Upcoming Events
Why Museums Matter
On the Ballroom table 7 February to 19 May We invited visitors and people in our local community to complete the statement ‘Museums matter to me because…’ as a way of understanding what people value about museums and how the role of museums is understood in contemporary society. This exciting installation is a visual response to over 1,000 ideas and comments shared with us. In the Wirth Gallery 7 February to 22 April Celebrating the role of museums as places…
Find out more »Lauren Child: The Art of Illustration
Step inside the joyfully eclectic world of Lauren Child MBE, award-winning author, illustrator and Waterstones Children’s Laureate (2017-2019). Best loved for her fictional series, Clarice Bean and Charlie and Lola, Lauren Child’s vibrant collage illustrations and witty narratives have charmed and amused children and adults alike for nearly twenty years. This exhibition celebrates the art of Child’s illustrations and her love of pattern, colour and textiles. It features works from her original stories as well as her recent re-imaginings of…
Find out more »Graham Fagen: The Slave’s Lament
Written in 1792, The Slave’s Lament is Robert Burns’ only work that communicated the appalling realities of the transatlantic slave trade. Despite being more than 200 years old, the song brings the social, political and human tragedies of today into sharp focus. Performed by the Scottish Ensemble and reggae singer Ghetto Priest, artist Graham Fagen’s contemporary interpretation connects Scottish and Caribbean history through these seemingly disparate musical cultures. Presented across four screens, the result is both haunting and melancholy, yet…
Find out more »Charmian Adams Collecting Craft
This display highlights a lifetime of collecting contemporary crafts including the best of British silver, textiles, ceramics, furniture and glass. Including many well-known makers such as Edmund de Waal and Lucie Rie often with a particular focus on early-career works, the display is a celebration of commissioning and supporting emerging makers and of the outstanding work produced by generations of British craftspeople.
Find out more »Collecting Craft
This display highlights a lifetime of collecting contemporary crafts including the best of British silver, textiles, ceramics, furniture and glass. Including many well-known makers such as Edmund de Waal and Lucie Rie often with a particular focus on early-career works, the display is a celebration of commissioning and supporting emerging makers and of the outstanding work produced by generations of British craftspeople.
Find out more »Edouard Vuillard The Poetry of the Everyday
This Spring, the Holburne presents the most extensive UK exhibition of works by Édouard Vuillard (1868-1940) in more than 15 years, including many that are rarely publicly displayed. Vuillard was one of the leading figures in French art at the end of the 19th-century. Famed for his small, subtle studies mostly of figures in interiors, his art is renowned for its modest scale, intimate subject matter and intense colouring. We celebrate the unique qualities of his early work, from the…
Find out more »Bath Festivals’ Family Arts Day
Family Arts Day In Partnership with Bath Festivals Entrance to Parade Gardens £2 Adults £1 Concessions FREE for Discovery Card Holders & Children Under 5 Visit us in Parade Gardens where we we’ll be offering a taster of our exhibition Lauren Child: the Art of Illustration. Make a fabulous flower of colourful collage inspired by her illustrations for Frances Hodgson Burnett’s children’s classic The Secret Garden.
Find out more »May Holiday Art Camp (5-11yrs)
Days packed full of fun; creative activities inspired by the Museum’s collection and exhibitions, led by our experienced team of artists. Tuesday 28 May to Friday 31 May 9am-4pm £40 per day; £20 discount for booking 4 consecutive days. May 28, 2019 – May 31, 2019 all-day BOOKING ESSENTIAL: BOOK FOR THE WEEK (click pink button below) or BOOK HERE FOR INDIVIDUAL DAYS. Booking the night before or over the weekend for a Monday Art Camp? Please read this Important…
Find out more »Up Late Friday: Mindful May
Join us on the last Friday of every month from 5-9pm to experience the Museum free of charge after-hours. Immerse yourself in an eclectic programme of pop-up talks, art demos, installations, performances, DJ-sets and cocktails. All Up Lates are specially curated by upcoming student talent and arts practitioners from the Universities of Bath Spa, Bath and Bristol. Mindful May (in partnership with Fringe Arts Bath) Slow down, unwind and get the creative juices flowing in this special Up Late dedicated…
Find out more »The Wonderful World of Lauren Child
FREE FAMILY FUN The Wonderful World of Lauren Child Join us for an afternoon of fun, creative activities inspired by Lauren Child’s wonderful illustrations and collage including Charlie and Lola, Mary Poppins, The Princess and the Pea and The Secret Garden. Feel free to come dressed as your favourite Lauren Child character!
