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Exhibitions

Free

Michael Landy: The Essex Way

Thursday 16 September 2021 - Sunday 24 December 2023

10:00 am - 5:00 pm

See a large-scale collage along our building’s magnificent 140m curved wall, created by artist Michael Landy.

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Exhibitions

Free

Michael Landy: Essex Man (after Collet)

Thursday 16 September 2021 - Sunday 24 December 2023

10:00 pm - 5:00 pm

See artist Michael Landy’s artwork ‘Essex Man (after Collet)’ (2021) – a larger-than-life standing figure in our Welcome Area made from a hand drawn reproduction of the original ‘Essex Man’ illustration by Edward Collet in a 1990s Sunday Telegraph.

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Exhibitions

Free

Julian Opie: Imagine you are driving are yellow car, 2004; Imagine you are driving a blue Honda (2004)

Saturday 20 November 2021 - Sunday 26 November 2023

‘Imagine you are driving a yellow car’, (2004) and ‘Imagine you are driving a blue Honda.’ (2004) are life-size automobile sculptures by Julian Opie.

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Exhibitions

Free

Sculpture at Firstsite

Saturday 20 November 2021 - Sunday 26 November 2023

See artworks by artists Ryan Gander, and Bharti Kher in our new sculpture park.

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Exhibitions

Free

Distanced Assemblage: Imagine Lantern House

Saturday 3 September 2022 - Sunday 3 September 2023

Contribute your artwork to the Mehdi Jalalaghdamian: Art In Exile exhibition by creating your own Lantern House. Suitable for adults and children of all ages, this fun and thoughtful creative activity is for the whole family.

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Exhibitions

Free

Mehdi Jalalaghdamian: Art In Exile

Saturday 3 September 2022 - Sunday 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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Exhibitions

Free

BIG WOMEN

Saturday 11 February - Sunday 18 June 2023

10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Join us for a BIG exhibition celebrating the creative achievements of women in art, curated by one of Britain’s most significant contemporary artists – Sarah Lucas.

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Exhibitions

Free

@background_bob and his amazing friends…back again!

Saturday 1 April - Sunday 8 October 2023

Essex artist @background_bob returns to Firstsite for his third energetic and uplifting exhibition. ‘Back again!’ features over 270 collaborative artworks created by @background_bob with leading international street and graffiti artists including Mr Doodle, Shepard Fairey and Wrdsmith, other big…

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Cinema

Exhibition On Screen: Tokyo Stories

Sunday 28 May 2023

7:00 pm

Based on a major exhibition at the Ashmolean in Oxford, Tokyo Stories spans 400 years of incredibly dynamic art.

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Cinema

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Monday 29 May 2023

10:30 am

More times available

A plumber named Mario travels through an underground labyrinth with his brother, Luigi, trying to save a captured princess.

Find out more

Cinema

Dungeons And Dragons: Honour Among Thieves

Monday 29 May 2023

12:30 pm

More times available

A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry.

Find out more

Cinema

Local Hero (40th Anniversary)

Monday 29 May 2023

3:15 pm

When Texan oil developers try to buy up a small Scottish fishing village for their North Sea oil base, the canny residents give the Americans more than they bargained for

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Cinema

Exhibition On Screen: Vermeer

Monday 29 May 2023

5:40 pm

More times available

In the spring of 2023, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam will open its doors to the largest Vermeer exhibition in history.

Find out more

Cinema

The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan

Monday 29 May 2023

7:40 pm

D’Artagnan, a spirited young man, is left for dead after trying to save a young woman from being kidnapped.

Find out more

Holiday Fun

Free

Firstsite Holiday Fun 2023: Make

Tuesday 30 May 2023

10:00 am - 2:30 pm

More times available

Get making during Holiday Fun with a variety of free creative activities.

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Holiday Fun

Free

Holiday Fun: May Half Term 2023 – Street Dance

Tuesday 30 May 2023

10:45 am

Children can show off their best moves over the May half term school holiday with Street Dance at Firstsite Holiday Fun in Colchester!

Find out more

Holiday Fun

Free

Holiday Fun: May Half Term 2023 – Canteen

Tuesday 30 May 2023

11:45 am

More times available

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

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Holiday Fun

Free

Holiday Fun: May Half Term 2023 – Rugby

Tuesday 30 May 2023

12:00 pm

More times available

Children can get active and release some steam over the May half term with Rugby at Firstsite Holiday Fun in Colchester!

