Skip to main content

See & Do

Exhibitions

View all
Rebel Women of Sunderland
Free
A rectangular graphic. The background is split into four block colours. Blue on the top left, Yellow bottom right, violet on the top right and red on bottom left. There are pop art illustrations of Emili Sandi, Audrey Amiss, Jill Scott and Louise Cook and Ida B Wells

Exhibitions

Rebel Women of Sunderland

Showing in Special Exhibitions Gallery

11 Jun – 01 Aug 2026
More

Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens

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.

11 Jun – 31 Jul 2026
More

National Glass Centre

Hands On: Pedagogy, Practice, Research
Free
An abstract modernist art piece featuring coloured triangle sections behind circular sections.

Exhibitions

Hands On: Pedagogy, Practice, Research

Showing in Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art Main Gallery

11 Jun – 31 Jul 2026
More

Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art

Anna-Marie Gallares: I Carry It With Me
Free
A blue bus passes through a caribbean town scene

Exhibitions

Anna-Marie Gallares: I Carry It With Me

Showing in Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art Collection Space

11 Jun – 31 Jul 2026
More

Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art

Stronger Seams : Beyond Coal
Free

Exhibitions

Stronger Seams : Beyond Coal

19 Jun – 25 Jul 2026
More

Arts Centre Washington

“…nothing to see here” Drawings and paintings by Nicholas Whitmore
Free

Exhibitions

“…nothing to see here” Drawings and paintings by Nicholas Whitmore

Showing in The Granary Gallery

26 Jun – 01 Aug 2026

All ages

More

Arts Centre Washington

Adult workshops & Activities

View all
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?

11 – 25 Jun 2026

All ages

More

Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens

Dance Your Heart Out

Adult Workshops and Activities

Dance Your Heart Out

Thursdays, 1:30pm-3pm

50+

More

Arts Centre Washington

Oil Painting
A box of oil paint tubes with white lids.

Adult Workshops and Activities

Oil Painting

Fridays, 9:30am-11:30am
More

Arts Centre Washington

Flameworked Marbles
Sold Out
Three glass marbles, one with green patterns, the second with blue and purple, and the third with turquoise and purple glimmer against a white background

Adult Workshops and Activities

Flameworked Marbles

12 Jun – 17 Jul 2026

16+

More

National Glass Centre

Washington Writers

Adult Workshops and Activities

Washington Writers

Fridays (Fortnightly), 12pm-2pm
More

Arts Centre Washington

Mowbray Movers
Middle aged people exercise in a beautiful garden space

Adult Workshops and Activities

Mowbray Movers

12 Jun – 30 Oct 2026

Ages 50+

More

Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens

Find out more
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

Children & Young People’s Activities

View all
Brilliant Birds Trail
Two plump cartoon birds with a purple scarf and a navy hat stand against a green background

Children and Young People's Activities

Brilliant Birds Trail

11 Jun – 04 Jul 2026

Ages 4+

More

Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens

Washington Youth Theatre (Ages 8-12)

Children and Young People's Activities

Washington Youth Theatre (Ages 8-12)

Saturdays, 10am-12pm

8-12

More

Arts Centre Washington

Glass Fusing
Two adults and two children sit at a table. On the table are a number of paints, colourful beakers and four rectangular pieces of glass. They are painting pictures onto the glass

Children and Young People's Activities

Glass Fusing

13 – 27 Jun 2026

Ages 5+

More

National Glass Centre

Right Track
Free

Children and Young People's Activities

Right Track

Saturdays, 10:30am-12:30pm

11-19

More

Arts Centre Washington

Washington Youth Theatre (Ages 13-18)

Children and Young People's Activities

Washington Youth Theatre (Ages 13-18)

Saturdays, 12:30pm-2:30pm

13-18

More

Arts Centre Washington

Saturday Art Club - Afternoon

Children and Young People's Activities

Saturday Art Club - Afternoon

Saturdays, 1pm-3pm

8+

More

Arts Centre Washington

Theatre & Performance

View all
I Got a Feeling

Theatre and Performance

I Got a Feeling

30 Jul – 01 Aug 2026
More

Arts Centre Washington

The Noise Next Door

Comedy

The Noise Next Door

15 Oct 2026

Ages 15+

More

Arts Centre Washington

Azra Glow

Theatre and Performance

Azra Glow

Directed by Penella Bee

07 Nov 2026

Suitable for ages 3+

More

Arts Centre Washington

It’s a Wonderful Us

Theatre and Performance

It’s a Wonderful Us

The Lawnmowers and Murmur Theatre

19 Nov 2026

Age recommendation 14+

More

Arts Centre Washington

Deepest Fears

Theatre and Performance

Deepest Fears

Warnings :

