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
Courses, 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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Andrew Graham-Dixon in conversation with Mark Bills
6 April 2023
7:00 pm
Art critic and presenter Andrew Graham-Dixon and Mark Bills, Director of Gainsborough’s House will delve into the history of art and creativity in East Anglia. This region has been home so many talented and influential artists from Thomas Gainsborough…
Read moreHoliday Fun Weekends
Free
Firstsite Holiday Fun 2023: Weekends – Afro-Moves
4 February - 26 March 2023
Multiple times available
Get warm, fit and enjoy a one hour Afro Moves family dance fitness every Saturday and Sunday in February and March.
Read moreExhibitions
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
Read moreCourses, Clubs & Classes
Boozy Brushes
17 March - 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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Louisa Buck in conversation with Ryan Gander
31 March 2023
7:00 pm
Discover more about Ryan’s fascinating and varied career, which includes teaching, curation and TV writer and presenting. Find out what inspires, influences and motivates Ryan throughout his work and his journey to become an internationally renowned artist
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 moreCommunity and Partners
Free
Colchester Record Fair
25 March 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.
Read moreCourses, Clubs & Classes
Drumming Workshop
1 February - 19 July 2023
Multiple times available
Learn the basics of African Drumming with drumming tutor Hassan who is experienced in teaching people of all levels.
Read moreCinema
MET Opera Live: Don Giovanni
20 May 2023
5:55 pm
Tony Award–winning director Ivo van Hove makes his Met debut with a new staging of Mozart’s tragicomedy Don Giovanni.
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The Royal Opera House: Turandot (Live)
22 March 2023
7:15 pm
Puccini’s final opera is a glorious pageant of rich colour, dance and drama in Andrei Serban’s classic staging.
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National Theatre Live: GOOD
20 - 23 April 2023
Multiple times available
As the world faces its Second World War, John Halder, a good, intelligent German professor, finds himself pulled into a movement with unthinkable consequences.
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National Theatre Live: Life Of Pi
30 March - 2 April 2023
Multiple times available
A 16-year-old boy named Pi is stranded on a lifeboat with four other survivors – a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan and a Royal Bengal tiger.
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Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (Relaxed)
11 February - 25 March 2023
Multiple times available
Puss has burned through eight of his nine lives, though he lost count along the way. Getting those lives back will send Puss in Boots on his grandest quest yet.
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Blue Thermal (Japan Foundation Touring Film)
25 March 2023
2:00 pm
An unusual setting in the world of aviation, this coming-of-age animation is the achievement of collaboration of respectable creators and voice actors.
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Cinema
Everything Everywhere All At Once
16 - 29 March 2023
Multiple times available
Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, collectively known as Daniels, the film is a hilarious and big-hearted sci-fi action adventure about an exhausted Chinese American woman (Michelle Yeoh) who can’t seem to finish her taxes.
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Mummies (Relaxed)
1 - 15 April 2023
Multiple times available
The film follows the fun adventures of three Egyptian mummies who live in an underground secret city, hidden in ancient Egypt
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Fashion Reimagined
1 April 2023
3:15 pm
Follows Amy Powney, a daughter of environmental activists, during her trajectory from outsider to industry leader as she sets out to create a fashion collection.
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Cinema
Cinema
Cinema
The Banshees Of Inisherin
5 - 28 March 2023
Multiple times available
Set on a remote island off the west coast of Ireland, THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN follows lifelong friends Padraic and Colm, who find themselves at an impasse.
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The Royal Ballet: Cinderella (Live)
12 April 2023
7:15 pm
A new production of the much-loved Royal Ballet fairytale classic.
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Women Talking (Parent & Baby)
22 March 2023
11:30 am
A group of women in an isolated Mennonite religious colony in Bolivia as they struggle to reconcile their faith with a string of sexual assaults.
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Holiday Fun April
Free
Holiday Fun: Canteen – April 2023
3 - 14 April 2023
Multiple times available
Enjoy freshly made hot meals for all the family at Firstsite’s canteen in Colchester town centre
Read moreCinema
The Inspection
17 - 23 March 2023
Multiple times available
A young, gay Black man, rejected by his mother and with few options for his future, decides to join the Marines, doing whatever it takes to succeed.
Read moreCinema
What’s Love Got To Do With It (Captioned)
28 March 2023
Multiple times available
How do you find lasting love in today’s world?
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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
Firstsite Collectors’ Group Bursary Award Winners Announced
14 March 2023
Fifteen of Essex and Suffolk’s most exciting artistic talents have been recognised in the Firstsite Collector’s Group 2022 Bursary Awards.
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