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Community and Partners

Free

Art in the Community

Tuesday 30 May 2023

1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

More times available

Art in the Community sessions are for people who use creativity to improve their well-being, and for recovery from mental and physical issues

Find out more

Cinema

A Thousand And One

Tuesday 30 May 2023

4:00 pm

The film follows unapologetic and free-spirited Inez (Teyana Taylor), who kidnaps six-year-old Terry from the foster care system.

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Cinema

Polite Society (Captioned)

Tuesday 30 May 2023

7:00 pm

Polite Society’ follows martial artist-in-training Ria Khan who believes she must save her older sister Lena from her impending marriage.

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Holiday Fun

Holiday Fun: May Half Term 2023 – Afro-Moves

Wednesday 31 May 2023

10:45 am

Children can show off their best moves over the May half term with Afro-Moves at Firstsite Holiday Fun in Colchester!

Find out more

Cinema

Polite Society

Wednesday 31 May 2023

4:00 pm

Polite Society’ follows martial artist-in-training Ria Khan who believes she must save her older sister Lena from her impending marriage.

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Cinema

Pacifiction

Wednesday 31 May 2023

7:00 pm

On the island of Tahiti, the High Commissioner of the Republic and French government official De Roller is a calculating man with flawless manners.

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Holiday Fun

Free

Holiday Fun: May Half Term 2023 – Drumming

Thursday 1 June 2023

10:45 am

More times available

Children can participate in this fun and relaxed session over the May half term with Drumming at Firstsite Holiday Fun in Colchester!

Find out more

Talks & Events

Andrew Graham-Dixon in conversation with Mark Bills

Thursday 1 June 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.

Find out more

Online

Andrew Graham-Dixon in conversation with Mark Bills (Livestream)

Thursday 1 June 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.

Find out more

Cinema

Little Richard: I Am Everything

Friday 2 June 2023

1:45 pm

More times available

One of a kind rock ‘n’ roll icon who shaped the world of music.

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Cinema

The Blue Caftan

Friday 2 June 2023

4:15 pm

More times available

Halim and Mina run a traditional caftan store in one of Morocco’s oldest medinas. They hire an apprentice and Mina realises how much her husband is moved by his presence.

Find out more

Cinema

Return to Seoul (Captioned)

Friday 2 June 2023

7:00 pm

More times available

An unpredictable and refreshingly authentic story of a young woman’s search for identity, and of the ever-shifting relationships that shape it.

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Courses, Clubs & Classes

Boozy Brushes

Friday 2 June 2023

7:30 pm

More times available

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

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Courses, Clubs & Classes

Sketch, Etch and Scones with Karen Densham

Saturday 3 June 2023

10:30 am

More times available

An accessible and fun approach to printmaking where we will be exploring low tech printing methods like dry point etching, Lino cutting, mono printing, impression printing and more.

Find out more

Cinema

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Relaxed)

Saturday 3 June 2023

10:45 am

More times available

A plumber named Mario travels through an underground labyrinth with his brother, Luigi, trying to save a captured princess.

Find out more

Cinema

Harka

Saturday 3 June 2023

1:00 pm

More times available

Ali is barely making a living selling contraband gas. The young Tunisian all of a sudden finds himself in charge of his two sisters after this dad’s death.

Find out more

Cinema

Return to Seoul

Saturday 3 June 2023

3:15 pm

Twenty-five-year-old French woman returns to Korea – the country she was born in before being adopted by a French couple – for the very first time.

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Cinema

MET Opera Live: Die Zauberflöte

Saturday 3 June 2023

5:55 pm

Nathalie Stutzmann conducts her second Mozart work this season with a new production of Die Zauberflöte.

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Parent and Baby

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Parent and Baby)

Tuesday 6 June 2023

12:00 pm

A plumber named Mario travels through an underground labyrinth with his brother, Luigi, trying to save a captured princess.

Find out more

Courses, Clubs & Classes

Limitless Street Dance

Tuesday 6 June 2023

4:00 pm

More times available

Breakdance skills for 8 – 14 year olds. Join the Limitless dancers Andi Mill and Isaac James to try out the basics of street dancing in a cool, fun and energetic environment.

Find out more

Courses, Clubs & Classes

Drumming Workshop

Wednesday 7 June 2023

4:00 pm

More times available

Learn the basics of African Drumming with drumming tutor Hassan who is experienced in teaching people of all levels.

Find out more

Courses, Clubs & Classes

Parent and Toddler

Thursday 8 June 2023

10:00 am

More times available

These artist-led sessions provide a safe and fun environment for children under 5 and parents/carers to use their imagination and curiosity to explore, test and experiment with a range of art activities and materials.