Find out more »A Creative Networking Session
Creative Wellbeing session Free to attend but please book your place through Eventbrite A creative networking session for anyone who has lived experience of ill-health. In the session we will explore the relationship between creativity and wellbeing. A partnership between the Holburne Museum, LENS (Lived Experience Network), Arts & Health South West, and the Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance as part of Creativity and Wellbeing Week. Further information is at www.creativityandwellbeing.org.uk and www.holburne.org/pathways-to-wellbeing
Find out more »Un avant-goût de la France – Evening of Art, Wine & Cheese
Ease into summer with an evening of sampling and sipping in our Garden Café. Great Western Wine’s latest partner, Domain Cazes, from Southern France will be on hand to answer your questions in this informal tasting. Discover their extraordinary range of organic wines, including the 8th best Grenache in the world. The evening begins with a private view of Édouard Vuillard: Poetry of The Everyday followed by a delicious selection of Provencal rosé and tasty nibbles from the Bath Soft Cheese Company.…
Find out more »WalkAndDraw: Sketching and Painting the City with Andrew Lansley
ADULT WORKSHOP Saturday 15 June & Sunday 16 June, 10.30am-4.30pm Join artist Andrew Lansley for this two-day course in drawing and painting the city of Bath. Spend the first day sketching and exploring the local area on foot, and learn key skills in drawing, colour application and composition. On the second day, you will work your drawings up into a finished painting through the use of raw pigment and egg on paper and board. No prior experience necessary. Materials will…
Find out more »Forest of Imagination 2019
Forest of Imagination 20 to 24 June FREE Forest of Imagination is a collaborative, creative partnership. Discover a free, fantastical forest and outdoor gallery right in the heart of Bath! Designed by a collective of local and international artists and creative professionals. Forest of Imagination will transform areas around the Holburne and Sydney Gardens into wondrous sensory installations and architectural artworks, with creative activities for all ages. Forest of Imagination is returning to the World Heritage City of Bath for…
Find out more »Ballet Nimba – African Dance Company
FREE African dance company Ballet Nimba joins performance poet Toby Thompson to formally launch this year’s Forest of Imagination. * These are outdoor events with no seating. Please bring picnic blankets and/or picnic chairs. The events will go ahead in all weathers unless it is unsafe to do so. Please dress for the weather (waterproofs, sunhats etc.). The Garden Café will be open for drinks, 6–8pm. Last orders 7.45pm.
Find out more »Fofoulah
FREE EVENT* As part of Forest of Imagination we welcome London-based Afro-dub ensemble and WOMAD-festival regulars Fofoulah perform an energetic gig of Sengalese voice and West African rhythms in the Holburne’s garden pavilion, with dub basslines and intense grooves. * These are outdoor events with no seating. Please bring picnic blankets and/or picnic chairs. The events will go ahead in all weathers unless it is unsafe to do so. Please dress for the weather (waterproofs, sunhats etc.). The Garden Café will…
Find out more »In Conversation: Lauren Child & Chris Stephens
FREE EVENT* as part of Forest of Imagination. Children’s author and illustrator Lauren Child MBE, creator of the hugely popular Charlie & Lola books, joins the Holburne’s director Chris Stephens to discuss art and creativity amongst children and adults. There will be a book signing after the talk. * This is an outdoor events with no seating. Please bring picnic blankets and/or picnic chairs. In the event of extreme weather, a limited no. of places will be available for a…
Find out more »In Conversation: Bob and Roberta Smith & Anita Taylor
*FREE event as part of Forest of Imagination Contemporary ‘slogan’ artist Bob and Roberta Smith shares a reading from his new book UR an artist and discusses with Professor Anita Taylor the role of art in society through an open discussion with the audience, including young people. * This is an outdoor event with no seating. Please bring picnic blankets and/or picnic chairs. Please dress for the weather (waterproofs, sunhats etc.). In the event of extreme weather, a limited no. of places…
