The annual fun day, in association with the Evening News, is free admission and will include live performances, creative activities and games for everyone to enjoy. This year the theme is Look at Me! linking to the Centre’s summer exhibition Take a Look at Me Now. The fun day will take place on the lawns outside the Sainsbury Centre from midday until 4pm.

“The family fun day is major a highlight in our events programme. We are delighted to be able to offer the event for free and hope that it will encourage people who haven’t visited before to come and see what we have to offer. It promises to be lots of fun so why not join us?”
– Nik Khandpur, Head of Public Services at the Sainsbury Centre.

There will be exciting creative activities to get involved in and plenty of chance to ‘show off’ with activities on the Look at Me! theme. Workshops will include making paper clothes, led by Sainsbury Centre artist Sarah Florence-Nash, and percussion with Community Music East. There will also be chance to have a go at circus skills such as Diablo and stilt walking with Stevie Spud, try your hand at making badges and have your face painted with a fantastic design.

Throughout the afternoon there will be live performances from the Scat Pack band. Their 1930s ‘good time gypsy swing’ style will get everyone’s toes tapping and will be perfect for an afternoon dance on the lawns. The band’s library is packed with well-known jazz numbers such as All of Me and Mack the Knife and even the family favourite I Want a Be Like You from Disney’s film Jungle Book.

Everyone is welcome to bring a picnic, or treat themselves to an ice-cream or something from the BBQ. The Sainsbury Centre Café will also be open serving a range of drinks and light lunches.

In addition to the activities outside the Garden Restaurant, guides will be offering afternoon tours of the gallery’s permanent collection. Children can to use the Centre’s special Gallery Explorer maps with lots of things to ‘find and do’ to discover the galleries and the fantastic collection of modern European and world art.

During the Fun Day, there will also be free admission to the Sainsbury Centre’s two current special exhibitions (usual price £4, concessions £1, family price £8, concessions £6): Take a Look at Me Now and An Impossible Journey: The Art and Theatre of Tadeusz Kantor. The exhibitions form part of two UK cultural celebrations, POLSKA! Year and Contemporary Art Norwich (CAN 09).

A photography competition is being run by the Evening News in conjunction with the Sainsbury Centre with the theme of ‘Acting Up’. All entries will be on display in the Sainsbury Centre Garden Restaurant during the Fun Day, when the winners will be chosen and announced. The competition will be judged by Nichola Johnson, Director of the Sainsbury Centre, and an expert photographer from the Evening News. Winners will receive a digital camera.

Event detail is subject to the weather.
The event will take place inside the Sainsbury Centre if it is raining.