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

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Bright Lights Youth Arts Exhibition 2026
Free

Exhibitions

Bright Lights Youth Arts Exhibition 2026

Part of Bright Lights: Youth Arts Festival 2026

05 – 14 Mar 2026
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Arts Centre Washington

Highlights: Disability Arts Exhibition 2026
Free

Exhibitions

Highlights: Disability Arts Exhibition 2026

Part of Bright Lights: Youth Arts Festival 2026

05 – 14 Mar 2026
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Arts Centre Washington

How Does Your Garden Grow?
Free
Six people, dressed in warm winter clothes, stand in a garden with Sunderland Museum behind them.

Adult Workshops and Activities

How Does Your Garden Grow?

05 Mar – 25 Jun 2026

All ages

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Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens

Wild Thursdays: Nature, Skills and Chill Time
Free
Four teenage girls sit on a clearing in a forest. In front of them is a large metal dish with a fire burning

Children and Young People's Activities

Wild Thursdays: Nature, Skills and Chill Time

Please note: Due to Easter holidays, no sessions on Thursdays 9 & 16 April.

05 Mar – 21 May 2026

12-16

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Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens

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

05 Mar – 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

05 Mar – 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.

05 Mar – 31 Jul 2026
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National Glass Centre

Amazing Art Trail
Portrait of young girl with blonde hair smiling with teeth as bright morning light comes into in an art room, she is holding in her hand bunch of brushes.

Children and Young People's Activities

Amazing Art Trail

05 – 28 Mar 2026

Ages 3+

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Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens

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Two people stand on a beach with their backs to the camera. They tie many colourful ribbons to a long wooden pole. The ribbons are purple, blue, yellow, and red. A small glowing lantern and a string of lights hang from the pole. In the background, the sea has small white waves. Far away in the water, there is a tall white lighthouse on a long stone wall. The sky is grey and cloudy.

City Volunteers

A new way to get involved in Sunderland’s transformation.

Apply once, take part in free, high-quality training, and you’ll join a network of volunteers who get exclusive opportunities direct from partners across the city.

Find out more

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

Sunderland Culture's Response to Open Letter in Support of Glassworks: Sunderland

Sunderland Culture's Response to Open Letter in Support of Glassworks: Sunderland

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New visuals released for Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens redevelopment

New visuals released for Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens redevelopment

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Washington to Strike a Chord With New Folk Festival

Washington to Strike a Chord With New Folk Festival

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

Make a donation

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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