Art & Theatre / Events in Norfolk and Suffolk / exhibitions / Tourist Attractions Norfolk and Suffolk January 22, 2009
a bigger and better First Sunday for families
The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts launches its spring events season on Sunday 1 February with a ‘new look’ First Sunday for families.
Owing to the popularity of the monthly family events, the Centre has introduced storytelling in the permanent collections and created more opportunities to enjoy fun activities with their artists. Next Sunday the theme for the event is Cool Kites.
The day has a Chinese theme, kicking-off the start of the Chinese New Year (Year of the Ox starts 26 January), and begins a season of events to accompany the Sainsbury Centre’s major new spring exhibition, China China China!!! (opens on Tuesday 10 February).
First Sunday workshop fun – Photo: Andi Sapey
“Families love our First Sundays so we’re making them bigger and better! We offer live music in the gallery café, drop-in art activities in the gallery and creative workshops in our studio with one of artists. This season we’re adding storytelling in our collections and an extra workshop each month so that nobody is disappointed. We don’t take advance bookings as we’re keen for the events to suit family life and to be accessible to as many people as possible”
– Emily Ward, Education and Events Officer.
First Sundays begin at midday with live music in the gallery café. In February the outstanding guitarist, Andy Kirkham, will be performing. There will be Sunday papers for parents and free drop-in art activities in the gallery for children. During the afternoon there will also be two free storytelling sessions in the collections with the Centre’s superb guides; 2pm – 2.30pm (for 0 – 5 years) and 3pm – 3.30pm (for 6 – 12 years).
Children taking part in the Cool Kites workshop, led by artist Annabel Barber, will have chance to make their own kite which they can take home and fly. Kites were invented by the Chinese 2,800 years ago, linking the workshop to the Chinese exhibition and accompany events programme at the Centre this season.
Next month will be Cosmic Lanterns! when children will have the chance to make glow-in the dark lanterns inspired by traditional Chinese designs. Workshops run at 2pm, 3pm and 4pm and are suitable for children from about 4 to 11 years. They are £3 per child (accompanying adults free). Places are on a first-come, first-served basis and cannot be pre-booked.
China China China!!! opens on Tuesday 10 February and runs until Sunday 3 May. The exhibition features the work of 18 contemporary Chinese artists and is curated by 3 curators from cutting-edge independent galleries in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. On display will be spectacular sculpture, painting, photography, new media and film. A highlight of the show will be Wang Yuyang‘s gigantic 4-metre Artificial Moon which will dominate the Upper Gallery, illuminating it with a thousand low-energy bulbs.