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Courses, Clubs & Classes

Free

YAK | Young Art Kommunity

Thursday 8 June 2023

5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

More times available

Young Art Kommunity (YAK) is Firstsite’s young-people peer led group which organises events and activities within the gallery and in the wider community.

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Community and Partners

Free

S&B Colchester

Thursday 8 June 2023

7:00 pm

More times available

S&B Colchester is back for 2023 and ready to introduce you to a whole load of crafts!   Join your hosts, local artists Amy & Meg to try out a different textile based technique each month in these fun,…

Find out more

Cinema

On Our Doorstep + Q&A

Thursday 8 June 2023

7:30 pm

When the Calais ‘Jungle’ refugee camp was ignored & condemned by authorities, ordinary people stepped in to support the refugees stranded there.

Find out more

Courses, Clubs & Classes

Dance and Movement for Well-being

Friday 9 June 2023

10:30 am

More times available

A gentle session for over 60s to ease joint mobility, improve agility, balance and self-awareness in movement. Every Friday 10:30am during term times.

Find out more

Courses, Clubs & Classes

Knitting for Newbies with Clare Sams

Saturday 10 June 2023

10:30 am

More times available

Yarn artist Clare Sams introduces you to the wonders of wool using knitting and crochet.

Find out more

Cinema

Inland Empire (4K Restoration)

Saturday 10 June 2023

1:15 pm

As an actress begins to adopt the persona of her character in a film, her world becomes nightmarish and surreal.

Find out more

Cinema

Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power

Saturday 10 June 2023

5:00 pm

More times available

A mesmerising visual journey through cinema’s sexist bloodstream that will forever change the way you see and make films.

Find out more

Courses, Clubs & Classes

Drag Queen Life Drawing with Sirena Hart

Saturday 10 June 2023

6:00 pm

More times available

A one-of-a-kind life drawing class, where your tutor and model will offer multiple poses in fantastical settings.

Find out more

Cinema

The Eight Mountains

Saturday 10 June 2023

7:30 pm

More times available

Using the mountains of Aosta Valley, a tale of friendship between father and son.

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Cinema

Hairspray (35th Anniversary)

Sunday 11 June 2023

2:00 pm

More times available

When Tracy Turnblad (Ricki Lake), an overweight teen, auditions for a spot on a popular teen dance show, she beats out the spiteful Amber von Tussle (Colleen Fitzpatrick)

Find out more

Cinema

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (Captioned)

Tuesday 13 June 2023

2:30 pm

11-year-old Margaret is uprooted from her life in New York City for the suburbs of New Jersey, going through the messy and tumultuous throes of puberty with new friends.

Find out more

Cinema

The Royal Opera House: Il Trovatore (Live)

Tuesday 13 June 2023

7:15 pm

Starring Ludovic Tézier and Jamie Barton, Adele Thomas’s energetic staging sets Verdi’s tale in a Hieronymus Bosch-inspired universe of medieval superstition.

Find out more

Cinema

Le Mepris (4K Remaster)

Wednesday 14 June 2023

12:00 pm

Screenwriter Paul Javal’s marriage to his wife Camille disintegrates during movie production as she spends time with the producer. Layered conflicts ensure.

Find out more

Cinema

Plan 75

Wednesday 14 June 2023

2:30 pm

Government program Plan 75 encourages senior citizens to be euthanized to remedy an aged society.

Find out more

Courses, Clubs & Classes

Weekly Watercolour with Justine Moss

Thursday 15 June 2023

1:30 pm

More times available

Join our weekly group for watercolourists of all levels where you will be introduced to the
materials, techniques and colour theory to develop your paintings.

Find out more

Courses, Clubs & Classes

Life Drawing with Justine Moss

Thursday 15 June 2023

4:30 pm

More times available

Learn how to draw from the live model or practice your life drawing skills at Firstsite.

Find out more

Cinema

Pamfir

Thursday 15 June 2023

4:30 pm

When reformed ex-smuggler Pamfir returns to home to his village on the Ukrainian border after working abroad for several years, he’s determined to earn an honest living.

Find out more

Cinema

National Theatre Live: Fleabag

Thursday 15 June 2023

7:00 pm

More times available

Written and performed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag, Killing Eve) and directed by Vicky Jones, Fleabag is a rip-roaring look at some sort of woman living her life.

