Into Abstraction: Modern British Art and the Landscape

18 October 2025 - 18 January 2026

Discover how some of Britain’s most influential artists, like Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, and L.S. Lowry, used colour, shape, and form to capture feelings, emotions, and experiences during a century of change.

Colchester Abstract Collage Art

18 January 2026

10:00 am

Inspired by our Into Abstraction exhibition, explore the art of abstraction in our Colchester Abstract Collage Art workshop.

Into the Orchard

04 October 2025 - 22 February 2026

Take a walk through the seasons at Crapes Fruit Farm in Essex in this immersive audio-visual exhibition by artists Hana Loftus and Maddie Persent.

Gallery Gossip: Into Abstraction Tour

17 - 18 January 2026

Multiple times available

Celebrate closing weekend with a tour led by our resident expert who will also be providing insider to the Great Bardfield Artist movement.

Paper Jam Zine Workshop

08 February - 08 March 2026

Multiple times available

Paper Jam Zine Workshop introduces the expressive world of DIY zine making using collage, writing and mixed media.

Life Drawing with Justine Moss – all levels

16 September 2023 - 14 March 2026

Multiple times available

Whether you’re a beginner or experienced, gain confidence in drawing the figure, with these tutored life drawing sessions.

Ghafar Tajmohammad: If you throw a stone in the crowd, someone’s going to get hurt

13 September 2025 - 11 January 2026

Explore Ghafar Tajmohammad’s thought-provoking collection of paintings and hand-woven rugs, called kilims, reflecting on conflict, home, and the search for hope and resilience.

An Introduction to Abstract Drawing & Monoprint

28 February 2026

10:00 am

Explore spontaneous abstract mark-making and simple monotype printing techniques in An Introduction to Abstract Drawing & Monoprint.

EcoArt Collage and Craft

13 February 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!

Boozy Brushes – Paint Your Pal

21 March 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!

BSFF 2026: Cult Film Screening

01 February 2026

3:30 pm

As is the Black Sunday tradition, the 2026 festival will close with a stone-cold cult classic with the BSFF 2026: Cult Film Screening!

Blue Moon

08 January 2026

Multiple times available

On the evening of March 31, 1943, legendary lyricist Lorenz Hart confronts his shattered self-confidence at Sardi’s bar in Blue Moon.

Colchester Art Society at 80

17 January - 12 April 2026

In celebration of Colchester Art Society’s 80th anniversary, be inspired by a rich and varied display of British and local landscapes, everyday objects, and nature seen through the eyes of current members.

Fackham Hall (Captioned)

18 January 2026

11:00 am

A British Comedy from comedian Jimmy Carr; mistaken identities, forbidden love, and one very inconvenient corpse in Fackham Hall.

L’Atalante (4K Re-Issue)

09 - 15 January 2026

Multiple times available

Newly married couple Juliette and a ship captain Jean struggle through marriage as they travel on the L’Atalante.

MET Opera Live: I Puritani

10 January 2026

5:45 pm

Experience the first new Met production of Bellini’s final masterpiece in nearly 50 years, MET Opera Live: I Puritani.

Monochrome Painting: Van Gogh’s Sunflowers

15 February 2026

10:00 am

Monochrome Painting: Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, invites you to reimagine this famous artwork using a limited colour palette.

National Theatre Live: The Fifth Step

27 November 2025 - 15 January 2026

Multiple times available

After years in a 12-step programme of Alcoholics Anonymous, James becomes a sponsor to newcomer Luka in National Theatre Live: The Fifth Step.

Opening Celebration | Sue Webster: Birth of an Icon

30 January 2026

Multiple times available

Join us for a special evening event to celebrate the opening of ‘Birth of an Icon’, Sue Webster’s first solo exhibition at Firstsite!

Paint Like…

23 January - 20 March 2026

Multiple times available

Learn how to recreate iconic artworks in a supportive and guided environment with our Paint Like… workshop.

Pillion

03 - 08 January 2026

Multiple times available

Wallflower Colin leads a humdrum existence until he meets the handsome Ray a mysterious biker he is soon desperately devoted to in Pillion.

Prime Minister (Parent & Baby)

15 January 2026

11:30 am

In 2017, with the lead-up to national elections, Jacinda Ardern unexpectedly became New Zealand’s opposition party leader in Prime Minister.

Rewilding Imagination with Daniel & Clara

24 January 2026

Multiple times available

Rewilding The Imagination with Danial & Clara is an immersive workshop for artists, creatives and the curious.

Sculpting Into Abstraction

17 January 2026

10:00 am

Study the possibilities of Sculpting Into Abstraction with local artist Iris Dina Gunnardottir in this hands-on workshop!

Sentimental Value (Captioned)

27 January 2026

2:00 pm

Sisters Nora and Agnes reunite with their estranged father, the charismatic Gustav, a once renowned director in Sentimental Value.

The Royal Opera: La Traviata

18 January 2026

2:00 pm

At one of her lavish parties, celebrated Parisan courtesan Violetta is introduced to Alfredo Germont in The Royal Opera: La Traviata.

Trust The Process: Observational Drawing

08 January - 12 March 2026

Multiple times available

Our four-part Trust the Process: Observational Drawing workshop invites you to explore the foundations of observational art.

Urban Sketching Workshop with Nicola Burrell

10 October 2025 - 07 February 2026

Multiple times available

Explore buildings and streets while learning the art skills of composition and texture in this Urban Sketching Workshop with Nicola Burrell.

Wild Weaving with Angenita Teekens

22 March 2026

10:00 am

Reconnect with nature in our Wild Weaving with Angenita Teekens workshop. A mindful art workshop exploring climate, belonging and care.

Zootropolis 2 (Relaxed)

10 January 2026

11:00 am

Brave rabbit cop Judy Hopps and her friend, the fox Nick Wilde, team up again to crack a new case in Zootropolis 2!