There is no better way to enjoy your favourite books than outdoors, whether you're gardening, boating or exploring faraway places! Come and have your best pick from the BIG Summer Booksale, where you'll find a wide selection of books at great prices, starting from just 50p.
**EARLY BIRD OFFER** Just £6 a ticket and £25 for Groups of 5+ when purchased before Fri 30 May Back by popular demand and it’s even bigger! Player One: Ready? Player Two: Ready? Then prepare to level up your nostalgia as GamesWorld spawns in to Royal & Derngate for seven days of interactive video gaming mayhem. With 100 consoles and a high-score-worthy selection of games spanning the last 50 years – from Atari to Xbox, Sega to PlayStation and Virtual Reality experiences, there is something for every kind of gamer. Whether you’re an old-school joystick warrior or a competitive button-masher, challenge your friends and family in multiplayer battles, rediscover your childhood favorites, and press X to relive gaming history. Book your start time and stay to play all day! Slots run from 10am with last admittance at 3.30pm. Event closes at 5pm. All Child Under 16 ticketholders must be accompanied by an adult. There will be a Relaxed Event on Monday 28 July Group Offer: Buy 5 Tickets for £35 Terms & Conditions: The experience is open 10am – 5pm, with last entry at 3.30pm. You should arrive at your allocated arrival time that is displayed on your ticket, however during...
Explore the history of gladiatorial fights in Britain. The events of the amphitheatre – its wild beasts and enslaved fighters – are one of the most enduring aspects of Roman culture that still capture the public imagination today. This touring exhibition brings together some of the country's most important objects to tell the story of Britain's entertainment venues and the people who died to the roar of the crowd. It will reveal the violence of the arena, and the importance of spectacle within Roman culture. Highlights include the Colchester Vase loaned by Colchester Museums, which records an actual battle between two real gladiators, and the Hawkedon Helmet, the only confirmed piece of gladiatorial armour from Roman Britain. These iconic loans will be supported by a selection of other items that reveal the popularity of gladiators throughout Roman society. This tour is in partnership with Colchester and Ipswich Museums and is inspired by the recent exhibition at Colchester Castle, Gladiators: A Day at the Roman Games which featured British Museum loans. It will explore Roman spectacle in the local region, following in the footsteps of the gladiators who fought in the amphitheatres of Britain.
For centuries, landscape was considered an unworthy subject for serious artistic exploration. Northampton Museum & Art Gallery Until Sunday 4 October When landscape did appear in paintings, it was often relegated to the background—merely a setting for religious or historical scenes. This perception began to shift in the 17th century with the work of Nicolas Poussin and Claude Lorrain. These pioneering artists crafted idealised rural vistas to illustrate the myths of Ancient Greece and Rome, imbuing natural elements with metaphorical meaning. Through their romantic and structured visions of the countryside, landscape painting began to gain recognition as a meaningful art form. It was not until the 19th century, however, that landscape truly came into its own. Artists such as J.M.W. Turner and John Constable redefined the genre, capturing the drama, emotion, and grandeur of the natural world. Their work affirmed landscape as a powerful subject in its own right—one that continues to inspire artists to this day. Drawing from the museum collections, this exhibition explores the evolution of landscape painting, where nature takes centre stage.
We are very pleased to be hosting this exhibition across all our galleries here at 78 Derngate. Simon James is a multi-disciplinary artist who explores themes of nature and the urban environment in mostly abstract or semi-abstract forms and takes inspiration from his surroundings in the cities of Asia and Europe or, more recently, the English countryside. James trained in Fine Art and Printmaking at London’s Royal Academy and Royal College of Art and he now works across the spectrum from painting and drawing to video and photographic works, having adopted the expressive potential of digital media while working as a designer and independent artist in Asia. Having held solo shows in London, Berlin, Singapore, Shanghai and Tokyo, whilst also designing for TV, publishing and the music industry, Simon was also a university lecturer in multimedia and photography. www.simonjames.com
With inspiration, ingenuity, humour and skill, creative recycling artist Val Hunt has created a fascinating selection of large and small sculptural pieces which are both appealing and informative Saturday 28 June - Sunday 10 August 2025 Animals, exotic birds, fish, dinosaurs and species of flora, all on the edge or now extinct, have been made from a selection of throwaway material especially Val’s favourite medium, drinks can metal. This exhibition presents a subtle message about recycling and preservation, raising awareness of why the creatures on show are endangered or extinct. Find out why species are disappearing from this planet at an alarming rate.
Bring your under 5's to clap, sing and wave our way through our favourite nursery rhymes and songs. Singing nursery rhymes and doing the actions are great for interaction, communication skills and motor skills - and most of all, it's fun! Please note that the Rhymetime sessions will be run on a first-come, first-serve basis on the day and it will not be possible to book in advance. Parents and Carers can collect a ticket from the front desk on the Friday morning at 10am.
Every Friday 12.30 - 2.00 Free If you're looking for a way to unwind after a busy week or just want to make some new crafting friends, come along with your chosen craft to these friendly informal sessions. They take place every Friday lunchtime in the Northampton Museum & Art Gallery lower cafe area. Drop in no booking required but please purchase a drink or something to eat from the cafe.
Fri 1st August, 6pm £28 per person Join Ali of Wildflowers Healing for an outdoor Conscious connected Breathwork Session. Imagine sitting in a circle with friends in a quiet park, surrounded by trees, flowers and the sound of birds. Everyone closes their eyes and takes a deep breath in through the nose, feeling the fresh air fill their lungs, then slowly exhales through the mouth, releasing any tension. Nature-based breathwork is a practice that combines breathing techniques with a connection to nature. Many of us have been trying to find our way back ‘home’ to the self and this session helps us do just that. Using our breath we explore our connection to each other, to the earth and to the messages hidden or locked away in our muscles and tissues. By focusing on your breath and the environment around you, you can move out of the over active mind, process emotions, and even gain insights into yourself. It’s about being mindful of your breath and allowing the natural world to enhance the experience. This type of breathing involves a continuous, circular pattern of breathing—where the inhale is connected directly to the exhale, with no pause. This is a breath...
Live Music from 9pm.
Live Music.
