Important Visitor Notice

Glass Yard Café – Due to a problem with our gas supply, we are unable to serve Special of the day, Kids meals, chips or sweet fries.  We are working to resolve the problem and will update as soon as possible. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

National Glass Centre is closed on Sundays. Read the full statement from University of Sunderland: University of Sunderland Statement

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See & Do

Exhibitions

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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

30 Apr – 31 May 2025
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National Glass Centre

Three Artists: Zac Weinberg, Joanna Manousis, and Anthony Amoako-Attah
Free
Three images split across a rectangle. Image one (left side) shows four glass tubes with african inspired patterns. At the top of each tube is a circular shape which is also patterned. The centre image show a green tinted glass object with a large light bulb fixed to the top, the right hand image shows rows of industrial glass and metal bulbs.

Exhibitions

Three Artists: Zac Weinberg, Joanna Manousis, and Anthony Amoako-Attah

Showing in the National Glass Centre Gallery

28 Jun 2025 – 10 Jan 2026
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National Glass Centre

Artist Designer Maker: Glass and Ceramics BA (Hons)
Free
A free standing glass bracket holds various shaped glass vials. The vials contain fungus.

Exhibitions

Artist Designer Maker: Glass and Ceramics BA (Hons)

Showing in the National Glass Centre Gallery

07 – 14 Jun 2025
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National Glass Centre

Nature’s Tangled Web
Free
A square split into 49 smaller coloured squares. Each has a white letter. the rows spell out birds names.

Exhibitions

Nature’s Tangled Web

Showing in Sunderland Creatives Gallery

10 May – 13 Sep 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

30 Apr – 01 Jun 2025
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National Glass Centre

Anne Vibeke Mou: Revolutions Per Minute
Free
A disintegrating vinyl record displayed as a negative with the addition of sections of sand

Exhibitions

Anne Vibeke Mou: Revolutions Per Minute

Showing in the National Glass Centre Research Gallery

30 Apr – 14 Jun 2025
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National Glass Centre

Children & Young People’s Activities

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Glass Painting
A child sits at a desk covered in newspaper. On top of the newspaper is a rectangular piece of glass. The child is painting red a and yellow onto the glass to make a picture.

Children and Young People's Activities

Glass Painting

26 May – 29 Aug 2025

Ages 4+

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National Glass Centre

Clay Tiles
Close up of hands of a girl using a rolling pin on clay

Children and Young People's Activities

Clay Tiles

27 May 2025

Ages 4+

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National Glass Centre

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

28 May – 26 Aug 2025

Ages 6+

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National Glass Centre

T-Shirt Printing
A young boy with blonde hair wearing a a red t-shirt looks at a desk with a piece of paper. He is drawing. He looks engaged in what he is doing.

Children and Young People's Activities

T-Shirt Printing

29 May 2025

Ages 4+

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National Glass Centre

Ceramic Coiled Pots
Childrens hands making clay pots

Children and Young People's Activities

Ceramic Coiled Pots

28 Jul – 25 Aug 2025

Ages 6+

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National Glass Centre

Printing, Pattern and Textiles
Four young girls in

Children and Young People's Activities

Printing, Pattern and Textiles

31 Jul – 29 Aug 2025

Ages 6+

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National Glass Centre

Adult workshops & Activities

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Five 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

Five Week Kiln Formed Glass Course

5 week course running on Thursdays

01 May – 28 Aug 2025

16+

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National Glass Centre

One Day Introduction to Ceramics: Handbuilding Technique
A hand pushes down on a piece of modelling clay

Adult Workshops and Activities

One Day Introduction to Ceramics: Handbuilding Technique

03 May – 30 Aug 2025

16+

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National Glass Centre

Stained Glass and Copper Foil Botanicals
Three stained glass flowers, with brightly coloured petals, sit in orange ceramic pots

Adult Workshops and Activities

Stained Glass and Copper Foil Botanicals

03 May – 16 Aug 2025

16+

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National Glass Centre

Intermediate Stained Glass
A stained glass mosaic made up of orange, red and blue glass

Adult Workshops and Activities

Intermediate Stained Glass

03 – 10 May 2025

16+

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National Glass Centre

Five 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

Five Week Glass Tableware Club

03 May – 30 Aug 2025

16+

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National Glass Centre

Flameworked Marbles
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

09 May – 26 Sep 2025

16+

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National Glass Centre

Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art

Find out more about 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

Showing in the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art Main Gallery

30 Apr – 05 Jul 2025
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Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art

The Caravan Gallery: Sunderland Pride of Place Project - Ten Years On
Free
A social club on a street. Between the upstairs and downstairs windows there is a large sign. The sign has the words The Cavern written on it. Behind the social club is a block of flats. The sky is blue.

Exhibitions

The Caravan Gallery: Sunderland Pride of Place Project - Ten Years On

Showing in Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art Collection Space

30 Apr – 10 May 2025
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Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art

University of Sunderland Fine Art Exhibition Presented in SketchUp
Free
A digitally created surreal image shows a large boat sitting inside an art gallery. The boat is deep grey with black lines showing the skeleton structure of the boat. In the background are repeated colour images of buttocks being kicked by a boot.

Exhibitions

University of Sunderland Fine Art Exhibition Presented in SketchUp

Showing on National Glass Centre Ground Floor Screen

30 Apr – 02 Jun 2025
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Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art

NHS Darkroom with Johannah Churchill: Come As You Really Are
Free
A split image. The left hand image shows a female with eyes closed. She may be blind. She is dressed in a sky blue NHS nurses work shirt. The right hand image shows an operating theatre. There are two surgeons dressed in scrubs working an operation. This image is in black and white.

Exhibitions

NHS Darkroom with Johannah Churchill: Come As You Really Are

Showing in Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art Collection Space

17 May – 05 Jul 2025
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Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art

Ro Robertson: The Ribs Begin To Rise
Free
An abstract painting featuring violent different sized brush strokes and blue, green, cream, and grey paint with thinner black strokes.

Exhibitions

Ro Robertson: The Ribs Begin To Rise

Showing in Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art Main Gallery

26 Jul 2025 – 10 Jan 2026
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Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art

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 Monday – Saturday*

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

*We would recommend checking website alerts for schedule changes before visiting.

Special Events

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Hot Glass Studio Summer Sale
Free
Beautiful glass ornaments and glasses. The ornaments are decorated with mottled patterns of blue, yellow, and white.

Special Events

Hot Glass Studio Summer Sale

National Glass Centre Shop

23 – 25 Aug 2025
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National Glass Centre

Craft Fair - Winter 2025
Free
A stall holder smiles at a visitor. The visitor is dressed in warm clothes, looking at various crafted objects at National Glass Centre's Craft Fair.

Special Events

Craft Fair - Winter 2025

22 Nov 2025
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National Glass Centre