, beads and sweets, and objects sourced on artist’s travels all over the world. Using eye-popping candy colours and playful sense of perspective Pip & Pop explores subjects of consumption, wish-fulfilment, and seemingly endless abundance.

Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear, V&A

19 Mar – 6 Nov 2022

In partnership with Gucci, ‘Fashioning Masculinities’ will be the first major V&A exhibition to celebrate the power, artistry and diversity of masculine attire and appearance, at a time of unprecedented creativity and exploration in men’s fashion and gender. The exhibition will showcase around 100 looks and 100 artworks, and feature some of fashion’s most exciting designers and brands – including Harris Reed and Gucci, as well as iconic looks worn by celebrities such as David Bowie, Harry Styles and Sam Smith.

Birmingham 2022 Festival

Mar – Sep 2022

A six-month festival shining a global spotlight on creativity in the West Midlands. Running from March through to September 2022, the festival will feature hundreds of creative commissions across the region including art, photography, dance, theatre, digital art and more.

In Paint We Trust, Coventry

May 2021 – May 2022

Until May 2022, the city of Coventry will be home to an outdoor gallery during the ‘In Paint We Trust’ project. New artworks are appearing in spaces across the city centre and neighbourhoods across Coventry and Warwickshire. The project gives local artists opportunity to tell stories that are important to the city through art in everyday spaces. Young people, local artists and facilitators are invited to be part of the experience by providing managed legal walls, workshops and opportunities to paint in the programme.

Yinka Ilori display, Design Museum

Summer 2022

London-based artist and designer Yinka Ilori is known for creating colourful installations and murals with his joyful and playful way of mixing different patterns and graphics. Yinka’s new display is said to ‘bring to the museum his distinctive aesthetic, inspired by the African fabrics of his childhood and capturing the colourful geometric patterns that feature in Nigerian design and British postmodernism.’

Superbloom at the Tower of London

Jun – Sep 2022

A spectacular field of flowers will surround the Tower of London this summer. Twenty million carefully selected seeds will be sown in the Tower’s famous moat to create a blooming oasis in the heart of the city. The sea of flowers will evolve throughout the year as different colours and patterns emerge. The planting scheme is designed to attract bees, pollinators and seed-eating birds, and provide a biodiverse space for wildlife. Superbloom is the first stage of the transformation of the moat into a new natural landscape in the heart of the City of London, and it will become a permanent legacy of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival

4 – 9 July 2022

The world’s largest annual flower show brings colours, inspiration and good times in the setting of one of London’s most historic royal palaces, Hampton Court Palace. Visitors can experience award winning exhibitions, learn about gardening trends, admire the floral sanctuaries, and leave with inspiration for their own garden. There will also be plenty of shopping opportunities, food and drink, and live music to top the summer’s day off.

River of Light Trail, Liverpool

21 Oct – 6 Nov 2022

Liverpool’s much-loved light trail, River of Light, will return to the city’s waterfront in October for another celebration of light, sound and art. Showcasing installations from local and international artists, the concept for 2022, whilst largely under wraps, will link into the World Gymnastics Championships that will take place at the same time at the M&S Bank Area. Creative installations will create an iconic trail through city locations, with examples of previous years now available online, building anticipation for 2022’s fantastic trail.