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

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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

31 Jan – 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

31 Jan – 26 May 2026
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Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art

Monumental
Free
A hillside photograph taken through a a powerful lightbox to give the impression of moonscape-esque white mottled terrain and an ink black sky.

Exhibitions

Monumental

Showing in the Sunderland Creatives Gallery

31 Jan – 14 Feb 2026
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National Glass Centre

Going Back Brockens: Monuments and Rhetoric After the Miners' Strike
Free
A painting of a large monument silhouette in shadow. The monument is surrounded by bushes and foliage. The sky is a deep blue sky with a hazy sun.

Exhibitions

Going Back Brockens: Monuments and Rhetoric After the Miners' Strike

31 Jan 2026
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Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens

Sleepy Trail
An illustration of a woman with flowing hair sleep on a moon. The sky is deep blue with white twinkling stars.

Children and Young People's Activities

Sleepy Trail

31 Jan 2026

Ages 3+

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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.

31 Jan – 31 Jul 2026
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National Glass Centre

Beauty and the Beast

Theatre and Performance

Beauty and the Beast

31 Jan 2026
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Arts Centre Washington

Tuesday Museum Club: L.S. Lowry
An adult female with long dark brown hair is kneeling on the floor. She is wearing a red cardigan and black dress. Her right hand is outstretched. Her palm open and is holding sweets. A number of small children face her. They are engaged in what's she's saying.

Children and Young People's Activities

Tuesday Museum Club: L.S. Lowry

03 Feb 2026

Ages 5 – 11

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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

UKSPF Funding Supporting Culture Across the City

UKSPF Funding Supporting Culture Across the City

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£500,000 additional funding secured towards Museum redevelopment
A view of Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens as seen from across the lake in Mowbray Park. A pond with ducks and other birds in a park. On the other side of the pond is a modern building with a large glass dome. Tree branches with leaves hang over the top of the image. The sky is blue with white clouds.

£500,000 additional funding secured towards Museum redevelopment

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Help shape the plans for Glassworks: Sunderland

Help shape the plans for Glassworks: Sunderland

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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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