Find out more »Illustrated Talk: Sir Richard Long
*Free Event as part of Forest of Imagination Turner-prize winning sculptor and land artist Sir Richard Long brings Forest 2019 to a close with an illustrated talk for all ages with Q&A. * This is an outdoor event with no seating. Please bring picnic blankets and/or picnic chairs. Please dress for the weather (waterproofs, sunhats etc.). In the event of extreme weather, a limited no. of places will be available for a talk in the gallery. The Garden Café will…
Find out more »Up Late Friday: Holburne Unplugged
University of Bath Arts Scholars take to the stage with live music and dance performances throughout the night. Join us on the last Friday of every month from 5-9pm to experience the Museum free of charge after-hours. Immerse yourself in an eclectic programme of pop-up talks, art demos, installations, performances, DJ-sets and cocktails. All Up Lates are specially curated by student talent and arts practitioners from the Universities of Bath Spa, Bath and Bristol. Garden Cafe serving drinks until 8.45pm…
Find out more »From Image to Word: Creative Writing Workshop with Sue Hubbard
Join award-winning poet and novelist, Sue Hubbard, for a friendly one-day workshop inspired by our exhibition Vuillard: The Poetry of the Everyday. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned writer of poetry and prose, this workshop invites you to come and discover your voice. Taking Vuillard’s nostalgic paintings of interiors as a point of departure, this workshop will encourage you to explore your own memories of the domestic. ‘Hubbard deserves a place in the literary pantheon near Colm Toibin,…
Find out more »Outdoor Gig: Three Cane Whale
Bristol-based Three Cane Whale are a multi-instrumental acoustic trio featuring Alex Vann, Pete Judge and Paul Bradley (also members of Spiro, Get The Blessing and Scottish Dance Theatre). Often described as having a ‘cinematic sweep’, Three Cane Whale’s sound encompasses atmospheric, charming and quirky melodies, perfect for a balmy Summer’s evening. Garden Café open for drinks, 6–8pm. Last orders 7.45pm “Wonderful” – fRoots “Impressively original” – The Guardian “Mesmerising” – Q
Find out more »True to Life: Adult Drawing Workshop with Saied Dai
Join artist Saied Dai for an intensive drawing day with a life model, exploring the links between observation, experience and ideas, along with the challenge of expressing them. This workshop will focus on developing a composition when studying the figure within a setting. The day will equip you with enough material and ability to apply the principles and attitudes to your own work. It will help intuitive individuals reach out with insight and feeling towards the imponderables of the subject.…
Find out more »Outdoor Jazz Gig: Jim Blomfield Trio
Join The Jim Blomfield Trio for their debut jazz gig at the Holburne. Like many of the newer generation of jazz players today, the Trio draw their influences from various genres – the eclectic colours of Rock, Drum and Bass, Latin jazz, classical piano and contemporary jazz. This promises to be a night of lyrical and evocative melodies, driving rhythms, rich harmonies, and adventurous solo and group improvisations. Garden Café open for drinks, 6–8pm. Last orders 7.45pm
Find out more »Up Late Friday: Meet the Makers
Join us on the last Friday of every month from 5-9pm to experience the Museum free after-hours. Immerse yourself in an eclectic programme of pop-up talks, art demos, installations, performances, DJ-sets and cocktails. All Up Late's are specially curated by student talent and arts practitioners from the Universities of Bath Spa, Bath and Bristol. Meet the Makers. See what MA Fine Art students at Bath School of Art and Design, Bath Spa University are preparing ahead of their final degree…
Find out more »Collage and Cut Paper in Storytelling
ADULT WORKSHOP Be inspired by the colours, characters and patterns in our temporary exhibitions with illustrator Jessica Palmer and create your own work of art using specialist paper-cutting and collage techniques. In this one-day workshop, you will visit the exhibitions, Vuillard: The Poetry of the Everyday and Lauren Child: The Art of Illustration, before experimenting with paper-cutting and collaging paper fragments. You will learn the key tools for developing your own characters within storytelling and crafting narrative through pattern and…
