What’s On Events Calendar
Voices: contemporary art and craft from the Middle East and North Africa
29 September 2023 - 12 May 2024
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Oriental Museum
An exhibition celebrating the work of emerging contemporary artists and designers from the Middle East and North Africa recently acquired by the Oriental Museum.
- Exhibitions
- Everyone
Little Dragons
10 April 2024 - 01 May 2024
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Oriental Museum
Join us at the Oriental Museum on Wednesday mornings for Little Dragons, our FREE session for children under 5 and their families/carers. Each session will be packed full of exploring the museum galleries, fun craft activities, singing, games and stories.
- Creative
- Public
- Under 5s
Little Dragons
17 April 2024 - 08 May 2024
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Oriental Museum
Join us at the Oriental Museum on Wednesday mornings for Little Dragons, our FREE session for children under 5 and their families/carers. Each session will be packed full of exploring the museum galleries, fun craft activities, singing, games and stories.
- Creative
- Public
- Under 5s
Little Dragons
17 April 2024 - 08 May 2024
10:45 AM - 10:45 AM
Oriental Museum
Join us at the Oriental Museum on Wednesday mornings for Little Dragons, our FREE session for children under 5 and their families/carers. Each session will be packed full of exploring the museum galleries, fun craft activities, singing, games and stories.
- Creative
- Public
- Under 5s
Twilight Opening at Oriental Museum
18 April 2024 - 02 May 2024
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Oriental Museum is open until 7pm the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month.
- Exhibitions
- Lates
- Public
- Everyone
Little Dragons
24 April 2024 - 15 May 2024
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Oriental Museum
Join us at the Oriental Museum on Wednesday mornings for Little Dragons, our FREE session for children under 5 and their families/carers. Each session will be packed full of exploring the museum galleries, fun craft activities, singing, games and stories.
- Creative
- Public
- Under 5s
Japanese Children's Day
04 May 2024 - 04 May 2024
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Come and join in the fun!
- Family friendly
- Children and families
Slow Stitching Workshop
04 May 2024 - 04 May 2024
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Join us for a slow stitching workshop which combines relaxation with creative movements. Make a notebook cover from simple stitches and enjoy the calm.
- Workshop
- Everyone
Froggy Friends
11 May 2024 - 11 May 2024
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Fascinating froggy friends in the Oriental Museum!
- Family friendly
- Children and families
Autism-Friendly Family Activities
16 May 2024 - 16 May 2024
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Join us for some fun, autism-friendly crafts for families at the Oriental Museum when the galleries are quieter. Experiment with colour, shape and pattern and paint your own unique artwork.
- Accessible
- Creative
- Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
- Outreach & community
- Public
- Workshop
- Family friendly
- Children and families
- Everyone
Buddha's Birthday
18 May 2024 - 18 May 2024
12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Come and celebrate Buddha's Birthday with us!
- Festival
- Outreach & community
- Family friendly
- Children and families
- Everyone
- Lifelong Learners and Community groups
- Young People
Eternal Ascent: Bentley Beetham and the 1924 Mount Everest Expedition
24 May 2024 - 15 September 2024
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Oriental Museum
This exhibition marks the centenary of the 1924 Mount Everest Expedition, the first Western, and ultimately tragic, attempt to climb the highest mountain in the world.
- Creative
- Exhibition
- Exhibitions
- Partnerships & Collaboration
- Public
- Family friendly
- Everyone
Celebrating Durham Pride
25 May 2024 - 25 May 2024
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Come and start the Pride celebrations!
- Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
- Family friendly
- Children and families
High and Mighty
29 May 2024 - 29 May 2024
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Explore our new photography exhibition!
- Family friendly
- Children and families
ART SOCIAL: Feel My Words: The Power of Text in Visual Art
29 May 2024 - 29 May 2024
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Join poet, picture-maker and playwright Lizzie Lovejoy in a workshop to combine creative writing and visual art.
- Creative
- Lates
- Performance
- Student experience
- Workshop
- Everyone
- Lifelong Learners and Community groups
- School students
- Students in HE
- Young People
Gentian Launch, Open Mic and Exhibition Launch
30 May 2024 - 31 May 2024
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Please join the Poetry Society for the launch Gentian, a poetry zine and display of poems responding to objects displayed in the Oriental Museum. With open mic, all welcome!
- Creative
- Exhibitions
- Lates
- Performance
- Student experience
- Everyone
- Friends of the Oriental Museum
- Lifelong Learners and Community groups
- School students
- Students in HE
- Young People
DU Poetry Society 'Living Objects'
31 May 2024 - 30 September 2024
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Living Objects shows a display of poems by DU Poetry Society
- Exhibition
- Exhibitions
- Children and families
- Everyone
- Friends of the Oriental Museum
- Lifelong Learners and Community groups
- Local and family historians
- School students
- Students in HE
- Teachers / Home Educators
- Young People
Mythical Beasts
31 May 2024 - 31 May 2024
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Can you spot any mythical beasts or lion dogs in our galleries?
- Family friendly
- Children and families
Perfect Perfume
01 June 2024 - 01 June 2024
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Explore our beautiful Ancient Egyptian perfume jars, make up items and jewellery.
- Family friendly
- Children and families
Make a Rangoli
08 June 2024 - 08 June 2024
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Oriental Museum
Find out about the Indian tradition of Rangoli art, and make your own.
- Family friendly
- Children and families
What’s on across our venues
Our unique cultural attractions include Durham Castle, Botanic Garden, Historic Libraries at Palace Green, Oriental Museum, Museum of Archaeology and our World Heritage Site Visitor Centre. Whatever your interest, there's something for everyone to enjoy.