Latest Visitor Information:

No Hot Glass Demos on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 December.

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See & Do

Exhibitions

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Veterans into Clay Sunderland
Free
A red brown ceramic pot. The lid, which is the same colour, is being lifted off by a white hand

Exhibitions

Veterans into Clay Sunderland

Showing in National Glass Centre Learning Gallery

22 Dec 2024 – 31 Jan 2025
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National Glass Centre

Re-imag(in)ing WORK: Photographs from the IPRN Changing Faces Collection
Free
An abstract forest scene with four pictured in green boiler suits. One man, situated to the left of the picture sits on the woodland floor looking up. The other three men push against a giant pine trunk. In the distance is a red coloured water slide and a pine lodge. The sky is extremely misty.

Exhibitions

Re-imag(in)ing WORK: Photographs from the IPRN Changing Faces Collection

Showing in Sunderland Creatives Gallery

22 Dec 2024 – 30 Mar 2025
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National Glass Centre

Menagerie
Free
A grey ceramic elephant stands against a gradient grey background. The elephants head is facing left.

Exhibitions

Menagerie

Showing in the National Glass Centre Gallery

22 Dec 2024 – 31 May 2025
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National Glass Centre

Glass Zoo
Free
A gold bird shaped artwork with a clear glass head.

Exhibitions

Glass Zoo

Showing in the Balcony Gallery

22 Dec 2024 – 01 Jun 2025
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National Glass Centre

Inga Hamilton: The Things That Nonhuman Animals Make
Free
A ring made of brown glass

Exhibitions

Inga Hamilton: The Things That Nonhuman Animals Make

Showing in the Research Gallery

22 Dec 2024 – 09 Mar 2025
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National Glass Centre

Children & Young People’s Activities

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Children's Activity Trails for Winter 2024
Free
Two children walking on the balcony of an art gallery. The boy has short hair and is wearing a red t-shirt. The girl is shorter than the boy. She has long hair. Both children are wearing backpacks.

Children and Young People's Activities

Children's Activity Trails for Winter 2024

22 Dec 2024 – 31 Jan 2025

Ages 3+

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National Glass Centre

Reindeer Alert Light
Two glass crafted into Christmas lights. The first light has a night time scene with blue dark sky and a sleigh, the second has a green Christmas tree and red and yellow baubles.

Children and Young People's Activities

Reindeer Alert Light

23 Dec 2024

4+

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National Glass Centre

Animal Glass Painting
2 smiling girls crafting at National Glass Centre. Both girls have long hair and are sitting at a desk. The girl on the left is wearing a stripey t-shirt. The girl on the right also has a striped shirt on, she also has large yellow flowers sewn onto the top.

Children and Young People's Activities

Animal Glass Painting

03 Jan 2025

4+

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National Glass Centre

Animal Fusing
Limited Availability
Two glass fused birds decorated with coloured squares of glass

Children and Young People's Activities

Animal Fusing

04 Jan 2025

Age 6+

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National Glass Centre

Glass Fused Animals
Two children taking part in crafting activities under the supervision of a woman in a blue top.

Children and Young People's Activities

Glass Fused Animals

24 Feb – 23 Apr 2025

5+

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National Glass Centre

Animal Sandcasting
A fused glass hedgehog

Children and Young People's Activities

Animal Sandcasting

25 Feb – 22 Apr 2025
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National Glass Centre

Adult workshops & Activities

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Make your own Christmas Bauble
Sold Out
A red mottled glass Christmas bauble hangs on a tree, attached with a red ribbon. The tree has small white globe shaped lights on every branch.

Adult Workshops and Activities

Make your own Christmas Bauble

22 Dec 2024

Age 12+

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National Glass Centre

Stained Glass for Beginners
Sold Out
A rectangle section of stained glass with blue and white glass, inside a dark grey lead frame.

Adult Workshops and Activities

Stained Glass for Beginners

05 Jan – 13 Apr 2025

16+

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National Glass Centre

5 Week Kiln Formed Glass Course
A series of decorated glass tiles. The designs are from left to right; a sunflower, five brown fish swimming in a sky blue sea, a dog, a butterfly, an orange cat, seven green rectangles, and a navy blue and pink fish swimming between sea plants.

Adult Workshops and Activities

5 Week Kiln Formed Glass Course

5 week course running on Thursdays

09 Jan – 27 Mar 2025

16+

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National Glass Centre

5 Week Glass Tableware Club
Glass artifacts - a bowl with two tone blue patternation, a plate with green and yellow colours, and a selection of glass pictures - are placed on a grey surface.

Adult Workshops and Activities

5 Week Glass Tableware Club

5 week course

11 Jan – 29 Mar 2025

16+

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National Glass Centre

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

18 Jan – 12 Apr 2025

16+

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National Glass Centre

Chainmaille Bracelet Making
Limited Availability
A chunky metal chainmaille bracelet with silvers, golds and blue

Adult Workshops and Activities

Chainmaille Bracelet Making

18 Jan – 01 Mar 2025

16+

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National Glass Centre

Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art

Find out more about Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art
The Skin We Live In: Portraits from the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art Collection
Free
A barrel of a cannon points from left to right. The whole cannon has been covered in a shiny pink cloth. A female, also dressed completely in pink, bends at a right angle and sticks her head into the cannon. The cannon and the female are standing on very dry grass.

Exhibitions

The Skin We Live In: Portraits from the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art Collection

22 Dec 2024 – 02 Mar 2025
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Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art

Harry Griffin: My name is Harry, these are my pictures and they are nice
Free
The comedian Joe Lycett stands in front of a theatre dressing room mirror. There are lights around the mirror. He is reflected reading a prompt card. He is using is mobile phone. Tour manager and photogrtapger Harry Griffin sits at the back of the room taking a photograph of Joe. Coats and clothing are hung up at the back of the room

Exhibitions

Harry Griffin: My name is Harry, these are my pictures and they are nice

Showing in Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art Collection Space & Pop Recs Ltd.

22 Dec 2024 – 02 Mar 2025
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Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art

Kate Henderson: Each Deep Breath
Free
Abstract monochrome images of sections of a face intertwined with a butterfly.

Exhibitions

Kate Henderson: Each Deep Breath

Showing on National Glass Centre Riverside entrance screen.

22 Dec 2024 – 12 Jan 2025
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Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art

Hetain Patel: Come As You Really Are
Free
A colourful abstract mosaic of red, salmon pink, yellow and orange

Exhibitions

Hetain Patel: Come As You Really Are

Main Gallery

22 Mar – 06 Jul 2025
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Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art

Daily glass making demonstrations

Experience the heat of our 1000-degree furnace and watch our expert glassmaking team craft works of art right before your eyes.

Glass making – 12:00, 13:45, 15:00 daily*

Flameworking – 11:00, 15:45. Not available on Tuesday or Sunday.

*Check out website alerts for schedule changes before visiting.

Special Events

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More events coming, please check back soon.