Find out more »Summer Art Camp (5 – 11 yrs)
Summer Art Camp for 5-11 year olds. Days packed full of fun; creative activities inspired by the Museum’s collection and exhibitions, led by our experienced team of artists. Monday 29 July to Friday 2 August 9am-4pm £40 per day; £25 discount for booking 5 consecutive days. Monday 29 July to Friday 2 August BOOKING ESSENTIAL: Choose to BOOK THE WEEK (Click Pink Button below) OR CLICK HERE TO BOOK INDIVIDUAL DAYS Holiday Art Camps are also available, Monday 5 to Friday 9…
Find out more »Summer Art Camp (5-11 yrs)
Summer Art Camp for 5-11 year olds. Monday 5 to Friday 9 August Days packed full of fun; creative activities inspired by the Museum’s collection and exhibitions, led by our experienced team of artists. 9am-4pm £40 per day; £25 discount for booking 5 consecutive days. BOOKING ESSENTIAL: CLICK HERE TO BOOK INDIVIDUAL DAYS or BOOK THE WEEK (Click Pink Button below) Booking the night before or over the weekend for a Monday Art Camp? Please read this Important Information for Parents and…
Find out more »Summer Art Camp (5-11 yrs)
Summer Art Camp for 5-11 year olds. Monday 12 to Friday 16 August Days packed full of fun; creative activities inspired by the Museum’s collection and exhibitions, led by our experienced team of artists. 9am-4pm £40 per day; £25 discount for booking 5 consecutive days. BOOKING ESSENTIAL: CLICK HERE TO BOOK INDIVIDUAL DAYS or BOOK THE WEEK (Click Pink Button below) Booking the night before or over the weekend for a Monday Art Camp? Please read this Important Information for Parents and…
Find out more »Illustration for Children’s Books
Adult Workshop Illustration for Children’s Books with Sean Julian An integral part of illustrating a picture book is the visual creation of a world in which the story takes place. In this one-day workshop with illustrator Sean Julian, you will learn how to create a character and then take inspiration from objects in the Museum’s handling collection to create an environment for them to inhabit and to tell their story. You will experiment with simple line and wash drawings, working…
Find out more »Summer Art Camp (for 5-11 yrs)
Summer Art Camp for 5-11 year olds. Monday 19 to Friday 23 August Days packed full of fun; creative activities inspired by the Museum’s collection and exhibitions, led by our experienced team of artists. 9am-4pm £40 per day; £25 discount for booking 5 consecutive days. BOOKING ESSENTIAL: CLICK HERE TO BOOK INDIVIDUAL DAYS or BOOK THE WEEK (Click Pink Button below) Booking the night before or over the weekend for a Monday Art Camp? Please read this Important Information for Parents and…
Find out more »Moving Pictures: Amelie (cert 15)
Thursday 22 August, 6.30-8.30pm Amelie (cert 15) 5.30-6.30pm Exhibition open and Garden Café open for drinks Join us for a relaxed screening of this French classic. Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s award-winning film Amelie (2001) tells the story of a shy French waitress (Audrey Tautou) from Montmartre who, on her mission to help those around her, finds love in the city of Paris.
Find out more »Up Late Friday: Collecting Craft
Join us on the last Friday of every month from 5-9pm to experience the Museum free of charge after-hours. Immerse yourself in an eclectic programme of pop-up talks, art demos, installations, performances, DJ-sets and cocktails. All Up Lates are specially curated by student talent and arts practitioners from the Universities of Bath Spa, Bath and Bristol. Collecting Craft: This Up Late invites you to delve into the world of contemporary craft and making with live performances from artist, Andrew Southall’s Shaker…
Find out more »Making Miniatures: Porcelain Flowers
ADULT WORKSHOP Making Miniatures: Porcelain Flowers £60 Join miniaturist Diane Gould for a one-day workshop making a stunning porcelain flower arrangement for your dolls' house. With a variety of flower types to choose from, you will work with cold porcelain and wire to learn the delicate art of creating lifelike miniature flowers. This flower arrangement will brighten any miniature garden or room setting. No prior experience necessary. Materials will be available for purchase from the tutor on the day.
