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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Join before Mon 1 Sep to get an invitation to our Exclusive Members’ Event!
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Top picks
Children & Families
Free
Holiday Fun: Summer 2025 – Canteen (Early Afternoon)
29 July - 30 August 2025
Multiple times available
Enjoy freshly made hot meals for all the family in an early afternoon at Firstsite’s Holiday Fun Canteen in Colchester town centre.
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Free
Voyager 2000: Worldbeing & Wonder?
19 July - 05 October 2025
What does it mean to grow up autistic in a digital world? Voyager 2000: Worldbeing & Wonder invites you on a sensory, emotional, and digital journey through art, technology, and the world we build online – shaped by the perspectives of autistic and disabled people.
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Free
Relaxed Hours: Voyager 2000: Worldbeing & Wonder?
30 August - 04 October 2025
Multiple times available
Explore the show about growing up autistic and disabled under technology at a quieter and relaxed time. in our Relaxed Hours: Voyager 2000.
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Free
YAK: Culture of Curiosities
21 June - 12 October 2025
YAK: Culture of Curiosities curated by our Young Art Kommunity (YAK) showcases how young people use the Internet to portray themselves and the world around them.
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Free
Acorn Village: 50 Years
26 April - 07 September 2025
Discover the inspiring 50-year journey of Acorn Village, told through a rich collection of artworks created by artists with learning disabilities.
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Origami Workshop
11 July 2025 - 25 January 2026
Multiple times available
In our Origami Workshop, Lu Yu will guide you step by step through the creation of specific origami shapes in this ancient art form!
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Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe
27 September - 02 October 2025
Multiple times available
Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe…one of the world’s greatest singers, Andrea Bocelli has a voice that transcends genres and generations.
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Boozy Brushes
13 June - 10 October 2025
Multiple times available
Join Sirena Hart for Boozy Brushes at Firstsite – our New Multi-Art, Drag entertainment painting class extravaganza!
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Introduction to Collage
12 September 2025
Multiple times available
Sociable, creative and fun, in Introduction to Collage Workshop you’ll learn new techniques, unwind and have a delicious lunch together.
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André Rieu’s 2025 Maastricht Concert: Waltz the Night Away!
30 - 31 August 2025
Multiple times available
Step into a night of music, romance, and celebration this summer from the stunning Vrijthof Square with André Rieu’s Waltz the Night Away!
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National Theatre Live: Inter Alia
04 - 21 September 2025
Multiple times available
Oscar-nominated Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl, Saltburn) is Jessica in the much-anticipated, Inter Alia, from the team behind Prima Facie.
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Bring Her Back (Captioned)
02 September 2025
2:00 pm
A brother and sister uncover a terrifying ritual at the secluded home of their new foster mother in Bring Her Back.
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Courses, Clubs & Classes
Exploring Watercolour with Simon Carter
24 October 2025
Multiple times available
Explore the art of watercolour with internationally exhibited contemporary artist Simon Carter in Exploring Watercolour with Simon Carter!
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Hidden Master: The Legacy Of George Platt Lynes
21 - 28 August 2025
Multiple times available
Hidden Master: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes is the legacy of a pioneering, openly gay artist, who took radically explicit photographs.
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Late Shift
29 - 30 August 2025
Multiple times available
Floria, a dedicated nurse, serves in an understaffed hospital ward. However, today her Late Shift becomes a race against the clock.
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Life Drawing with Justine Moss – all levels
16 September 2023 - 20 September 2025
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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MET Opera Live: La Sonnambula
18 October 2025
5:45 pm
Nadine Sierra summits another peak of the soprano repertoire, sleepwalking her way into audiences’ hearts in MET Opera Live: La Sonnambula.
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Cinema
The Bad Guys 2
22 - 29 August 2025
Multiple times available
In The Bad Guys 2, the gang are struggling to find trust and acceptance in their newly minted lives as Good Guys.
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The Royal Ballet: Cinderella
30 November 2025
2:00 pm
Cinderella’s dreary and dull life changes when she helps a mysterious woman out in The Royal Ballet: Cinderella!
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Watercolour Saturdays with Justine Moss
19 July - 20 September 2025
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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Savages (Relaxed)
30 August 2025
11:00 am
In Borneo, at the edge of the tropical forest, Kéria is given a baby orangutan while the forest is under greater threat than ever in Savages.
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2000 Meters To Andriivka
22 - 28 August 2025
Multiple times available
2000 Meters to Andriivka is the horrifying, risky, and harrowing documentary of the conflicts and deadly war between Ukraine and Russia.
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David Gilmour Live at the Circus Maximus, Rome
25 - 26 September 2025
Multiple times available
David Gilmour Live at the Circus Maximus, Rome is the fourth coming film, part of the Luck and Strange tour, his first in nearly a decade.
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EcoArt Collage and Craft
12 September - 10 October 2025
Multiple times available
Join us for our EcoArt Collage and Craft workshop where creativity meets sustainability in this unique group experience!
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Next to Normal
14 - 20 September 2025
Multiple times available
Tony® and Pulitzer prize winning show from Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey. Next to Normal explores themes of family and illness, loss and grief.
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The Royal Ballet: Giselle
08 March 2026
2:00 pm
The Royal Ballet: Giselle, has fallen in love with Albrecht. When she discovers that he is an unavailable nobleman, she falls in despair.
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The Sound of Music 60th Anniversary
20 September 2025
4:00 pm
Experience the breathtaking theatrical presentation of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s™ iconic musical film with The Sound of Music 60th Anniversary!
Read moreChildren & Families
Free
Holiday Fun: Summer 2025 – Make
28 - 30 August 2025
Multiple times available
Get making during our Holiday Fun: Make session with a variety of free creative activities at Firstsite this Summer.
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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.
Become a member before Mon 1 Sep to get an invitation to an Exclusive Members’ Event with artist talks, great food and drink, a chance to meet our Director and Trustees, and the warm company of fellow art lovers.
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
The lights are on! The Firstsite Shining Project is now complete
27 June 2025
We’ve done it! After years of planning, collaboration, and a lot of rewiring, the Firstsite Shining Project is complete. Thanks to a generous £696,524 grant from Arts Council England’s Capital Investment Programme back in 2022, our gallery is…
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