Culture
In the bustling market towns, experience galleries, art centres and unique independent shops and discover the many small and intimate museums dotted around county towns in the heart of Suffolk, each telling a unique story.
Cultural Venues
The Bank Arts Centre
A volunteer-led, creative hub in Eye, The Bank Arts Centre delivers accessible and inclusive art to the rural community. Based in a grade-II listed, former bank, they host an eclectic programme of exhibitions, live music, theatre, comedy, activities, workshops and classes alongside the family friendly café.
Gainsborough’s House
Gainsborough’s House museum and gallery holds the most comprehensive collection of works by painter Thomas Gainsborough within a single setting anywhere in the world. Blending historical and contemporary architecture, the gallery combines Gainsborough’s childhood home with brand new exhibition spaces presenting permanent and temporary exhibitions.
John Peel Centre
Stowmarket, in the heart of Suffolk was home to eclectic DJ, presenter and journalist John Peel. Paying tribute to Peel, the John Peel Centre hosts events throughout the year including live bands, comedy, performance groups and classes, and you can sit in their café and watch the world go by.
Sudbury Arts Centre
Situated in a former church, Sudbury Arts Centre is on the square in Sudbury town centre. This cultural and community landmark hosts a variety of events, including workshops, live music, seasonal fairs, family activities, and has a great cafe.
Museums
Mill Tye Gallery
The Mill Tye Gallery is located in a beautiful setting near Sudbury, alongside the River Stour in Great Cornard. Showcasing some of the best local pieces from printmakers, contemporary artists, sculptors and textile designers, it hosts a programme of exhibitions and workshops throughout the year.
Lion House Gallery
The Lion House Gallery is located on Lavenham High Street showcasing paintings, ceramics, prints, jewellery, sculpture and textiles by local artists, with exhibitions and events throughout the year.
Fox Yard Studio
Located in the design quarter in Stowmarket, Fox Yard Studio and gallery has a rolling exhibitions by contemporary artists alongside a workshop programme bringing people together to experiment and explore creative practice. It is a place where people can come to share what they know, learn new skills and experience art produced by local makers.
Beyond The Image Gallery
Beyond the Image Gallery in Thornham Magna is a unique exhibition space in the heart of Suffolk at the site of Thornham Walks (link). Established in 2005, the gallery is run by a group of volunteer lens-based artists, who exhibit their own work through quarterly themed exhibitions.
J Parker Studios
Art Gallery and Studio exhibiting original paintings and sculptures by local artists. Regular Art classes are led by John Parker in his large and spacious studio set in the idyllic surroundings of the Thornham Estate.
The Quay Theatre
Occupying a charming Grade II-listed building in Sudbury, nestled by the River Stour, Sudbury Quay Theatre hosts a wide range of top-class entertainment, including drama, live music, comedy and film.
The Regal
A lovely, old-school theatre venue hosting both live stand-up and variety acts plus blockbuster films in the centre of Stowmarket, much loved by the community and visitors to the area.
The Guildhall
The Guildhall in Lavenham is a spectacular timber framed, medieval building in the heart of one of England’s oldest villages, rubbing shoulders with many other medieval buildings reflecting its wealthy, wool trading history. Its past functions have embraced workhouse, prison and social club, and it now stands as a local history museum open to visitors.
Wattisham Station Heritage Museum
This museum in Wattisham houses an extensive photographic record, models, artefacts and memorabilia depicting the history and squadrons based at the station from 1937 to the present day. Planes on display include Meteor WD686, Hunter XG194 and the Phantom XT914.
Woolpit Museum
On the upper floor of an early 16th century cottage is Suffolk’s smallest museum with temporary exhibitions alongside two permanent displays. The first shows the famous Woolpit Brickmaking Works presented as a 3D model of the site as it was in its later days, with a collection of bricks, tiles, photos and various tools used in the trade. The second display is a reconstruction of a Victorian kitchen with artefacts, which might have been used in everyday life up to the 1920s.
