What’s On
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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.
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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.
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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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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.
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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.
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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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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!
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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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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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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
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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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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: 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!
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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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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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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!
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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.
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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.
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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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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.
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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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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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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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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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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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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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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,…
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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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)
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Plan 75
Wednesday 14 June 2023
2:30 pm
Government program Plan 75 encourages senior citizens to be euthanized to remedy an aged society.
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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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.”
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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 moreCinema
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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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 moreOnline
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…
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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
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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.
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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.
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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 moreCinema
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Mark-making workshop
Friday 30 June 2023
1:30 pm
More times available
Try something spontaneous, immediate and mindful with this meditative workshop
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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