Welcome to Firstsite!
Firstsite is Art Fund Museum of the Year 2021.
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, films and events. Relax in our colourful cafe with outdoor seating and find quirky, fun and stylish products in our shop.
See What's onWhat's on
Top picks
Exhibitions
Free
Mehdi Jalalaghdamian: Art In Exile
3 September 2022 - 3 September 2023
10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Master rug-maker, Mehdi Jalalghdamian, draws attention to the experiences of refugees and asylum seekers worldwide through the traditional craft of Persian rug making
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Boozy Brushes
25 November 2022 - 28 April 2023
Multiple times available
Join Sirena Hart at Firstsite for Boozy Brushes – our New Multi-Art, Drag entertainment painting class extravaganza!
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Free
Reena Saini Kallat: Leaking Lines
15 October 2022 - 16 April 2023
Reena Saini Kallat explores the violence and fragility of national borders by juxtaposing the outlines of boundary lines from across the world with images of the landscapes which they divide.
Read moreCourses, Clubs & Classes
Drag Queen Life Drawing with Sirena Hart
26 November 2022 - 15 April 2023
Multiple times available
A one-of-a-kind life drawing class, where your tutor and model will offer multiple poses in fantastical settings.
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Free
Cinema
Exhibition On Screen: Mary Cassatt: Painting The Modern Woman
8 - 12 March 2023
Multiple times available
Mary Cassatt made a career painting the lives of the women around her. Her radical images showed them as intellectual, feminine, and real.
Read moreOnline
Recorded Talk: Dame Zandra Rhodes & Jon Lys Turner in conversation
31 December 2023
12:00 pm ,
Recorded live at Firstsite Rhodes and Turner will be discussing and celebrating the never-to-be-repeated lives of Dicky Chopping and Denis Wirth-Miller, their literary and artistic output and their complex relationship with Francis Bacon.
Read moreCinema
A Man Called Otto (Captioned)
7 February 2023
7:00 pm
A Man Called Otto tells the story of Otto Anderson (Tom Hanks), a grumpy widower who is very set in his ways.
Read moreCinema
Brian & Roger Eno Live at the Acropolis
2 March 2023
7:00 pm
Brian Eno and Roger Eno have been recording together since 1983. This unique musical event not only sees the two brothers performing live together for the first time.
Read moreCommunity and Partners
Free
Colchester Record Fair
18 February 2023 - 5 November 2022
Multiple times available
Colchester’s Record Fair returns to Firstsite, a treat for both enthusiasts and casual collectors alike. Come browse through stall holders’ collections of vinyl and CDs from a vast range of genres. Grab yourself a bargain – or perhaps something a little rarer.
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Sally Shaw in conversation with James Dodds and Simon Carter
17 February 2023
7:00 pm
Artists James Dodds and Simon Carter discuss the influence East Anglia has had on their lives and work with Firstsite’s Director, Sally Shaw MBE.
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Essex Talks: Tim Burrows in conversation with Hana Loftus and Ken Worpole
16 February 2023
7:00 pm
Tim Burrows, architect Hana Loftus (Director of HAT Projects) and writer Ken Worpole (author of ‘350 Miles: An Essex Journey’) discuss the Essex Flood of 1953 – one of the worst natural disasters in British history.
Read moreCinema
A Man Called Otto
3 - 9 February 2023
Multiple times available
A Man Called Otto tells the story of Otto Anderson (Tom Hanks), a grumpy widower who is very set in his ways.
Read moreCinema
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish
10 - 19 February 2023
Multiple times available
This year, everyone’s favourite leche-loving, swashbuckling, fear-defying feline returns.
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More Big Women conference
23 February 2023
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Inspired by our new exhibition BIG WOMEN, we’ve brought together some of the most influential and inspiring women from across the art and cultural sector (and beyond!) to share their professional and personal experiences of leadership in culture.
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Take a look at 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.
Shop online

Hold your event at Firstsite
Firstsite’s stunning architecture and versatile spaces creates a fun and inspiring venue for any event – from private parties to conferences, community meetings and presentations.
Plus, by hiring our spaces you can support the local community as any profits go straight back into funding our exhibitions and outreach projects.
Hire Our SpacesMake the most of your visit
Latest news
“Flourishing localism is key to decarbonisation” – An interview with EA Sustain founder, Joanne Ooi
30 December 2022
With the launch of new environment and culture festival, EA Sustain, less than two weeks away, we sat down with Joanne Ooi, founder of EA Sustain and EA Festival, to talk about her goals and vision for the…
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