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X-WR-CALNAME:Keep Colchester Cool
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://keepcolchestercool.co.uk
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Keep Colchester Cool
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260711T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261108T170000
DTSTAMP:20260905T083852Z
CREATED:20260905T083852Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260905T083852Z
UID:132220-1783764000-1794157200@keepcolchestercool.co.uk
SUMMARY:Duncan Grant: Worlds Through Desire: From Drawing to Cruising to DMs
DESCRIPTION:Duncan Grant: Worlds Through Desire brings together artworks\, stories and poetry from different generations to explore the ways LGBT+ people have sought friendship\, community and intimacy across changing times and technologies.\n\nAt the centre of the exhibition are drawings and paintings by Duncan Grant\, including work connected to the period he spent on a Suffolk farm with his then partner David Garnett during the First World War.\n\nMore than 35 drawings and paintings by Grant feature alongside contemporary works\, with the exhibition looking at the different places and technologies through which people have found one another\, from galleries\, bars and public spaces to online games\, social media and dating apps.\n\nWorlds Through Desire runs at Firstsite until Sunday 8 November 2026.\n\nAdmission is free and no booking is required.\n\nFirstsite is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 10am to 5pm\, Thursday to Saturday from 10am to 10pm\, and Sunday from 10am to 5pm. It is closed on Mondays.\n\nPlease note that the exhibition contains nudity. Sexually explicit artworks are displayed in a separate enclosed room restricted to visitors aged 18 and over.
URL:https://keepcolchestercool.co.uk/event/duncan-grant-worlds-through-desire-from-drawing-to-cruising-to-dms/
LOCATION:Firstsite\, Lewis Gardens\, Colchester\, CO1 1JH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Exhibitions
ORGANIZER;CN="Firstsite Colchester":MAILTO:noreply@facebookmail_com
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260919T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20270117T170000
DTSTAMP:20260905T114354Z
CREATED:20260905T084144Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260905T114354Z
UID:132222-1789812000-1800205200@keepcolchestercool.co.uk
SUMMARY:Simon Carter: From the Landscape
DESCRIPTION:Essex artist Simon Carter transforms Firstsite’s gallery with From the Landscape\, an immersive exhibition inspired by the Essex coast and countryside.\n\nCarter has spent more than 40 years walking\, drawing and painting the landscape around him. The exhibition brings together more than 30 acrylic paintings and drawings made since 2020\, an early watercolour painted when he was 23\, and three new series created especially for Firstsite.\n\nRather than simply hanging works on gallery walls\, From the Landscape uses painted surfaces\, installation and sound to create an environment visitors can move through. A 19-metre wall carries 500 monochrome painted sketches\, while recordings made by Carter during his daily walks bring sounds from the Essex coast into the gallery.\n\nCarter is based in Frinton and is President of Colchester Art Society. He has previously been Artist-in-Residence at both the University of Essex and Firstsite.\n\nFrom the Landscape runs from Saturday 19 September 2026 until Sunday 17 January 2027.\n\nAdmission is free and no booking is required.\n\nFirstsite is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 10am to 5pm\, Thursday to Saturday from 10am to 10pm\, and Sunday from 10am to 5pm. It is closed on Mondays.
URL:https://keepcolchestercool.co.uk/event/simon-carter-from-the-landscape/
LOCATION:Firstsite\, Lewis Gardens\, Colchester\, CO1 1JH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Exhibitions
ORGANIZER;CN="Firstsite Colchester":MAILTO:noreply@facebookmail_com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261001T090000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261031T173000
DTSTAMP:20260917T152705Z
CREATED:20260910T162637Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260917T152705Z
UID:132690-1790845200-1793467800@keepcolchestercool.co.uk
SUMMARY:New Face for Leprosy Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This October\, the New Face for Leprosy exhibition comes to Colchester Library for a free\, month-long public exhibition exploring the lives and experiences of people affected by leprosy. \nThe project was conceived in 2019 by Emeritus Professor Diana Lockwood to challenge some of the myths and misconceptions surrounding the disease. \nWorking with photographer Tom Bradley\, the project visited Lepra’s programmes in India and Bangladesh\, meeting people affected by leprosy and recording their stories as they dealt with the physical\, social and emotional impact of diagnosis. \nBradley’s portraits aim to present the people photographed\, first and foremost\, as individuals\, challenging some of the images traditionally associated with leprosy and showing people living independent\, fulfilling lives. \nAlongside the photography\, the Colchester exhibition will feature artefacts from Lepra’s archives\, looking back at the organisation’s history and its work throughout the 20th century to improve the lives of people affected by leprosy and develop new treatments. \nThe exhibition is free to visit\, and no booking or ticket is required. \nTwo special events will also take place during the exhibition\, including a talk on Lepra’s history on Wednesday 21 October and a children’s storytelling session on Friday 30 October.
