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Home to some of Sunderland’s most cherished cultural venues and activities

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Present Continuous, Present Imperfect
Free

Exhibitions

Present Continuous, Present Imperfect

16 – 25 Apr 2026
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Arts Centre Washington

How Does Your Garden Grow?
Free
Green shrubbery with pink flowers. A red admiral butterfly sits on a leaf.

Adult Workshops and Activities

How Does Your Garden Grow?

16 Apr – 25 Jun 2026

All ages

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Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens

Film Making Masterclass with Alastair Cummings
Free
A group of five people are standing outside in a park. They are looking at a film camera on a tripod. One person with a red beard is adjusting a lens on the camera.

Film Making Masterclass with Alastair Cummings

Exclusive to members of Future Creatives

16 Apr 2026

Exclusive to Future Creatives

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City-wide

Creative You Junior - Join the Band
Sold Out

Children and Young People's Activities

Creative You Junior - Join the Band

Part of Creative You Junior

16 Apr 2026

Ages 8-10

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Arts Centre Washington

Dean Raymond Gooch: Bottoms
Free
A man photographed from behind. He is naked from the waist up. He is wearing blue jeans. He has a red patterned cotton neckerchief hanging from his right pocket.

Exhibitions

Dean Raymond Gooch: Bottoms

Contains mild nudity and adult themes.

Showing in Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art Collection Space

16 Apr – 26 May 2026
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Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art

Smoke and Mirrors: Landscapes from the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art Collection
Free

Exhibitions

Smoke and Mirrors: Landscapes from the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art Collection

Showing in Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art Main Gallery

16 Apr – 26 May 2026
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Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art

The Graduates
Free
A beautifully crafted replica of a deck chair made from wood and printed glass textile. The covering is patterned with an african influenced design

Exhibitions

The Graduates

Showing in National Glass Centre Gallery, Balcony Gallery & Research Gallery.

16 Apr – 31 Jul 2026
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National Glass Centre

Joe Woodhouse: From the Foundations
Free
A graphite and pencil grid drawing on a piece of paper.

Exhibitions

Joe Woodhouse: From the Foundations

Showing in Sunderland Creatives Gallery

16 Apr – 09 May 2026
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National Glass Centre

Bloom Boom!
Crochet flowers in pink and white sitting in a tree made to look like real flowers

Bloom Boom!

Open call for knit or crochet flowers and bees

Join us to celebrate the National Trust’s Festival of Blossom by making beautiful white and pink flowers to decorate community gardens across the city including Mowbray Park Community Garden and Just Let Your Soul Grow Community Garden.

Deadline 20 May

Bloom Boom!

Our Venues

Arts Centre Washington

Arts Centre Washington

National Glass Centre
A modern art gallery with white walls and gray floors displays colorful glass sculptures. In the front, tall blue and clear glass tubes stand upright on a white platform. Behind them, two people walk past white shelves holding more glass art pieces in blue, red, and orange colors. The ceiling has track lighting and the space feels bright and open.

National Glass Centre

Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art

Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art

Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens
A large green palm tree and other tall green trees in a glass and metal building.

Sunderland Museum 
& Winter Gardens

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Culture Start

Find out about our exciting programme bringing free creative and cultural activities to children and young people across the city.

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Learn & Create

Children & Families
A person pulls a funny face while holding onto a wooden machine that looks like a large telescope. Two children stand in front of them laughing.

Children and families

Enjoy creative fun with all the family!

Children & Families
Young People
A young person sits at a table in front of a laptop while another young person stands behind them playing an acoustic guitar. Both look at the computer with concentration.

Young people

Explore opportunities to ignite and nurture your creative future.

Young People
Adults
Two people take a selfie pulling faces in front of a painting. The painting is the ‘Screaming Pope’ by Francis Bacon.

Adults

Come together to try new things and connect with others.

Adults
Schools & Education
A group of school children and two adults walk around a small field of grass that is decorated with colourful, pattern origami sculptures on wire that are stuck into the grass.

Schools & Education

Explore how we can work with your school.

Schools & Education
SEND
An adult and child lie on sports mats on the floor of a gym. They are positioned across from each other with their arms outstretched towards one another.

SEND

Inclusive learning opportunities for young people.

SEND

News

Tom Takes Over As Chair of Sunderland Culture
A person with a shaved head and a long, bushy beard that is grey at the bottom. They wear glasses with gold frames and a brown jacket over a blue shirt. A small, dark pocket square is tucked into their jacket pocket. They stand outside on a grey pavement with a large building and a bridge in the background. They are looking at the camera with a small smile.

Tom Takes Over As Chair of Sunderland Culture

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UK First - Sunderland Builds ‘Protective Framework’ for Children in Poverty

UK First - Sunderland Builds ‘Protective Framework’ for Children in Poverty

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New Show Explores Growing Up In a Digital World

New Show Explores Growing Up In a Digital World

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Young people lean over a canvas painted with a yellow and blue gradient, writing on it with pens.

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We want more people to enjoy and experience creativity and culture. Your donation can make a real difference to our work.

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