ADMISSION TO FIRSTSITE IS FREE

Open Tuesday – Sunday.

See our opening times

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.

See What's On and Book

 

Become a member today!

Enjoy unlimited free access to our films and a whole host of special offers and generous discounts with a Firstsite Mosaic Membership.

Find out more

ADMISSION TO FIRSTSITE IS FREE

Open Tuesday – Sunday.

See our opening times

What's on

Top picks

Exhibitions

Free

Rebecca Riess: Lossless

14 March - 07 June 2026

How do we cope with the noise of the modern world? Rebecca Riess invites you to explore this question through a bold and immersive series of otherworldly large-scale sculptures and installations.

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Exhibitions

Free

Opening Celebration | Godfried Donkor: It’s a Numbers Game

22 May 2026

Multiple times available

Join us for a special evening event to celebrate the opening of ‘It’s a Numbers Game’, Godfried Donkor’s first UK institutional show at Firstsite!

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Exhibitions

Free

University Centre Colchester (UCC): To Be Continued

18 April - 05 July 2026

Celebrate the next generation of Colchester’s artists in this dynamic, two-part exhibition from students at University Centre Colchester.

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Cinema

This Is England + Q&A

15 May 2026

7:00 pm

A young boy becomes friends with a gang of skinheads. Friends soon become like family, and relationships will be pushed to the very limit.

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Cinema

The Devil Wears Prada 2 (Captioned)

31 May 2026

11:00 am

Twenty years after making their iconic turns as Miranda, Andy, Emily and Nigel – Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci return to the fashionable street.

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Exhibitions

Free

Godfried Donkor: It’s a Numbers Game

23 May - 30 August 2026

Step into a boxing ring. Stand face-to-face with the leaders and resisters who shaped history. Walk through waves of figures rising from the pages of the Financial Times.

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Courses, Clubs & Classes

Watercolour Workshop

14 March - 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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Cinema

Rose of Nevada (Captioned)

02 June 2026

2:00 pm

Rose of Nevada follows a fishing boat, lost with all hands 30 years ago, that mysteriously returns.

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Courses, Clubs & Classes

Trust The Process: Observational Drawing

12 February - 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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Courses, Clubs & Classes

Krafty Kids

19 April - 20 September 2026

Multiple times available

Krafty Kids is a monthly creative workshop designed for young people aged 7-12+ who are curious about art and enjoy making their own work.

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Cinema

Hitpig! (Relaxed)

23 May 2026

11:00 am

When your kitty’s left the city, when your moose is on the loose, when your cow has said ciao, call Hitpig, the world’s greatest animal tracker. Hitpig (Jason Sudeikis) is a bounty hunting pig who catches escaped animals and…

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Cinema

Mother Mary

22 May 2026

7:50 pm

Long-buried wounds rise to the surface when iconic pop star Mother Mary reunites with her estranged best friend and former costume designer Sam Anselm.

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Courses, Clubs & Classes

Modernist Painting: Cubism and Still Life

20 June 2026

10:00 am

Explore Modernist painting approaches to still life through Cubism and early abstraction, inspired by artists such as Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and Georges Braque, and create your own Cubist-inspired oil painting.

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Cinema

National Theatre Live: Les Liaisons Dangereuses

25 - 28 June 2026

Multiple times available

Manville joins Turner in a striking new staging of Hampton’s celebrated adaptation in National Theatre Live: Les Liaisons Dangereuses.

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Courses, Clubs & Classes

EcoArt Collage and Craft

13 February - 12 June 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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Courses, Clubs & Classes

Paint Like…

20 February - 18 September 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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Courses, Clubs & Classes

Life Drawing with Justine Moss – all levels

16 September 2023 - 21 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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Cinema

Father Mother Sister Brother

01 - 26 May 2026

Multiple times available

Winner of the Golden Lion Best Film prize at the 2025 Venice Film Festival, Father Mother Sister Brother is the eagerly-awaited new film from Jim Jarmusch.