URL:https://keepcolchestercool.co.uk/event/new-face-for-leprosy-exhibition/
LOCATION:Colchester Library and Community Hub\, 21 Trinity Square\, Colchester\, CO1 1JB\, GB
CATEGORIES:Exhibitions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://keepcolchestercool.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/a-new-face-for-leprosy-exhibition-colchester.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Lepra":MAILTO:noreply@facebookmail_com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261002T083000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261029T163000
DTSTAMP:20260923T084207Z
CREATED:20260923T084207Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260923T084207Z
UID:134166-1790929800-1793291400@keepcolchestercool.co.uk
SUMMARY:Bridging Dreams: By Sakai International Community Arts
DESCRIPTION:Bridging Dreams By Sakai International Community Arts\n2 to 29 October 2026\nLevel Best Art Gallery\, Colchester \nThis October\, Level Best Art Gallery welcomes Bridging Dreams\, a special international exhibition connecting artists in Sakai City\, Japan\, with the Level Best community in Colchester. \nFounded in Osaka in 2019\, Sakai International Community Arts is an inclusive arts organisation that brings disabled and non-disabled people together through art\, theatre\, and creative workshops. Its talented members work across painting\, calligraphy\, performance and dance. \nFor many of the artists\, travelling overseas is difficult\, but they have long dreamed of sharing their work internationally. Bridging Dreams makes that possible\, allowing their artwork to cross the ocean and create new connections between Japan and the UK. \nThe exhibition celebrates creativity without borders and the growing relationship between Sakai International Community Arts and Level Best Enterprises. \nThis project has been made possible with the generous support of The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation. \n 
URL:https://keepcolchestercool.co.uk/event/bridging-dreams-by-sakai-international-community-arts/
LOCATION:Level Best Enterprises\, Level Best Enterprises
CATEGORIES:Exhibitions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://keepcolchestercool.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Bridging-Dreams-1024x1024-1.jpeg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261010T000000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20270228T000000
DTSTAMP:20260921T160859Z
CREATED:20260921T160740Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260921T160859Z
UID:133879-1791590400-1803772800@keepcolchestercool.co.uk
SUMMARY:Against the Tide
DESCRIPTION:What does it mean to grow up by the sea today? \nFrom ambition and creativity to isolation and inequality\, explore intimate photographs and firsthand accounts that document what life is really like for young people growing up in coastal Britain. \nAbout the exhibition \nDocumentary photographer Polly Braden and journalist Lisa Bachelor spent more than a year travelling to coastal communities across England\, working closely with young people aged 16–25 using photographs\, film and personal stories to explore their lives. \nCreated as part of The Guardian’s Seascape series\, Against the Tide looks beyond the negative portrayals to reveal a more complicated picture of coastal Britain today. \nAcross Tendring\, Weston-super-Mare\, Scarborough\, Grimsby\, Southend\, Portsmouth\, Whitehaven\, Rhyl and Blackpool\, Polly’s photographs bring us into the lives of a generation growing up in some of the most deprived and often-forgotten places in England. \nAlongside accounts of isolation and lack of opportunity are expressions of resilience\, ambition and hope\, and a clear message: coastal towns are not just sites of decline\, but places of creativity and possibility. \nYoung people involved in this exhibition have created their own photographs\, exchanged ideas with peers and shared their experiences with UK policymakers\, showing how creativity and personal stories together can help inform decisions about coastal communities beyond words and numbers. \nWhat to expect \nDiscover intimate portraits\, honest first-hand accounts and a close-up look at the everyday lives of young people growing up in coastal England. \nPolly’s photographs are paired with the words and experiences of the young people she met\, creating a layered portrait of places