firstsite
Lewis Gardens
High Street
Colchester
Essex
CO1 1JH
England
Website
Telephone
01206 577067
Fax
+44 (0)1206 577 067
firstsite is a visual arts organisation based in Colchester, Essex. Our mission is to make contemporary art relevant to everyone.
What we do
Our integrated programme of work includes projects, exhibitions and publications by established and emerging artists, as well as extensive learning opportunities and artists’ support initiatives.
Over the last fifteen years firstsite has gained a strong reputation by presenting ambitious work to new audiences in the East of England and beyond.
Firstsite’s new building was designed by the Uruguayan architect Rafael Viñoly. His design was selected by a worldwide architectural competition that attracted more than 100 entries.
The crescent shape was created to wrap around the existing D-shaped garden of East Hill House, leaving intact the established arc of mature trees.
Its low-lying, single-storey design nestles in the landscape, with minimum disruption to Colchester’s historic roofscape.
Venue Type:
Gallery
Edward Bawden: Essex Watercolours
firstsite presents a small survey of watercolours by the Essex-based painter and graphic artist, Edward Bawden.
Born in Braintree in 1903, Bawden was one of the most influential British graphic artists of the 20th century. He was a central figure within a community of artists at Great Bardfield, where he lived from 1932 until he moved to Saffron Walden in 1970.
Although he was best known for his prints and commercial illustration work, Bawden painted watercolours throughout his life, studying the details of his immediate surroundings. The paintings in this exhibition depict images of Essex, from scenes of his garden to village churches and farm buildings.
Edward Bawden (b. Braintree, 1903; d. Saffron Walden, 1989) studied at Cambridge School of Art (1919–21) and the Royal College of Art, London (1922–25). As a commercial artist in the 1920s and 30s, he produced designs for companies including London Transport, Twinings Teas and Fortnum & Mason. From 1940 to 1944, he served as an Official War Artist and was awarded a CBE in 1946. He designed a number of murals for buildings including Morley College, London (1928 and 1958), and the Lion and the Unicorn Pavilion for the Festival of Britain (1951). He was awarded Honorary Doctorates from the Royal College of Art (1970) and University of Essex (1974), and was celebrated during his lifetime in exhibitions at the Fine Art Society (1978) and the Victoria and Albert Museum (1988).
Suitable for
- Any age
Admission
Free entry
Website
http://www.firstsite.uk.net/page/edward-bawden-essex-watercolours
Sophie von Hellermann: Elephant in the Room
firstsite presents a major exhibition of new paintings by the German-born, London-based artist Sophie von Hellermann.
Von Hellermann’s large-scale, narrative paintings have been described as a ‘meltdown of images from books, films, art history, the media and her own life’. Using rapid, broad brushstrokes to apply pure pigment to her canvases, her works have a hazy, dream-like quality.
Elephant in the Room features new large-scale canvases and two three-dimensional painted works, including a 7.5-metre high ‘bonfire’ inspired by the witch trials that took place in Essex during the English Civil War.
A new publication on von Hellermann’s work will be launched during the exhibition. The book includes full-colour illustrations, a newly commissioned essay, and an extended interview between the artist and Oscar Humphries, editor of Apollo magazine.
Sophie von Hellermann (b. Munich, 1975) studied painting at the Kunstakademie, Dusseldorf and the Royal College of Art, London. She has held solo exhibitions at Museum Dhondt-Daenens (MMD), Deurle (2010); Le Consortium, Dijon (with Josh Smith, 2009); Neuer Aachener Kunstverein, Aachen (2006); Chisenhale Gallery, London (2006); and Kunstverein Konstanz (2003). Her work has been included in major survey exhibitions such as Watercolour at Tate Britain (2011). She lives and works in London and Margate.
Suitable for
- Any age
Admission
Free entry
Website
http://www.firstsite.uk.net/page/sophie-von-hellermann-elephant-in-the-room
Jim Ede Collection exhibition
In 1964, the curator Jim Ede donated a number of art works to the newly established University of Essex, including works by Alfred Wallis, Christopher Wood, Ben Nicholson and Henri Gaudier-Brzeska. Ede had been collecting the work of British-based artists for some time, creating an extraordinary collection that was to become Kettle's Yard, Cambridge. He described it as a 'living place' where art could be enjoyed in a domestic setting unhampered by the austerity of the gallery or museum. As new universities were built in the 1960s, full of post-war vision and idealism, Ede declared that there 'should be a Kettle's Yard in every university'.
For this exhibition we show a selection of artworks that illustrate the breadth of Jim Ede's collection, while a series of talks expand on themes raised.