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Cinema

National Theatre Live: The Playboy of the Western World

28 May - 07 June 2026

Multiple times available

Coughlan, Hardwicke and McSweeney in Synge’s riveting play of self-discovery, National Theatre Live: The Playboy of the Western World.

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Courses, Clubs & Classes

Mini Movers & Makers Toddler Group

26 March - 24 September 2026

Multiple times available

Artist-led toddler group provides a fun environment for children to explore sensory storytelling and experiment with a range of art activities.

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Cinema

The Drama

01 - 22 May 2026

Multiple times available

A happily engaged couple is put to the test when an unexpected turn sends their wedding week off the rails.

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Courses, Clubs & Classes

Boozy Brushes

13 February - 18 September 2026

Multiple times available

Join Sirena Hart for Boozy Brushes at Firstsite – our New Multi-Art, Drag entertainment painting class extravaganza!

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Cinema

The Land Of Sometimes (Relaxed)

16 May 2026

11:00 am

Twins Alfie and Elise get more than they bargained for after summoning the mysterious Wish Collector, an enigmatic character who whisks them away to The Land of Sometimes – an incredible place where all four seasons pass in just…

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Courses, Clubs & Classes

Exploring Watercolour with Simon Carter

13 February - 20 June 2026

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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Cinema

The Devil Wears Prada 2 (Parent & Baby)

04 June 2026

10:30 am

Twenty years after making their iconic turns as Miranda, Andy, Emily and Nigel – Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci return to the fashionable street.

Read more

Courses, Clubs & Classes

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!

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Cinema

David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet (Relaxed)

30 May 2026

11:00 am

David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet is David’s witness statement; for the first time sharing his views direct to his global audience and calling for mankind to urgently.

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Cinema

Glenrothan (Captioned)

14 May 2026

1:30 pm

This screening will be shown with the addition of captions throughout the film. A hearing loop is also available in the Cinema.   Legendary actor Brian Cox makes his indelible directorial debut with this tense drama about family and…

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Cinema

David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet

28 May 2026

2:15 pm

David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet is David’s witness statement; for the first time sharing his views direct to his global audience and calling for mankind to urgently.

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Cinema

Kokuho

08 - 14 May 2026

Multiple times available

In 1964 Nagasaki, an orphaned yakuza heir enters the world of Kabuki, growing up beside his mentor’s son as rivalry and ambition shape their destinies.

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Courses, Clubs & Classes

Origami Workshop

13 March - 20 June 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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Cinema

Rose of Nevada

30 May - 03 June 2026

Multiple times available

Rose of Nevada follows a fishing boat, lost with all hands 30 years ago, that mysteriously returns.

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Talks & Events

The Firstsite Art Fair

11 July 2026

Multiple times available

The Firstsite Art Fair brings together a diverse range of artists, collectors, art lovers and all who are simply curious about art.

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Cinema

The Land Of Sometimes (Parent & Baby)

21 May 2026

11:30 am

The Land of Sometimes is a magical, musical adventure from the producers of Toy Story, and How to Train Your Dragon, starring Ewan McGregor and Helena Bonham Carter.

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Children & Families

Free

Holiday Fun May 2026: Canteen

23 - 30 May 2026

Multiple times available

Enjoy freshly made hot meals for all the family at Firstsite’s Holiday Fun Canteen in Colchester town centre.

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Cinema

Colours of Time

15 - 21 May 2026

Multiple times available

Brought together by the unexpected inheritance of an abandoned house in rural Normandy, four cousins discover they share a mysterious family history.

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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.

 

Shop online

Make the most of your visit

Latest news

Firstsite secures major investment from Arts Council England to Build the Future Infrastructure for Creativity

15 April 2026

    We’re delighted to announce after a successful application process we have secured £995,000 in capital investment from Arts Council England (ACE) to transform its building into a next-generation creative environment—designed not only to display art, but to…

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Social posts

    Welcome area at Firstsite. 'Big Hello' (2018) Peter Liversidge. Photo by Jayne Lloyd.

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