that are often overlooked or reduced to stories of decline. \nThese artworks reflect both the challenges and strengths of coastal communities. Young people speak about education\, work\, mental health\, belonging and opportunity. \nThey also share stories of friendship\, creativity\, resilience and pride in where they come from. \nAbout Polly Braden \nPolly Braden is a documentary photographer known for her intimate\, long-term collaborations. \nHer work focuses on overlooked communities and social issues\, and her distinctive style combines quiet observation with deep empathy. \nPolly believes art can do more than tell stories. It gives people a chance to speak for themselves\, encourages empathy and starts conversations about issues that matter. \nWith special thanks to Attwells Solicitors\, Seán Kelly\, and Catherine for their generous contribution towards this exhibition. \n 
URL:https://keepcolchestercool.co.uk/event/against-the-tide/
LOCATION:Firstsite\, Lewis Gardens\, Colchester\, CO1 1JH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Exhibitions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://keepcolchestercool.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/PollyBraden_Millicent_2025-07162025_Against_the_tide__PollyBraden_B0014464-Millicent_-small.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261010T000000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20270228T000000
DTSTAMP:20261015T145345Z
CREATED:20261015T145345Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261015T145345Z
UID:135711-1791590400-1803772800@keepcolchestercool.co.uk
SUMMARY:Polly Braden: Against the Tide
DESCRIPTION:What does it mean to grow up by the sea today? \nFrom ambition and creativity to isolation and inequality\, explore intimate photographs and first-hand accounts documenting what life is really like for young people growing up in coastal Britain. \n  \nAbout the exhibition \nDocumentary photographer Polly Braden and journalist Lisa Bachelor spent more than a year travelling to coastal communities across England\, working closely with young people aged 16–25 using photographs\, film and personal stories to explore their lives. \nCreated as part of The Guardian’s Seascape series\, Against the Tide looks beyond the negative portrayals to reveal a more complicated picture of coastal Britain today. \nAcross Tendring\, Weston-super-Mare\, Scarborough\, Grimsby\, Southend\, Portsmouth\, Whitehaven\, Rhyl and Blackpool\, Polly’s photographs bring us into the lives of a generation growing up in some of the most deprived and often forgotten places across England. \nAlongside accounts of isolation and lack of opportunity are expressions of resilience\, ambition and hope\, and a clear message: coastal towns are not just sites of decline\, but places of creativity and possibility. \nYoung people involved in this exhibition have created their own photographs\, exchanged ideas with peers and shared their experiences with UK policymakers\, showing how creativity and personal stories together can help inform decisions about coastal communities beyond words and numbers. \nPolly Braden: Against the Tide originated at Arnolfini\, Bristol\, in collaboration with Polly Braden. \n  \nWhat to expect \nDiscover intimate portraits\, honest first-hand accounts and a close-up look at the everyday lives of young people growing up in coastal England. \nPolly’s photographs are paired with the words and experiences of the young people she met\, creating a layered portrait of places that are often overlooked or reduced to stories of decline. \nThese artworks reflect both the challenges and strengths of coastal communities. Young people speak about education\, work\, mental health\, belonging and opportunity. \nThey also share stories of friendship\, creativity\, resilience and pride in where they come from. \nAbout Polly Braden \nPolly Braden is a documentary photographer known for her intimate\, long-term collaborations. \nHer work focuses on overlooked communities and social issues\, and her distinctive style combines quiet observation with deep empathy. \nPolly believes art can do more than tell stories. It gives people a chance to speak for themselves\, encourages empathy and starts conversations about issues that matter. \nWith special thanks to Attwells Solicitors\, Seán Kelly\, and Catherine for their generous contribution towards this exhibition.
