Families can enjoy painting, printing, sculpting and free creative activities at Victoria Art Gallery throughout the summer holidays.
Bath & North East Somerset Council has put together a programme designed to keep young minds busy while helping families spend quality time together through art, play and shared cultural experiences.
Activities range from affordable Mini Makers workshops to free drop-in sessions, family trails and creative play in the gallery’s free Upper Gallery.
Mini Makers workshops
Children aged under 11 can experiment with different materials and techniques during the gallery’s Mini Makers sessions.
Held in The Modelling Room, Victoria Art Gallery’s dedicated learning and engagement space, the hands-on workshops give children the opportunity to make artworks they can take home.
The summer programme includes:
23 July: Cool Printmaking
Experiment with textures, patterns and mark-making to produce prints inspired by artist Norman Ackroyd.
29–31 July: Colourful Watercolours
Create vibrant landscapes using watercolours and watercolour pencils.
5–7 August: Forest Mini-Beast Play with Clay
Sculpt bugs, beasts and woodland creatures using air-dry clay.
12–14 August: Unique Prints
Design and print personalised cards to take home.
19–21 August: 3D Landscapes
Build a miniature framed world filled with forest or sea creatures.
Sessions run from 10.30am–12.30pm and cost £5 for each participating child.
Free family activities
Families can also take part in free Create and Colour drop-in sessions during the school holidays.
Children can explore different art materials and create their own work in a relaxed setting, with themes including landscapes, seascapes, rainbow skies, bookmarks and pop-up creations.
Sessions take place from 2pm–3pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Booking is not required and all materials are provided.
Explore art through play
The free-to-visit Upper Gallery includes an Art Explorers family area where children can enjoy art explorer baskets, dressing-up costumes, colouring activities, creative toys and family trails.
Young visitors can explore the gallery’s collection at their own pace, with volunteers available to answer questions and provide stickers for budding art lovers.
Discover light and landscape
Families can also visit Norman Ackroyd: The Transience of Light, an exhibition celebrating one of Britain’s most acclaimed printmakers.
Ackroyd’s atmospheric etchings depict dramatic coastlines, changing skies and remote landscapes from around the UK.
Dedicated family trails will help younger visitors explore the exhibition, while a specially designed sailing boat activity area inspired by Ackroyd’s seascapes gives children another opportunity to create their own artwork.
With free activities, affordable workshops and plenty of opportunities to explore together, Victoria Art Gallery is offering families a creative day out in the centre of Bath this summer.
For more information and to book activities, visit victoriagal.org.uk.
