Presented by The Friends of Brompton Cemetery (FoBC) in partnership with the Royal Society of Sculptors and The Royal Parks. The FoBC invite the women of the Royal Society of Sculptors to submit expressions of interest for a special exhibition celebrating International Women’s Day 2026.

Location: The Chapel, Brompton Cemetery, London

Exhibition dates:

7 - 8 March 2026

Exhibition event to take place on 8 March- timings will be confirmed at a later date.

The FoBC invite Royal Society of Sculptors members who identify as women to submit expressions of interest for a special exhibition celebrating International Women’s Day 2026.

Brompton Cemetery, one of London’s famous Victorian cemeteries (known as the ‘Magnificent Seven’), offers a uniquely meaningful setting for this occasion.

The site is the resting place of many notable women, including Emmeline Pankhurst, leader of the suffragette movement; the novelist Geraldine Jewsbury, who explored women’s lives and constrained social roles in the nineteenth century; and Marchesa Luisa Casati, the Italian arts patron and fashion icon whose unconventional presence as an artists’ muse shaped early twentieth-century avant-garde culture, alongside many others whose work has left a lasting mark on public life.

Set within a landscape shaped by gravestones and memorial sculpture, the cemetery is a place where objects hold memory and carry stories across time.

This exhibition continues the partnership between The Friends of Brompton Cemetery and the Royal Society of Sculptors, following the earlier ‘Celebration of Life’ project at the Chapel, and brings women’s sculptural practice into fresh conversation with the Chapel and its historic surroundings.

About the Chapel

Designed by architect Benjamin Baud and completed in 1842, the Chapel stands at the heart of Brompton Cemetery, a Grade I–listed site in West London.

Built in a neoclassical style, it has a circular domed nave encircled by a colonnade, inspired by the layout of St Peter’s in Rome.

The design places the Chapel at the head of the central avenue, almost like the high altar in an open-air cathedral.

The Chapel was originally built for funeral services and continues to be used in this way today, while also hosting other activities and short exhibitions.

Brompton Cemetery is a much-loved place for local residents and visitors to London, and even a brief exhibition in the Chapel can attract a high number of visitors.

The Chapel underwent major restoration in 2018, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Royal Parks and The Friends of Brompton Cemetery as part of the Brompton Cemetery Conservation Project.

The work included significant repair and improved access, and has helped to secure the building for public use. Because of its listed status and sacred context, the Chapel requires sensitive handling of artworks and displays.

About the FoBC Chapel Curator

The Friends of Brompton Cemetery (FoBC) is a voluntary charitable organisation (UK Registered Charity No. 1181027) that supports the preservation, restoration and public appreciation of the cemetery.

FoBC helps care for the site and supports activities that connect its history with contemporary arts and local life. The FoBC Chapel Curator, Catherine Li, curates and coordinates the Chapel’s arts programme, working with artists and partners to develop exhibitions and events that respond to the Chapel and its surroundings.

Catherine is a London-based curator whose practice focuses on site-specific exhibition making and public programming. She completed an MA in Culture, Criticism and Curation at Central Saint Martins and later held a Curator-in-Residence position with the Austrian Cultural Forum London.

She has also led a wide range of curatorial projects with organisations such as Bomb Factory Art Foundation, Photofusion, Tache Gallery, Peckham Levels and the Museum & Study Collection at Central Saint Martins, and currently works in Public Engagement at University of the Arts London.

www.brompton-cemetery.org.uk

Eligibility

Open exclusively to current Royal Society of Sculptors members who identify as women.

We particularly welcome artworks that reflect the spirit of International Women’s Day and feel suited to a public heritage setting.

Exhibition Details

Exhibition dates

Saturday 7 – Sunday 8 March 2026 (with the possibility of extending by additional days, to be confirmed)

Participation

• Selected artists will be consulted about delivery, installation and deinstallation arrangements.
• All works must be suitable for the general public, including visiting families.
• The curatorial decision is final.

Display and materials

• No fixings to walls or pillars. Works should be free-standing or hung using a light-touch system agreed in advance.
• Artists should provide their own plinths where required.
• No loose materials such as dust, sand, soil or pigment may be placed directly on the floor.

Space and access

• The space is a circular nave filled with natural light and has strong acoustic qualities.
• The main entrance doors have a clear opening of 160 cm (width) by 268 cm (height) for moving work into the Chapel.
• Temporary parking beside the Chapel can be arranged for loading and unloading.
• The Chapel is accessible via a ramped entrance suitable for wheelchair users and visitors with limited mobility.

Sales and responsibilities

• Artwork can be offered for sale. FoBC will not take any commission.
• Artists are responsible for transport and insurance of their work, including delivery and collection. FoBC provides public liability cover for the exhibition.

Support from FoBC

Throughout the development of the exhibition, FoBC will be actively present and involved.

Our volunteers will provide invigilation during the exhibition, and we will arrange refreshments for the opening event as part of the weekend.

The exhibition will be shared through our communication channels, including social media, newsletters and our magazine, and we will work with

The Royal Parks and the Royal Society of Sculptors to support marketing across platforms.

The FoBC Chapel Curator will be your main point of contact from the moment of selection through to deinstallation, and will also lead on the production of a dedicated publication featuring the selected artists and their work, sponsored by FoBC.

Deadline: Thursday 15 January 2026

No entry fee.

How to Apply

• Short artist bio (100–200 words) including your website and/or social media handles

• Up to 5 proposed works, each with title, dimensions, medium and a short statement about the work.

• Any installation or technical requirements  (power access, handling considerations etc.)

• Optional: If you would like to offer a public activity linked to your work (such as a workshop or performance), please include a short outline in the description that accompanies the images in the application. This is optional and can be developed further with FoBC if selected

• If work is being sent from abroad, the package labelling must be marked as 'Temporary import for exhibition' to avoid additional fees. We strongly recommend you take advice from the professional shippers you use to send your work.

• If appropriate, works must be PAT tested, proof of testing will be required. If a work is not fully functioning on the day of installation, it cannot be included in the show and may be removed.

Applications are welcomed from all Royal Society of Sculptors members. For your application to be accepted, your 2026 annual membership fee must be paid in full by the submission deadline, or an existing quarterly direct debit must be in place.

Selected artists will be notified by email in the week commencing Monday, 19 January 2026.