Skip to main content

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

See full listings

View all events

Bright Lights Youth Arts Festival

21 – 28 February

A week long celebration of young people’s creativity featuring free workshops and special events taking place across Sunderland.

View all events

See & Do

View all
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

Washington Writers

Adult Workshops and Activities

Washington Writers

Fridays (Fortnightly), 12pm-2pm
More

Arts Centre Washington

Creative Age

Adult Workshops and Activities

Creative Age

Fridays, 1pm-3pm
More

Arts Centre Washington

First Friday Folk
Free

Music

First Friday Folk

First Friday of the month, 1pm-4pm
More

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

06 Feb – 26 May 2026
More

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

06 Feb – 26 May 2026
More

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

06 – 14 Feb 2026
More

National Glass Centre

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.

06 Feb – 31 Jul 2026
More

National Glass Centre

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

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

Find out more

Culture Start

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

Find out more

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 Launches New Volunteer Programme
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.

Sunderland Culture Launches New Volunteer Programme

Read more
UKSPF Funding Supporting Culture Across the City

UKSPF Funding Supporting Culture Across the City

Read more
£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

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.

Select an amount to donate (one-off)