Jumps, loud sounds, moments of horror and peril, tense atmosphere, references to death, blood and burial. Includes haze

26 Nov 2026

Ages 14+

More

Arts Centre Washington

A Christmas Carol

Theatre and Performance

A Christmas Carol

16 – 17 Dec 2026

Ages 10+

More

Arts Centre Washington

Film

View all
The Weird and the Eerie II - Day Pass

Films

The Weird and the Eerie II - Day Pass

Part of The Weird and the Eerie II: Wyrd Albion

27 Jun 2026

15+

More

Arts Centre Washington

Robin Redbreast

Films

Robin Redbreast

Part of The Weird and the Eerie II: Wyrd Albion

27 Jun 2026

12+

More

Arts Centre Washington

Penda's Fen + Performance by Hyem

Films

Penda's Fen + Performance by Hyem

Part of The Weird and the Eerie II: Wyrd Albion

27 Jun 2026

12+

More

Arts Centre Washington

A Field in England + Performance by Lucy Valentine

Films

A Field in England + Performance by Lucy Valentine

Part of The Weird and the Eerie II: Wyrd Albion

27 Jun 2026

15+

More

Arts Centre Washington

H Is for Hawk

Films

H Is for Hawk

Part of Wednesday Matinees

01 Jul 2026

12+

More

Arts Centre Washington

Heritage Reels: Defiant
a title screen reading the words 'defiant' in big bold writing and 'county Durham, the miners' strike, and its legacy' in smaller text below. the background is a burry black and white image.

Films

Heritage Reels: Defiant

Part of Heritage Reels

22 Jul 2026
More

Arts Centre Washington

Music

View all
A Good Company of Musick: Royal Northern Sinfonia with Ben Lunn

Music

A Good Company of Musick: Royal Northern Sinfonia with Ben Lunn

17 Jun 2026
More

Arts Centre Washington

The NE Street Band

Music

The NE Street Band

24 Jul 2026
More

Arts Centre Washington

Music from Engelchen
Free
A lady with long hair wears a sheer cloak. She is holding a violin

Music

Music from Engelchen

25 Jul 2026

Ages 16+

More

Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens

Ready Steady 60s Show

Music

Ready Steady 60s Show

28 Nov 2026
More

Arts Centre Washington

Special Events

View all
Teenage Market
Free
A selection of colourful toys displayed on a flat surface with a white cloth. The toys include a hot pink frog.

Special Events

Teenage Market

13 Jun 2026
More

Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens

Machicolations, Bartizans and Forty Fat Pigs: Medieval Castle Architecture and Siegecraft
Ruins of a medieval stone castle sit atop a grassy hill under a clear blue sky, illuminated by warm late-afternoon sunlight. Trees and rolling green hills surround the crumbling fortress, creating a peaceful countryside landscape.

Talks

Machicolations, Bartizans and Forty Fat Pigs: Medieval Castle Architecture and Siegecraft

Part of Nifties

17 Jun 2026
More

Arts Centre Washington

Marie Curie: The Charity Behind the Daffodil
Black-and-white photograph of physicist and chemist Marie Curie seated beside a laboratory workbench filled with scientific equipment and wires, looking toward the camera with her hand resting on her face. The image has a historic early-20th-century laboratory setting.

Talks

Marie Curie: The Charity Behind the Daffodil

Part of Nifties

15 Jul 2026
More

Arts Centre Washington

Summer Craft & Makers Fair
Free

Special Events

Summer Craft & Makers Fair

18 Jul 2026
More

Arts Centre Washington

Northern Bookshelf Live Readers Day
three head-and-shoulders portraits arranged side-by-side on a yellow background: Left: A person with shoulder-length dark brown hair and bangs, smiling, wearing a textured blue button-up top. Center: A person with short dark hair and a beard, looking directly at the camera, wearing a dark leather-style jacket over a grey-green top. A green bridge structure is visible in the blurred background. Right: A person with short, light-colored hair and glasses, smiling, wearing a light grey blazer over a light blue collared shirt. Green ivy leaves are visible in the background.

Talks

Northern Bookshelf Live Readers Day

Presented by New Writing North and Culture House Sunderland

19 Sep 2026
More

City-wide