BioKnit late shows
The Pupa: BioKnit at the Newcastle Late Shows
Published on: 14 May 2025
How can growth transform a building and how can mycelium and textiles weave a new identity in an empty space?
Inviting reflection
A new BioKnit structure named the Pupa, which has been created by experts from Newcastle University, is heading to Newcastle’s The Coach House for The Late Shows.
Their vision brings biotechnology to the building site, using the internal structure of the Coach House itself to scaffold the growth of a cocoon-like textile that encases living mycelium and natural fibres. The soft flexible mycelium and textile have transformed into robust arches joined by a canopy of billowing fabric. The Pupa is nurtured by the building, protected during the cycle of growth in a bespoke growth chamber suspended from steel beams.
For this commission the BioKnit team from the Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment (HBBE), have been working with award winning visual artist designer and curator Imogen Cloët to develop an artistic response that not only enhances the visual impact of the installation but also invites reflection on how biotechnology can transform our built environment.
An experiment
“BioKnit Pupa is an experiment in growing as building, exploring a new organic curvature that emerges when soft textiles and mycelium composites are cultivated together and shaped by the existing structure of a site,” explains Dr Jane Scott, the BioKnit team lead. “Collaborating with Imogen Cloët has been fantastic she has really seen our work in a different way. I never thought of BioKnit as theatrical before – but the experience on Saturday night is going to be pretty magical.”
The Pupa is composed of fungal mycelium, natural fibres and 3D knitting. It is the latest installation created by the BioKnit team from the HBBE.
The HBBE is a collaborative research hub which aims to create built environments which are life-sustaining and sustained by life. It is joint partnership between Newcastle and Northumbria Universities and was established in 2019 with an £8M grant from Research England.
The Late Shows is an award-winning late-night free culture crawl in Newcastle. It attracts 20-30,000 visitors encouraging people to visit cultural venues that they may not have been to before. You can visit the Coach House, near Charlotte Square, Newcastle, NE1 4XF, for a unique BioKnit experience on Saturday 17th May 6pm-10.30pm.
The Pupa is supported by Central Creative Newcastle as part of its ongoing mission to support local creativity, drive collaboration, and create opportunities for artists and creatives in central Newcastle.
