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Explore the creative life of Colin Self with us this May half-term (24 May to 1 June)! Every day during half-term: -Explore the One Self exhibition with our spotter sheet -Doodle on a postcard, just as Colin Self does when he visits somewhere new -Create a Colin Self-inspired collage Plus, on 24, 27, 28 and 29 May, join our friendly learning team to: -Explore a sensory space and experiment with colours, just as Colin Self does -Help turn recycling into a sculptural masterpiece and display it in the gallery On Friday 30 May, join us from 10am to 3pm for a medieval day run by The Knights of the Sound Table, our Kick The Dust youth group!

Join artists from Edible East as they journey into the microscopic world of Norfolk's landscape. Inspired by 2025 being the 400th anniversary of the use of the term 'microscope', this exhibition is part of an on-going residency at Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse, supported by the John Innes Centre and The Centre for Microbial Interactions, Norwich. From microscopic fungi that support life in the soil, to single-celled algae that overwhelm freshwater ecosystems, Edible East have responded to a range of historic and contemporary material, offering a visual and playful exploration of our relationship with the natural world. Alongside large-scale, mixed media artworks, using print, installation and shadow-theatre techniques, visitors will be able to see historical material on loan from the John Innes Foundation Historical Collections.

Step back into the 1920s and join Strangers' Hall founder, Leonard Bolingbroke at his Grand Masquerade. Don some fantastical fancy dress, put yourself in the picture and join forces to design the most outlandish costume that you can. On Wednesday create your own mannequin challenge.

holding space features nearly 50 works from Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery's Modern and Contemporary Art collection, dating from 1964 to the present day. The exhibition marks the year in which the Timothy Gurney Gallery was inaugurated as a space dedicated to the display of modern and contemporary art. The works in holding space explore our interaction with the spaces which surround us and how they function in our lives. The display presents new works in the collection from leading contemporary artists including Ibrahim Mahama, Beatrice Gibson and Florence Peake - some of which are on show for the first time. Other artists featured in the exhibition include Michael Andrews, Elisabeth Frink, Georgina Starr and Bruce Lacey. We are grateful to Art Fund, Contemporary Art Society, The Friends of the Norwich Museums, Norfolk Contemporary Art Society and Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund for their support.

Make your own binoculars and help Captain Darling hunt for pirate treasure around the museum

Pick up a trail from our visitor team and help Delia hunt for objects as you walk around the musem Aimed at our younger visitors

Head to Gressenhall in May Half Term and dig into some fun! Take part in activities every day at 11am-12noon & 2-3pm inspired by our partnership with Norfolk Libraries and our love of gardens. Use our self led trails to explore our site from farming fields to workhouse table, enjoy garden games and tractor trailer rides, and learn more about how to get those green fingers growing, from closer looks at soil health to hands-on fun for little ones (and special event Spring Fairytale 28 May). The British Library's spring exhibition Unearthed celebrates the remarkable stories of the people and plants that shape our gardens. A temporary exhibition of Unearthed will be coming to Living Knowledge Network Libraries across the UK from 2 May - 10 August 2025, as well as a special short stay at Gressenhall Farm & Workhouse from 24 May - 8 June!

One Self: The Creative Life of Colin Self is the first major retrospective of this remarkable artist in 17 years. Containing over 120 works of art, it celebrates the boundless creative spirit of an artist whose dedication to the act of making spans over six decades. The exhibition explores the artist's significant contribution to twentieth-century art, complex relationship with the London art scene and deliberate positioning on the margins of the art world, including periods of self-imposed exile and solitude. Created in close collaboration with the artist and his wife, and only on show at Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, One Self: The Creative Life of Colin Self is a rare opportunity to explore the full career of one of the UK's most unpredictable and brilliant artists.

Make the most of the grounds at Gressenhall and borrow a Mini Storywalk Rucksack! There are seven different bags to choose from, and each one contains stories and activities that explore nature and the great outdoors. The Storywalk Rucksacks can be picked up and dropped off during our daily gardening-inspired activities (11am-12noon and 2-3pm) during May Half Term - excluding our Spring Fairytale event on 28 May when they can be picked up and dropped off during Norfolk Libraries' Bounce and Rhyme sessions (11:30am & 1pm).