What's On: Arts
Event types
Arts
35 upcoming events
Mar 2026
People Watching
Explore over a hundred years of British portraiture with The Ingram Collection and Dorset Museum & Art Gallery.
Tue 17th Mar - All day
and 54 future schedules
VIEW
Art at PiPs Cafe on Great Field
New art exhibition with local emerging artists (both artists are taking commissions).
Tue 17th Mar - All day
and 12 future schedules
VIEW
Art at the Duchess with Nick Dale
Inspired by the wildlife and landscapes of the West Country.
Tue 17th Mar - All day
and 12 future schedules
VIEW
Art at Crossroads Poundbury
A brand new exhibition at Crossroads Poundbury featuring Jackie Walker, John Walker and Leon Dore, all local artists with loads of talent. This body of work features landscapes in all its guises - from realistic to abstract with stunning colour guaranteed! See opening hours below. Go to TripAdvisor to see the stellar reviews!
Tue 17th Mar - 8am to 4pm until the end of March
and 11 future schedules
VIEW
Love Poundbury “through your lens”
Photography competition enabling you to capture the spirit of Poundbury through your lens.
Tue 17th Mar - All day
and 40 future schedules
VIEW
Visible Women Photographic Exhibition
Photographer Lucy Sewill's Visible Women project showcases portraits of acclaimed women in the acting and entertainment industry including Juliet Stevenson, Dame Harriet Walter, and Dame Meera Syal, demanding greater equality and authentic representation for women. The collection will be on display in Dorset Museum & Art Gallery’s Alice Ellen Cooper Dean Community Space from 7 March to 28 April.
Tue 17th Mar - All day
and 42 future schedules
VIEW
The Final Journey Exhibition
The Final Journey is a powerful multimedia exhibition, featuring work by around 20 local artists, coming together to gently challenge the taboos that still surround death and dying.
Tue 17th Mar - 10:00am
and 16 future schedules
VIEW
Night Falls
Riding Lights Theatre Company are proud to present Night Falls, a new passion play by Paul Birch.
Tue 17th Mar - 7:00pm
VIEW
Store Tour
Join our Collections Team for an opportunity to explore behind the scenes in Dorset Museum & Art Gallery's Collections Discovery Centre.
Wed 18th Mar - 2:00pm
and 9 future schedules
VIEW
Knit and Natter
Bring your knitting, crochet, sewing or any crafty project and join us for a relaxed morning of stitches and chat!
Mon 23rd Mar - 10:00am
and 11 future schedules
VIEW
Catch the Sun
Exhibition of Community Art - Corn Exchange Gallery
Tue 24th Mar - 10am to 4pm
and 18 future schedules
VIEW
Creative Drop In
Welcoming, supportive space is open to all creatives
Wed 25th Mar - 4:00pm
and 2 future schedules
VIEW
HELIOS by Luke Jerram
The sun comes to Dorchester Arts!
Sat 28th Mar - 10:00am
and 9 future schedules
VIEW
Writing the Seasons: Spring
Creative writing workshop at Kingcombe Meadows
Sat 28th Mar - 10:00am
VIEW
Roman Dorchester Tour
Join our trained guides to step back in time and immerse yourself in the historic Roman town of Durnovaria.
Sat 28th Mar - 10:30am
and 13 future schedules
VIEW
Kid’s Creativity at Easter Market in Poundbury
Art in Poundbury are delighted to invite you to the Poundbury Easter Spring Market on Sunday 29th March 2026 taking place in Crown Square. The event will run from 10am until 3pm and the Easter egg hunt will start at 12noon at the toy shop and we will have some special guests joining us during the afternoon. You will find Art in Poundbury in our red gazebos in front of Crossroads cafe. We will be offering free kid’s creative sessions using all sorts of Easter related crafting bits to create your own colourful Easter basket! No experience needed , all materials supplied and smiles guaranteed.
Sun 29th Mar - 10:00am
VIEW
Icarus: Drawing Under The Sun
Alive and Drawing presents a special evening drawing event inspired by the myth of Icarus
Mon 30th Mar - 7:00pm
VIEW
Apr 2026
Writers in the Alley
Open group for all writers, styles, genres!
Wed 1st Apr - 7:00pm
and 2 future schedules
VIEW
Scripts Under The Sun
An evening of script in-hand performance inspired by Helios.
Thu 2nd Apr - 7:30pm
VIEW
Poetry and Writing Workshop
Unlock Your Creative Voice – Writing Workshop
Wed 8th Apr - 10:30am
and 5 future schedules
VIEW
Art at the Duchess with Magda Malek
Contemporary semi-abstract seascape artist whose work explores the shifting moods and textures of the ocean.
Mon 13th Apr - All day
and 13 future schedules
VIEW
Tor Eigeland: 60 Years Behind the Lens
This exhibition brings together a small collection of Tor's most notable images, capturing some of the pivotal moments and globally significant events of the 20th century through his keen eye and unerring ability to be in the right place at the right time.
Tue 14th Apr - 10am to 4pm
and 37 future schedules
VIEW
Strata | Jeremy Gardiner
The focus of this illustrated talk for World Heritage Day is Strata, a major body of work comprising 100 new paintings by renowned landscape artist Jeremy Gardiner.
Sat 18th Apr - 2:45pm
VIEW
Face 2 Face: Exploring the relationship between artist and sitter | Professor Paul Gough
Drawing on examples from the People Watching exhibition, Professor Paul Gough will look at the techniques used by artists, their starting points, the ploys used to capture the essence of a sitter, and the mistakes made along the way.
Thu 23rd Apr - 6:00pm
VIEW
Art at the Duchess with Jayne Muth and Kevin Smith
This series of paintings focus on my love of tempestuous skies.
Mon 27th Apr - All day
and 13 future schedules
VIEW
May 2026
Art at the Duchess with Lisa Embury
Lisa Embury with her passion for abstract art, mixed media, colours and mark marking!
Mon 11th May - All day during opening hours
and 13 future schedules
VIEW
Dorset Art Weeks
Dorset Art Weeks at The Duchess of Cornwall Inn will feature three artists from Dorset ; Laura Cheeseman, Robert Forbes and John Whitchurch.
Sat 23rd May - 10:00am
and 15 future schedules
VIEW
Jun 2026
Love Poundbury “through your lens” The Exhibition
The winning photographs from the Love Poundbury "through your lens" competition
Mon 8th Jun - All day
and 13 future schedules
VIEW
Aug 2026
Paint a Pet at Bark in the Park
Come and join the Family Friendly Dog Show and paint a pet to be "Best in Show".
Sun 23rd Aug - 10:00am
VIEW
Oct 2026
The Script’s The Thing!
The Script’s The Thing will take place on 10th and 11th October, and is a celebration of new writing for theatre, TV, film, radio and all performance.
Sat 10th Oct - All day
and 1 future schedules
VIEW
Dorchester Literary Festival
Whether you’re interested in fiction, crime, science, history, politics, the natural world, health, music, walking, biography or cosy crime, there will be plenty to tempt you to join us in October.
Sat 17th Oct - All day
and 7 future schedules
VIEW