Join our Big Give Christmas Challenge this week! Every pound you give today via BigGive.org will be doubled (up to £30,740!)  – providing children and families with free creative activities and nutritious hot meals over the winter weekends and school holidays.

Give a child a happier future this Christmas – donate today!

Have your donation doubled now

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

 

Give a child a happier future 

Bring free art, meals and fun to families in Colchester this winter. Donate between 3-10 Dec and every pound you give will be matched by the Big Give!

Double Your Donation

ADMISSION TO FIRSTSITE IS FREE

Open Tuesday – Sunday

See our opening times

What's on

Top picks

Exhibitions

Free

Leonora Carrington: Avatars & Alliances

26 October 2024 - 23 February 2025

Step into the magical and mystical world of Leonora Carrington, the British-Mexican painter and novelist, in her debut exhibition in the East of England.

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Festive Workshops

Festive Canal Folk Art

08 December 2024

2:00 pm

Delve into the techniques of Canal Folk Art this season with a Festive Canal Folk Art session and take home your flowery bauble masterpieces!

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Exhibitions

Free

Jane Ostler: Finding the Hand of Kindness

12 October 2024 - 02 March 2025

“Finding The Hand of Kindness” is inspired by Jane’s own life, reflecting on her roles as a caregiver, the impact of patriarchal expectations, and the everyday moments of kindness. Through her art, Jane invites us to see how creativity can be a source of comfort and connection.

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Tours

Avatars & Alliances: Exhibition Tour

13 December 2024

6:30 pm

Experience the our Leonora Carrington exhibition with a tour by Programme Manager, Exhibitions George Morl. 

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Courses, Clubs & Classes

Drag Life Drawing with Sirena Hart

04 January - 01 March 2025

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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Courses, Clubs & Classes

Nature drawing workshop with Lisa Temple-Cox

08 December 2024 - 23 March 2025

Multiple times available

Explore observational drawing and discover your favourite medium with this nature drawing workshop.

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Cinema

Billy Elliot The Musical Live (20th Anniversary)

30 March - 02 April 2025

Multiple times available

Billy Elliot The Musical shows Billy’s journey from the boxing ring and into a ballet class where he discovers a passion for dance.

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Cinema

Emilia Pérez

05 December 2024

Multiple times available

Through liberating song, dance and bold visuals, this odyssey follows Emilia Pérez and remarkable women in Mexico, in pursuit of happiness.

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Cinema

André Rieu’s 2024 Christmas Concert: Gold and Silver

07 - 08 December 2024

Multiple times available

Celebrate the holiday season with André Rieu’s 2024 Christmas Concert: Gold and Silver, exclusively in cinemas!

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Cinema

National Theatre Live: Prima Facie

05 December 2024

Multiple times available

Tony award-winning Prima Facie, shows Tessa a brilliant barrister who is forced to confront the lines of patriarchal power.

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Cinema

Macbeth: David Tennant & Cush Jumbo

06 - 09 February 2025

Multiple times available

Witness this gripping tale in a brand-new production of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth staring David Tennant & Cush Jumbo.

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Courses, Clubs & Classes

Introduction to Collage

24 January - 28 February 2025

Multiple times available

Sociable, creative and fun Introduction to Collage Workshop where you’ll learn new techniques, unwind and have a delicious lunch together.

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Cinema

The Room Next Door

05 December 2024

Multiple times available

Ingrid and Martha were close friends in their youth, but after years of being out of touch they meet again in The Room Next Door.

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Cinema

CBeebies Panto: Beauty and the Beast (Relaxed)

08 December 2024

11:00 am

The annual CBeebies Panto is back this year to celebrate the joyous season with the CBeebies Panto: Beauty and the Beast!

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Cinema

National Theatre Live: The Importance of Being Earnest

20 February 2025

7:00 pm

Sharon D Clarke is joined by Ncuti Gatwa in this joyful reimagining of Oscar Wilde’s most celebrated comedy – The Importance of Being Earnest.

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Cinema

The Royal Ballet: The Nutcracker

20 - 27 December 2024

Multiple times available

Discover the enchantment of ballet with The Royal Ballet: The Nutcracker, a sparkling festive treat for the whole family.

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Cinema

Watership Down (Relaxed)

07 December 2024

11:00 am

A group of rabbits flee their doomed warren and face many dangers to find and protect their new home in Watership Down.

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Cinema

A Christmas Carol (2020)

14 December 2024

2:00 pm

A Victorian family prepares a performance of the timeless story A Christmas Carol, in a magical world of dancers and stylised sets.  

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Cinema

CBeebies Panto: Beauty and the Beast

07 December 2024

2:00 pm

The annual CBeebies Panto is back this year to celebrate the joyous season with the CBeebies Panto: Beauty and the Beast!

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Cinema

Lee

05 - 13 December 2024

Multiple times available

Photographer Lee Miller is determined to document the truth of the Nazi regime in spite of the odds stacked against female correspondents.

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Exhibitions

Free

Halla Groves-Raines: Life in Patterns

16 November 2024 - 20 April 2025

Discover fresh perspectives from modern Essex and Suffolk through the faces and stories of its residents in an intimate portrait exhibition by Essex-based artist Halla Groves-Raines.

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Cinema

Anora

06 - 12 December 2024

Multiple times available

Anora is a young sex worker who’s fairytale love story is disrupted as time reveals hidden secrets from her new husband.

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Cinema

Blitz

18 - 19 December 2024

Multiple times available

Sir Steve McQueen’s Blitz follows the epic journey of a 9-year-old boy and his mother (Saoirse Ronan) in World War II London.

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Cinema

The Holiday (Captioned)

07 December 2024

3:45 pm

A woman plagued by man troubles finds her fortune improves when she befriends an Englishwoman while on vacation. Watch this screening for just £4 and donate your savings to our Big Give campaign!

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Cinema

It’s A Wonderful Life (Captioned)

20 December 2024

10:30 am

It’s a Wonderful Life shows how George Bailey finds his previously happy life falling apart around him on Christmas Eve.

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Cinema

Gladiator II

28 - 29 December 2024

Multiple times available

After witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius is forced to enter the Colosseum in Gladiator II.

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Cinema

Small Things Like These (Captioned)

12 December 2024

5:40 pm

Cillian Murphy delivers a stunning performance as devoted father Bill Furlong in Small Things Like These, based on a best-selling novel.

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Cinema

Heretic

06 - 11 December 2024

Multiple times available

Two young missionaries are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are ensnared in a deadly Heretic game.

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Cinema

The Royal Opera: The Tales of Hoffmann

19 January 2025

2:00 pm

Four women: four curious love stories. Juan Diego Flórez leads a fantastic cast in the Royal Ballet and Opera: The Tales of Hoffman.

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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
Selection of online shop products

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

Make Double the Impact: Help Create Happier Futures This Winter

2 December 2024

    Donate between 3 and 10 December to double your impact and help families in need this winter We are delighted to be part of this year’s Big Give Christmas Challenge. For one week only, your donations to…

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

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