Find out more »In Conversation: Alastair Sooke & Chris Stephens
Join art critic and BBC broadcaster, Alastair Sooke, in conversation with Holburne Director, Chris Stephens, as they discuss the work of 19th-century French painter, Édouard Vuillard, in celebration of our major exhibition, The Poetry of the Everyday. “For all their quiet modesty, and debt to traditional domestic interiors by Vermeer, Vuillard’s ‘intimiste’ paintings (as they are known) have a surprisingly radical quality” – Alastair Sooke, The Daily Telegraph (2018) 6 to 7pm: Exhibition free to access and Garden Café open…
Find out more »Living History Display: His Majesty’s 33rd Regiment of Foot
In Partnership with the Jane Austen Festival Re-enactment group His Majesty’s 33rd Regiment of Foot return to camp out at the Holburne. Experience what life would have been like for a soldier living in Jane Austen’s time through talks, demonstrations, and displays of camp life. The Regiment will also lead the annual Austen promenade on Saturday morning, 14 September (please note: most camp displays and demonstrations will be scheduled for the afternoon of Saturday 14 September). 10am-5pm Saturday 14 and…
Find out more »History Weekend: Model Railway
The Park Keepers’ model railway of Sydney Gardens Saturday 14-Sunday 15 September FREE In Partnership with the Sydney Gardens Project Come and see an amazing working model of the mainline railway as it passes through Sydney Gardens (OO gauge). Built by The Park Keepers, five friends all based locally, the trains are typical of a normal day in the park between 1956 and 1966. Sat, 10am-5pm; Sun, 11am-4pm Credit – model railway photo is by David Reed
Find out more »History Weekend: Regency Costumed Charity Promenade
In Partnership with the Jane Austen Festival. The Jane Austen Festival opens with the world-famous Regency Costumed Charity Promenade. Starting from Sydney Gardens and the Holburne Museum, this promenade will involve a procession of over 500 people in 18th-century costume, culminating in the Promenader’s Fayre at the Guildhall. Dress up in your regency finery and join in, or come along to watch this amazing spectacle!* *Tickets for costumed participants can be purchased from the Festival’s website, www.janeaustenfestivalbath.co.uk, £1 per wristband…
Find out more »Living History Display: His Majesty’s 33rd Regiment of Foot
In Partnership with the Jane Austen Festival Re-enactment group His Majesty’s 33rd Regiment of Foot return to camp out at the Holburne. Experience what life would have been like for a soldier living in Jane Austen’s time through talks, demonstrations, and displays of camp life. The Regiment will also lead the annual Austen promenade on Saturday morning, 14 September (please note: most camp displays and demonstrations will be scheduled for the afternoon of Saturday 14 September). 10am-5pm, Saturday 14 and…
Find out more »History Weekend: Model Railway
The Park Keepers’ model railway of Sydney Gardens FREE In Partnership with the Sydney Gardens Project Come and see an amazing working model of the mainline railway as it passes through Sydney Gardens (OO gauge). Built by The Park Keepers, five friends all based locally, the trains are typical of a normal day in the park between 1956 and 1966 Saturday 14-Sunday 15 September (Sat, 10am-5pm; Sun, 11am-4pm)
Find out more »Friends of Sydney Garden’s Community Day
Join the Holburne team in the Gardener’s Lodge for fun, creative, family-friendly activities inspired by the unique history of the Sydney Pleasure Gardens. The gardens will be a hive ofactivity with plenty to enjoy for everyone. Free Event This event is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Find out more »Up Late Friday: Art and Science
Join us on the last Friday of every month from 5-9pm to experience the Museum free after-hours. Immerse yourself in an eclectic programme of pop-up talks, art demos, installations, performances, DJ-sets and cocktails. All Up Late's are specially curated by student talent and arts practitioners from the Universities of Bath Spa, Bath and Bristol. Garden Cafe serving drinks until 8.45pm Friday 27 September: Art and Science. Discover the science behind art with activities led by postgraduate students and staff from…
Find out more »Robertson Lecture 2019: Matthew Williams – Downton Abbey Revealed
Downton Abbey revealed: The Story of Highclere Castle The enormous success of the television series has made Highclere Castle one of the most recognisable buildings in the country. This lecture will reveal that truth is stranger than fiction, telling the story of the castle and family who own it, the Earls of Carnarvon. Highclere is a masterpiece of Victorian architecture, and has fascinating links with ancient Egypt, the Houses of Parliament - even the world of Royal horse racing. The…
Find out more »