Find out more

Cinema

Nam June Paik: Moon Is The Oldest TV

Friday 16 June 2023

12:00 pm

More times available

The story of Paik’s meteoric rise in the New York art scene and his Nostradamus-like visions of a future in which “everybody will have his own TV channel.”

Find out more

Cinema

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.

Friday 16 June 2023

4:00 pm

More times available

11-year-old Margaret is uprooted from her life in New York City for the suburbs of New Jersey, going through the messy and tumultuous throes of puberty with new friends.

Find out more

Cinema

Berliner Philharmoniker LIVE: Summer Concert

Friday 16 June 2023

6:30 pm

During this programme, we will hear the two musicians in Béla Bartók’s highly virtuosic Piano Concerto No. 2

Find out more

Community and Partners

Free

Folk & Bespoke Artisan Craft Market

Saturday 17 June 2023

10:00 am - 3:00 pm

More times available

Have a handmade shopping day. The people in your life deserves something special and for a totally unique gift, you cannot beat handmade.

Find out more

Courses, Clubs & Classes

Watercolour Saturdays Justine Moss

Saturday 17 June 2023

10:30 am

More times available

A monthly meet up for watercolour painters and enthusiasts – open for all levels. Explore the materials, techniques and colour theory to develop your work

Find out more

Cinema

The Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (Relaxed)

Saturday 17 June 2023

10:30 am

A group of intergalactic criminals are forced to work together to stop a fanatical warrior from taking control of the universe.

Find out more

Talks & Events

Kate Boxer, Maggi Hambling and Sarah Lucas in conversation

Saturday 17 June 2023

7:00 pm

Artists Kate Boxer, Sarah Lucas and Maggi Hambling join writer and art critic Louisa Buck to discuss their extraordinary careers, their inspiration and motivations and the making of the BIG WOMEN exhibition.

Find out more

Online

Kate Boxer, Maggi Hambling and Sarah Lucas in conversation (Livestream)

Saturday 17 June 2023

7:00 pm

Join us for this exclusive livestream of a special talk with the BIG WOMEN artists! Artists Sarah Lucas and Maggi Hambling join writer and art critic Louisa Buck to discuss their extraordinary careers, their inspiration and motivations and the…

Find out more

Courses, Clubs & Classes

Fixing Fashion with Clare Sams

Sunday 18 June 2023

10:30 am

More times available

Find out how to mend, upcycle and customise your clothes and accessories with Clare Sams

Find out more

Cinema

The Royal Opera House: Il Trovatore (Encore)

Sunday 18 June 2023

2:00 pm

Starring Ludovic Tézier and Jamie Barton, Adele Thomas’s energetic staging sets Verdi’s tale in a Hieronymus Bosch-inspired universe of medieval superstition.

Find out more

Cinema

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. (Parent & Baby)

Tuesday 20 June 2023

11:00 am

11-year-old Margaret is uprooted from her life in New York City for the suburbs of New Jersey, going through puberty with new friends.

Find out more

Cinema

National Theatre Live: Fleabag (Captioned)

Tuesday 20 June 2023

3:00 pm

Written and performed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag, Killing Eve) and directed by Vicky Jones, Fleabag is a rip-roaring look at some sort of woman living her life.

Find out more

Cinema

Under The Fig Trees

Wednesday 21 June 2023

12:30 pm

More times available

Among the trees, young women and men working the summer harvest develop new feelings, flirt, try to understand each other, find – and flee – deeper connections.

Find out more

Cinema

Thelma & Louise (4K Restoration)

Thursday 22 June 2023

5:00 pm

Two best friends set out on an adventure, but it soon turns around to a terrifying escape from being hunted by the police.

Find out more

Cinema

Beau Is Afraid

Friday 23 June 2023

12:00 pm

More times available

Beau is Afraid follows one man’s odyssey through the depths of the end of history, finding horror and humor at every turn.

Find out more

Cinema

Full Time

Friday 23 June 2023

4:30 pm

More times available

Julie (Laure Calamy) can’t catch a break. For a single mother raising two children in the suburbs of Paris but working in the city, the commuter train is a lifeline.

Find out more

Courses, Clubs & Classes

S&B Presents Crude Crafts

Friday 23 June 2023

7:00 pm

More times available

Join the ladies from S&B Colchester and decorate yet another tote bag in this fun and creative textile craft workshop with a difference.

Find out more

Cinema

The Little Mermaid (Relaxed)

Saturday 24 June 2023

11:00 am

“The Little Mermaid” is the beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure.

