Events

Art for Wellbeing – Sun 8 Feb 2026

Date: Sunday 8 February 2026, 10:30 am-12:30 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

Art for Wellbeing
Sunday 8 February 2026, 10.30am – 12.30pm
Suitable for ages 16+ | Included in general admission | Booking not required

Art activities to release your creative energy!

Set in the beautiful surroundings of York Art Gallery’s Studio space, this 2-hour workshop gives opportunity for discovery and time to explore a variety of art materials and inspiring themes designed to promote wellbeing.

Enjoy the company of others, creating art with gentle guidance from artist Griselda Goldsbrough.

Please note: This practical art workshop is for ages 16+ and runs one Sunday each month. There is no need to pre-book for this session and it is suitable for all abilities.

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Community Birdwatching – Wed 11 Feb 2026

Date: Wednesday 11 February 2026, 10:30 am-11:30 am
Venue: York Museum Gardens

Community Birdwatching

Wednesday 11 February 2026 | 10:30-11:30 | Free

Join our Gardens Duty Manager Isabelle for a community bird watch, and spot some of the various bird species in the gardens

Suitable for all ages, no pre booking required.

Please meet at the bird feeding station next to the rock garden.

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Sketchbook Circle at York Art Gallery – Wed 11 Feb 2026

Date: Wednesday 11 February 2026, 1:30 pm-3:30 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

Sketchbook Circle
Wednesday 11 February 2026 | 1:30pm – 3:30pm
Suitable for ages 16+ | £5 per person* | Book here
*General admission to York Art Gallery is included.

Pick up a pencil – draw and discover!

Give yourself time to sharpen and share your drawing skills in this 2-hour sketching workshop with artist Griselda Goldsbrough.

Enjoy working in sketchbooks in a relaxed and friendly group, taking inspiration from the collections at York Art Gallery.

These informal practical art sessions run one Wednesday each month for beginners or those who create regularly. Suitable for ages 16+. Materials are provided. Please book separately for each session.

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Gallery Babies – Thu 12 Feb 2026

Date: Thursday 12 February 2026, 10:00 am-12:00 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

Gallery Babies

Thursday 12 February 2026, 10am – 12 noon

Free | Pre-booking required | Sold out

Burton Gallery

Drop-in sensory play sessions every Thursday during term-time, for pre-walking babies and their grown-ups, set in the atmospheric surroundings of York Art Gallery.

Using our beautiful sensory toolkit, a collection of colourful squishy sculptural objects, sessions will be gently facilitated, exploring shape, colour and texture.

Gallery Babies is a welcoming and supportive space to relax, bond with your baby and meet other parents and carers, providing a bit of calm and care to your daily routine.

The session starts at 10am and finishes at 12pm, but you can drop in and out at any time. Even after the session has finished, our sensory toolkit will remain on gallery for you to continue to explore with your baby.

These sessions are designed for pre-walking babies, however we understand that you may have your hands full with more than one child! If that’s the case the Studio will be open and can be used as a space to play, read and eat much needed snacks outside of the galleries if needed. Buggy parking and baby changing facilities available.

We are also offering a special offer in Sketch café for anybody attending a session: Hot drink and cake £7.00 and lunch and drink £15.00.

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Castle Kitchen: Coaching Inn Food – Sat 14 Feb 2026

Date: Saturday 14 February 2026, 10:30 am-4:00 pm
Venue: York Castle Museum

Castle Kitchen: Coaching Inn Food

Saturday 14 February 2026

10.30am – 4.00pm

Drop-in

Included in general admission

Inspired by our new experience set in a Victorian coaching inn, The Last Stop Before Kirkgate, drop in to the Castle Kitchen to see and sample what type of foods would be available to weary travellers in the 19th century, from classic soup dishes to lemon blancmange and spotted dick pudding.

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Meet me at the Yorkshire Museum: Viking Winter Camp – Sat 14 Feb 2026

Date: Saturday 14 February 2026, 11:00 am-4:00 pm
Venue: Yorkshire Museum

Meet me at the Yorkshire Museum: Viking Winter Camp

Saturday 14 February, Tuesday 17 February and Friday 20 February 2026

11.00am – 4pm

Suitable for all ages | Drop-in, included in general admission

Join History Riot for an interactive storytelling experience, inspired by Viking North and the Jorvik Viking Festival in York.

You’ll meet characters from the Viking winter camp and discover highlights of the exhibition through stories, music, games and laughter.

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Life Drawing – Model as Muse – Sat 14 Feb 2026

Date: Saturday 14 February 2026, 2:00 pm-4:00 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

Life Drawing – Model as Muse
Saturday 14 February 2026, 2pm – 4pm
Adult only (18+) | £15 per person* | Book Here

*General admission to York Art Gallery is included.

Join us at York Art Gallery for Life Drawing Workshops; whether you are a regular participant, would like to hone your skills, or try life drawing for the first time. These 2-hour immersive Saturday sessions, led by York based artist and tutor Rob Oldfield, are a wonderful way to experience life drawing in a supportive and friendly environment.

Rob himself has modelled for life classes for many years, as well as teaching life drawing to his students. As workshop leader, Rob encourages, advises and listens, so come along and take advantage of his skills and experience.

Each month alongside our live model muse, there will be an appropriate reproduction of a work specially selected from the Art Gallery collection which we will reference to potentially inspire our activity.

Life Drawing Workshops take place on the second Saturday of each month, tickets will become available approximately a month in advance.

Important information:

Our Life Drawing sessions are suitable for adults only. By booking, you are confirming that you are over 18. Proof of age may be required.

Basic drawing materials will be supplied, but please feel free to bring your own too.

If you’re more than 15 minutes late for your workshop, unfortunately we may not be able to guarantee entry. This is to ensure that participants have the best experience.

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Creative Families – Sun 15 Feb 2026

Date: Sunday 15 February 2026, 10:30 am-3:30 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

Creative Families

Sunday 15 February 2026

10.30am – 3.30pm

Suitable for all ages | Drop-in, included in general admission

Join us this February half term for an artist-led creative workshop exploring our exhibition, Harold Gosney: Materials and Making. Experiment with 2D and 3D forms to create horse sculptures inspired by Gosney’s work.

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Sunday Sounds – Sun 15 Feb 2026

Dates: Sunday 15 February 2026–Monday 23 February 2026, 10:30 am-4:00 pm
Venue: York Castle Museum

Sunday Sounds

Sunday 15 February 2026

Performance times: 10.30am, 12.30pm, 3pm and 4pm

Drop-in, included in general admission

Enjoy live performances of songs inspired by travelling and changes of transport through time as you explore Kirkgate. This upbeat duo will have your toes tapping before you know it!

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