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

Art for Wellbeing
Sunday 10 May 2026, 10.30am – 12.30pm
Suitable for ages 16+ |  Included in general admission | Booking not required

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Date: Thursday 14 May 2026, 10:00 am-12:00 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

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Date: Saturday 16 May 2026, 10:30 am-4:00 pm
Venue: York Castle Museum

Castle Kitchen: Prison Food
Saturday 16 May 2026
Drop in between 10.30am – 4pm
Suitable for all ages | Included in general admission

The museum is housed in a former prison and as well as visiting the recreated cells on your visit you can watch demonstrations of prison food being made. Gruel anyone?!

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Date: Sunday 17 May 2026, 10:00 am-4:00 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

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Date: Sunday 17 May 2026, 10:00 am-5:00 pm
Venue: York Museum Gardens

York Health and Arts Mela: Multi-Cultural South Asian Health Festival
Sunday 17 May 2026  |  10.00am-5.00pm 
York Museum Gardens
Free Entry

The Award Winning York Health & Arts Mela is a free event open to anyone who wants to learn more about NHS services, Voluntary sector services, the Arts and Performing sector, meet new people, enjoy diverse music, arts, crafts and food from a range of different cultures and backgrounds in the heart of York.

The programme includes traditional displays of music/dance performances, with a range of stalls selling traditional food and other stands offering information and advice on services. York Health & Arts Mela is a family event appealing to all ages and ethnicities, with everyone welcome to come and enjoy the event in a relaxed atmosphere.

This event is run by Eimaan Culture and Community Services in partnership with York Museum Trust, Humber and North Yorkshire Care Partnership (ICB), Public Health England (CYC), Nimbuscare.

For more information please see the York Health and Arts Mela website here. 

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Date: Wednesday 20 May 2026, 10:30 am-11:30 am
Venue: York Museum Gardens

Community Birdwatching  

Wednesday 20 May 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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Date: Wednesday 20 May 2026, 1:30 pm-3:30 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

Sketchbook Circle
Wednesday 20 May  2026 | 1:30pm – 3:30pm
Suitable for ages 16+ | £5 per person* | Book Tickets 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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Date: Thursday 21 May 2026, 10:00 am-12:00 pm
Venue: York Art Gallery

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Date: Thursday 21 May 2026, 10:00 am-12:00 pm
Venue:

Schools Roman History Livestream
Thursday 21 May 2026 | 10am – 12 noon
Online (Zoom)
Free, booking essential

New for 2026, join us online for a morning of live, interactive learning sessions all about Roman York. Featuring a range of exciting content from the Yorkshire Museum, York Minster and York Archaeology, your pupils will engage with stories from across York’s Roman past, view unique artefacts and take part in fun activities with your hosts.  

During the livestream, pupils will:

• Go behind-the-scenes at the Yorkshire Museum to find out what life was like in Iron Age Britain and how things changed after the arrival of the Romans in the north of England.
• Join the team from York Archaeology to discover what archaeological evidence was left behind by Roman soldiers in York and what this can tell us about life in the Roman Army.
• Journey beneath York Minster to explore the headquarters of York’s Roman fortress and to examine an amazing Roman wall painting.

Register your interest for our livestream event using the form below. We will send further information at the start of the summer term, including a full schedule, resources pack and an invitation to a test connection session with your hosts in advance.

Secure your place at our Roman History Livestream using our online form.

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Date: Friday 22 May 2026, 1:30 pm-3:30 pm
Venue: Yorkshire Museum

Shakespeare and Rome
Friday 22 May 2026
1:30pm – 1.55pm | 3pm – 3.25pm
Included in general admission to the Yorkshire Museum | Book Tickets
Suitable for all ages

Celebrating York’s Roman history, inspired by Roman objects in the Yorkshire Museum, and performed on the historic mosaic floor, this short play ‘Friends, Romans, Yorkshiremen, Shakespeare, York and Rome’ explores questions of history and memory, and the importance of the seemingly insignificant – through the words of Shakespeare.

Shakespeare wrote four Roman plays and a long poem, all set in and around Rome, and the Roman empire. He also leant liberally on Roman writers such as Ovid and Plautus for context and comedy. During his education, he learnt about the recorded history of Roman rulers and leaders, and their battles, exploring questions of personal dilemma and individual responsibility.

‘Shakespeare and Rome’ is a collaborative project between York Museums Trust and York International Shakespeare Festival.

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