Find out more

Community and Partners

Free

Festival of Rice and Spice

Saturday 24 June 2023

12:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Celebrate Colchester’s diverse community through food, music and performances at the town’s annual festival of Rice and Spice – including children’s activities, workshops and a huge variety of food stalls.

Find out more

Cinema

Young Soul Rebels (4K Remaster)

Saturday 24 June 2023

2:15 pm

A landmark for Black – and Queer – British film, Isaac Julien’s iconic, beautifully crafted 1991 period piece has been newly remastered by the BFI.

Find out more

Cinema

The Passion Of Remembrance (4K Remaster)

Sunday 25 June 2023

11:45 am

The groundbreaking debut feature by radical film collective Sankofa, formed by Black feminist and gay filmmakers, newly remastered by the BFI.

Find out more

Cinema

The Little Mermaid (Parent & Baby)

Tuesday 27 June 2023

12:00 pm

“The Little Mermaid” is the beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure.

Find out more

Cinema

Beau Is Afraid (Captioned)

Tuesday 27 June 2023

2:15 pm

An intimate, decades-spanning portrait of one of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time.

Find out more

Cinema

Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty

Wednesday 28 June 2023

2:30 pm

More times available

Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty is coming to the big screen as part of its 10th anniversary celebrations.

Find out more

Courses, Clubs & Classes

Nature drawing workshop

Friday 30 June 2023

10:30 am

More times available

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

Find out more

Cinema

Mad About The Boy – The Noel Coward Story

Friday 30 June 2023

12:00 pm

More times available

Noël Coward grew up in poverty and left school when he was only nine years old. He was queer in a very straight world.

Find out more

Courses, Clubs & Classes

Mark-making workshop

Friday 30 June 2023

1:30 pm

More times available

Try something spontaneous, immediate and mindful with this meditative workshop

Find out more

Cinema

Amanda

Friday 30 June 2023

4:30 pm

More times available

Amanda, 24, lives mostly isolated and has never had any friends, even if it’s the thing she wants the most.

Find out more

Cinema

A Crack In The Mountain

Friday 30 June 2023

7:30 pm

More times available

A small Vietnamese community struggles to deal with the opportunity and challenges that arise when Hang Son Doong, the largest cave in the world is discovered nearby.

Find out more

Courses, Clubs & Classes

Video Recording: Simon Carter Online Workshop

Saturday 1 July 2023

12:00 pm ,

Draw and paint along with artist Simon Carter as he demonstrates his own methods of working, using the view from your window as inspiration.

Find out more

Cinema

Reality

Saturday 1 July 2023

3:30 pm

More times available

On June 3, 2017, 25-year-old Reality Winner returns from running errands to find two FBI agents at her home in Augusta, Georgia.

Find out more

Cinema

War Pony

Saturday 1 July 2023

8:00 pm

Stunning, tender and utterly compelling, WAR PONY tells the interlocking stories of two Oglala Lakota men coming of age on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Find out more

Courses, Clubs & Classes

S&B Sunday Sessions

Sunday 2 July 2023

10:30 am

More times available

Join the S&B ladies for a fun and relaxed Sunday as we host 2 different seasonal themed creative sessions for people aged 14+ of all abilities.

Find out more

Cinema

Reality (Parent and Baby)

Tuesday 4 July 2023

12:00 pm

On June 3, 2017, 25-year-old former American intelligence specialist Reality Winner is confronted by FBI agents arriving at her home.

Find out more

Community and Partners

Free

Colchester Record Fair

Saturday 8 July 2023

10:00 am - 4:00 pm

More 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.  

Find out more

Cinema

National Theatre Live: GOOD

Saturday 8 July 2023

7:00 pm

As the world faces its Second World War, John Halder, a good, intelligent German professor, finds himself pulled into a movement with unthinkable consequences.

Find out more

Online

Recorded Talk: Dame Zandra Rhodes & Jon Lys Turner in conversation

Sunday 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.

Find out more

Online

Recorded Talk: Rachel Joyce in Conversation with Professor Susan Oliver

Sunday 31 December 2023

12:00 pm ,

Recorded live at Firstsite in November 2022, award-winning author Rachel Joyce discusses how landscapes play an inspirational and important role in her writing, with Professor Susan Oliver.

Find out more

Online

Recorded Talk: Louisa Buck in conversation with Andrew Wilson & James Birch

Sunday 31 December 2023

12:00 pm ,

Recorded live at Firstsite, art critic Louisa Buck discusses the life of artist Denis Wirth-Miller with James Birch and Andrew Wilson.

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

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