Welcome to Firstsite!
See the world differently – experience the very best art and culture from around the world that inspires, empowers and opens your mind.
Enjoy our exhibitions, workshops, films and events. Relax in our colourful cafe with outdoor seating and find quirky products in our shop.
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Top picks
Exhibitions
Free
Into the Orchard
04 October 2025 - 22 February 2026
Take a walk through the seasons at Crapes Fruit Farm in Essex in this immersive audio-visual exhibition by artists Hana Loftus and Maddie Persent.
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Paper Jam Zine Workshop
08 February - 08 March 2026
Multiple times available
Paper Jam Zine Workshop introduces the expressive world of DIY zine making using collage, writing and mixed media.
Read moreWellness Weekend
Rewilding Imagination with Daniel & Clara
24 January 2026
Multiple times available
Rewilding The Imagination with Danial & Clara is an immersive workshop for artists, creatives and the curious.
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Life Drawing with Justine Moss – all levels
22 February - 27 June 2026
Multiple times available
Whether you’re a beginner or experienced, gain confidence in drawing the figure, with these tutored life drawing sessions.
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An Introduction to Abstract Drawing & Monoprint
28 February 2026
10:00 am
Explore spontaneous abstract mark-making and simple monotype printing techniques in An Introduction to Abstract Drawing & Monoprint.
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EcoArt Collage and Craft
13 February 2026
Multiple times available
Join us for our EcoArt Collage and Craft workshop with Clare Sams where creativity meets sustainability in this unique group experience!
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Boozy Brushes – Paint Your Pal
21 March - 25 September 2026
Multiple times available
Join Sirena Hart at Firstsite for Boozy Brushes a multi-art, Drag entertainment painting class extravaganza where you can your pal!
Read moreCinema
BSFF 2026: Cult Film Screening
01 February 2026
3:30 pm
As is the Black Sunday tradition, the 2026 festival will close with a stone-cold cult classic with the BSFF 2026: Cult Film Screening!
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Free
Colchester Art Society at 80
17 January - 12 April 2026
In celebration of Colchester Art Society’s 80th anniversary, be inspired by a rich and varied display of British and local landscapes, everyday objects, and nature seen through the eyes of current members.
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Free
Opening Celebration | Sue Webster: Birth of an Icon
30 January 2026
Multiple times available
Join us for a special evening event to celebrate the opening of ‘Birth of an Icon’, Sue Webster’s first solo exhibition at Firstsite!
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Monochrome Painting: Van Gogh’s Sunflowers
15 February 2026
10:00 am
Monochrome Painting: Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, invites you to reimagine this famous artwork using a limited colour palette.
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Paint Like…
23 January - 10 April 2026
Multiple times available
Learn how to recreate iconic artworks in a supportive and guided environment with our Paint Like… workshop.
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Sentimental Value (Captioned)
27 January 2026
2:00 pm
Sisters Nora and Agnes reunite with their estranged father, the charismatic Gustav, a once renowned director in Sentimental Value.
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Trust The Process: Observational Drawing
08 January - 17 September 2026
Multiple times available
Our four-part Trust the Process: Observational Drawing workshop invites you to explore the foundations of observational art.
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Urban Sketching Workshop with Nicola Burrell
10 October 2025 - 07 February 2026
Multiple times available
Explore buildings and streets while learning the art skills of composition and texture in this Urban Sketching Workshop with Nicola Burrell.
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Wild Weaving with Angenita Teekens
22 March 2026
10:00 am
Reconnect with nature in our Wild Weaving with Angenita Teekens workshop. A mindful art workshop exploring climate, belonging and care.
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Watercolour Workshop
25 January - 13 September 2026
Multiple times available
Explore the materials, techniques and colour theory used to develop your watercolour paintings in this relaxed social session.
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Introduction to Cyanotype
28 February 2026
10:00 am
Discover the expressive power of cyanotype in this hands-on creative workshop, transforming stories and memories into blue-toned artworks.
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JFTFP26: What Should We Have Done?
14 February 2026
2:00 pm
In What Should We Have Done?, Tomoaki confronts the painful truth his doctor parents refused to face: his sister Masako’s schizophrenia.
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Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair
05 February 2026
5:30 pm
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, Quentin Tarantino’s presentation of the revenge epic is now released as one!
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Marty Supreme
23 - 29 January 2026
Multiple times available
Marty Mauser, a young man with a dream no one respects, goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness in Marty Supreme.
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National Theatre Live: Hamlet
22 - 25 January 2026
Multiple times available
Duty and doubt, surrounded by power and privilege, National Theatre Live: Hamlet dares to ask the ultimate question – you know the one.
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Peter Hujar’s Day (Captioned)
03 February 2026
2:00 pm
In 1974, a famed photographer describes the routines and rituals that define an artist’s life in Peter Hujar’s Day.
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Punk Posca Patch Making
31 January 2026
2:00 pm
Punk Posca Patch Making explores punk-inspired designs as you create custom patches using Posca paint pens and mixed materials.
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Sentimental Value
23 - 24 January 2026
Multiple times available
Sisters Nora and Agnes reunite with their estranged father, the charismatic Gustav, a once renowned director in Sentimental Value.
Read moreExhibitions
Free
Sue Webster: Birth of an Icon
31 January - 10 May 2026
Defaced leather jackets, memorabilia, self-portraits, video, and installation – journey through a raw, and personal exploration of art, identity, and growing up different.
Read moreCinema
The Thing With Feathers
27 December 2025 - 28 January 2026
Multiple times available
Oscar® nominee Benedict Cumberbatch stars in The Thing with Feathers, adapted from the award-winning debut novel by Max Porter.
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Become a Mosaic Member today!
Enjoy a unlimited free access to our films and a whole host of special offers and generous discounts with a Firstsite Mosaic Membership.
As a treat for yourself – or a gift for someone else – being a Firstsite Mosaic Members provides a year of fantastic benefits, and helps to support art and creativity in East Anglia.
Join today
Explore our online shop
Featuring a range of design-led products and books inspired by our exhibition programme, events and community, our shop has something for everyone. All profits from your purchase raises funds to help us keep our exhibitions free and supports our community outreach activities.
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Latest news
New exhibitions coming up in 2026
19 December 2025
In 2025 almost 120,000 visitors joined us to explore our 12 outstanding exhibitions. Together we explored Britain’s colonial past, digital lives, youth, abstraction, and celebrated creativity, hope… and apples! Thank you for visiting us! 2026 promises to be…
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