URL:https://keepcolchestercool.co.uk/event/polly-braden-against-the-tide/
LOCATION:Firstsite\, Lewis Gardens\, Colchester\, CO1 1JH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Exhibitions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://keepcolchestercool.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/PollyBraden_Millicent_2025-07162025_Against_the_tide__PollyBraden_B0014464-Millicent_-small-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261010T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20270228T160000
DTSTAMP:20260905T130039Z
CREATED:20260905T130039Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260905T130039Z
UID:132225-1791626400-1803830400@keepcolchestercool.co.uk
SUMMARY:Out of Line: Banksy and the Art of Dissent
DESCRIPTION:Out of Line: Banksy and the Art of Dissent brings a major exhibition of street and urban contemporary art to The Minories in Colchester. \nThe exhibition features 28 original artworks by Banksy alongside significant works by more than 20 other artists from the international street art and urban contemporary art movement. Every Banksy work included is either an original artwork or an artist-certified print. \nThe majority of the works have been lent by John Brandler of Brandler Galleries in Brentwood. \nOut of Line runs at The Minories from Saturday 10 October 2026 until Sunday 28 February 2027. \nTickets are £12.50 for adults\, with concessions from £7. \nThe exhibition is supported by Colchester City Council and Sonia & Giles Coode-Adams.
URL:https://keepcolchestercool.co.uk/event/out-of-line-banksy-and-the-art-of-dissent/
LOCATION:The Minories\, 74 High Street\, Colchester CO1 1UE\, The Minories\, 74 High Street\, Colchester CO1 1UE
CATEGORIES:Exhibitions
ORGANIZER;CN="The Minories":MAILTO:noreply@facebookmail.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261019T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261019T223000
DTSTAMP:20260907T033759Z
CREATED:20260826T114849Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260907T033759Z
UID:131251-1792438200-1792449000@keepcolchestercool.co.uk
SUMMARY:Belinda O'Hooley & Jackie Oates @ COLCHESTER Arts Centre
DESCRIPTION:Two of British folk’s most distinctive and highly-regarded artists join together in a brand-new\, inspired collaboration. \nBelinda O’Hooley\, a renowned pianist\, singer and composer\, is best known as one half of O’Hooley & Tidow\, who rose tointernational prominence for writing and performing the theme to the hit TV series Gentleman Jack (which also led to anacting role for Belinda on the iconic TV drama Happy Valley). \nDrawing on her heritage in the west of Ireland\, Belinda’s music showcases her unique\, minimalist and deeply expressivestyle. The first woman in her family to reclaim a previously all-male tradition\, she has found the freedom to interpret themusic of her ancestors in her very own\, singular way. \nBelinda is also known for her inventive\, minimalist\, sometimes flamboyant accompanying of folk luminaries includingRufus Wainwright and Nic Jones. \nJackie Oates is a respected and sought-after singer\, fiddle player\, song-writer and multi-instrumentalist\, widely knownfor her tender\, arresting interpretations of traditional folk songs. A winner of two BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards\, Jackie hasreleased numerous acclaimed albums including eight solo records. Jackie works on a steady stream of commissionswhich have recently ranged as widely as BBC Radio 3\, The Orchestra of The Swan\, LUSH Handmade Sound\, and YotoMusic player for children. \nDuring 18 months as Artist In Residence at The Museum Of English Rural Life\, Jackie spent countless hours in themuseum’s library researching the seldom explored area of English Lace Telling songs – a tradition of singing toaccompany women’s textile work – from which her album Needle Pin\, Needle Pin with John Spiers and her Radio BalladThe Lacemakers\, were the results. \nJackie’s music for children and families is cherished by many. Her collection of traditional sleep songs in her 2013 albumLullabies\, continues to be the soundtrack to many a bedtime\, and most recently Jackie has collaborated with Nick Hart onhis traditional Nursery Rhyme project. Those with pre-school children are familiar with Jackie’s vocal and instrumentalcontributions to the CBeebies smash hit Nick Cope’s Popcast. \nThe intuitive and responsive interplay between Belinda and Jackie\, two musicians at the height of their power\, makes fora compelling live experience.
URL:https://keepcolchestercool.co.uk/event/belinda-ohooley-jackie-oates-colchester-arts-centre/
LOCATION:Colchester Arts Centre\, Church Street\, Colchester\, CO1 1NF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Music
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