Suitable for
- Any age
Admission
Free entry
Website
Dollop: Sensory Play for Under Twos
Weekly sessions of creative fun for children and their parents/carers. Experiment each week with a different set of materials inviting intriguing sensory activities. With Associate Artist Jacqueline Davies.
Suitable for
- Especially for children
- 0-4
When
10-11am
Admission
£4.00 per child per session (adult included). To guarantee a place, book now, or simply drop in. £2.00 for addtional children. To book call 01206 577 067 or visit our website.
Website
http://www.firstsite.uk.net/page/dollop-sensory-play-for-under-2s
Art Creators
Join our artists to create astounding artworks in only 3 days. The results will be exhibited at the end of the course for friends and family to come along and see.
Suitable for
- 7-10
- Especially for children
Admission
£25 for 5 weeks, booking essential.
Website
Art Makers
Taking inspiration from our current exhibition this season will offer storyboarding, prop making, scenery, soundtracks and costume. With one of firstsite's artists.
Suitable for
- 5-6
- 7-10
Admission
£25 for 5 weeks, booking essential. To book call 01206 577 067 or visit our website.
Website
Moving from Drawing to Painting with Simon Carter
Essex-based artist Simon Carter will lead two consecutive five-week courses. Simon uses drawing as a way into his paintings. This is a brilliant opportunity to work with a well-known and respected artist and to explore drawing with paint.
Suitable for
- 18+
- 16-17
Admission
£50 for five weeks or £90 for ten weeks, all materials included, booking essential
Modern-Day 'Witches' in the Western World from Neo-Pagans to Harry Potter
What is a 'witch'? An old woman with a black cat on a broomstick, a modern-day practitioner of paganism or a fictional character such as Hermione Granger? This lecture series explores answers to this question from an historical perspective, beginning with the persecution of alleged witches in Europe from the 15th to the 18th century, and moving on to so-called 'witches' in modern society.
In western Europe and the US, twenty-first century witchcraft has been relegated to the pages of children's literature - think of Meg and Mog, Winnie the Witch and, or course, the Harry Potter phenomenon. Many children dress up as witches for Halloween for fancy-dress parties without a second thought. However, there has been a significant growth in the phenomenon of modern-day witchcraft with a large minority of people nowadays defining themselves as 'witches', Wiccans or neo-pagans.
This lecture explores the fictional witch and the development of Wiccanism since the 1950s, and includes a round-table discussion with modern-day neo-pagans.
Suitable for
- 16-17
- 18+
When
7-8:30pm
Admission
£5; £3 concessions, firstsite members free
Jim Ede Collection: Curator's Tour
Tour led by Jess Kenny and Priscilla Buschinelli of Art Exchange at the University of Essex.
Suitable for
- 18+
- 16-17
When
2-3pm
Admission
Free, just drop-in
Website
Witch-Hunts: from McCarthyism to the Case of Kristy Bamu
What is a 'witch'? An old woman with a black cat on a broomstick, a modern-day practitioner of paganism or a fictional character such as Hermione Granger? This lecture series explores answers to this question from an historical perspective, beginning with the persecution of alleged witches in Europe from the 15th to the 18th century, and moving on to so-called 'witches' in modern society.
Witch-hunts still happen, although in the western world we now define a 'witch-hunt' as the unfair, irrational victimisation of an individual or group, usually because of their political views. In other parts of the world, however, such as sub-Saharan Africa, belief in witchcraft and violence suffered by alleged 'witches' is still all too real; modern-day witch-persecution, which has resulted in the displacements and deaths of thousands of people, forms the final part of the history of the 'witch' in a post-colonial context.
Suitable for
- 16-17
- 18+
When
7-8:30pm
Admission
£5; £3 concessions, free to members
Contemporary Dance for Adults
Lucy Teed will lead a dance session including a variety of set movement phrases and creative explorations. Her material is influenced by her training in release technique, yoga, improvisation. The session will include some contact partnering work. No experience required; suitable for anyone who enjoys movement and creativity. We will be dancing in bare feet; please wear comfortable clothing and bring water.
Suitable for
- 16-17
- 18+
Admission
£30 for 5 weeks or £7 per session
Dinky Disco
2 – 3pm, Learning spaces.
Bring all the family with under 3s to Dinky Disco, here at firstsite.
For children under 3 years
Suitable for
- Especially for children
- 0-4
When
2-3pm
Admission
£3.50 per child
£1.50 per adult
Booking essential
Website
- About
- | Collections
- | Exhibitions
- | Events
- | Map
