The Holburne Museum Ticket Portal

In 1930’s Britain one artist is living and creating rebelliously outside of the social and gender norm. Gluck.

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A hugely talented artist, idiosyncratic Gluck lived by nobody’s rules but their own, and when celebrity florist Constance Fry walked into their studio with a delivery, a scandalously queer, tempestuous relationship began. This relationship would challenge gender, class and social mores, and was to produce some of the most stunning paintings of the era.

Bristol’s award-winning new writing company Theatre West are delighted to present a new play set in the 1930s about a real relationship that still feels pertinent today.

Mary Moore is the only child of Henry Moore. She has curated numerous exhibitions and written extensively on her father’s life and work as well as appearing on radio and television programmes internationally. She will be hosted by Alastair Sooke, Chief Art Critic of The Daily Telegraph, in a discussion that explores Henry Moore’s life and legacy.

Visit two beautiful gardens near Taunton. We start at the Walled Gardens of Cannington, in the grounds of a former medieval priory. There is a mix of classical and contemporary garden design, with a Victorianinspired fernery, a rose walk, a botanical glasshouse containing tropical and semi-arid plants, herbaceous borders and a “blue” garden. Hestercombe covers 50 acres, and spans three centuries of garden design: a Georgian landscape garden with its stunning great cascade; a Victorian shrubbery including a yew tunnel; and formal Edwardian gardens designed by Lutyens. Elsewhere, there are ponds, a Dutch garden and impressive orangery, a rose garden , a restored water mill and several follies.

 *Price £85 to include return private coach transport, a private tour of the Cannington Gardens, two course buffet lunch at Hestercombe and a private tour of highlights at Hestercombe by the Head Gardener plus free time to explore.

Chris Stephens will be in-conversation with a member of the Holburne Future Collective. Their discussion will cover the role that museums, exhibitions and those running them can play in shaping how Queer art is perceived and consider the opportunities and challenges such institutions present in promoting Queer Art. With sixteen years of experience at Tate Britain and seven years at the Holburne, putting on exhibitions featuring the work of artists including Francis Bacon, Barbara Hepworth, David Hockney, Gwen John and Henry Moore, Dr Stephens is sure to offer an engaging discussion.'

This talk is part of Holburne Pride, programmed by The Holburne Future Collective.

Maggie Hamblings portrait of Derek Jarman that now stills within the Holburne Collection will be the focus of this lecture, alongside the broader subject of queer art. 

Bob Mills is Professor of Medieval Studies and Head of the History of Art Department at UCL. Between 2015 and 2018 he directed qUCL, UCL’s LGBTQ+ research network, and previously he was director of the Queer@King’s research centre at King’s College London. Publications include Suspended Animation: Pain, Pleasure and Punishment in Medieval Culture (2005), Seeing Sodomy in the Middle Ages (2015) and Derek Jarman’s Medieval Modern (2018). Mills is also co-editor of several volumes including The Monstrous Middle Ages (2003) and Rethinking Medieval Translation (2012), and has published articles on topics ranging from saints and martyrdom to queer theory and museums.

This talk is part of Holburne Pride, programmed by The Holburne Future Collective.

In 3x15 talks a member of the Holburne Future Collective will interview a panel of young queer artists.

Featuring Matthew Dennis, Erin Green and Beau Palmer, the panel will give each speaker the opportunity to talk for fifteen minutes and will have a particular focus on the challenges and opportunities which young queer artists face.

Giving viewers the chance to hear from a broad range of creatives (including a photographer, spoken word poet and dancer and a curator) the talk is sure to shed light on an under explored area of modern queer art.

FREE booking essential 

Celebrate the very first Holburne Pride with a fun-packed evening of dancing and some of the Southwest's best up-and-coming Drag Artists.

Throughout the evening expect the dance floor to be full of PRIDE bangers from across the years and a dazzling Drag show hosted by your very own Cynthia Road and Spanks.

The evening will have performances from: Diomede, Zina Fandel, Kitten, Dragon Fruit, and Sneeze!

Throw on your dancing shoes and get ready to party!

Tickets £15

Produced by: The Holburne Future Collective for the Holburne Museum.

Which film do YOU want to be screened at the first ever Holburne PRIDE event?

FilmBath and Holburne are collaborating to screen one of the below iconic queer films at the Holburne PRIDE on Saturday 15 May and we want you to decide which one! 

1. The Birdcage (1996) 
2. Paris is Burning (1990)
3. But, I'm a Cheerleader (1999)
4. The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert (1994) 
5. Pride (2014)
   
   Simply head over to our socials, find the post and comment which film you would like to see before the 15th May! 
   
   AND if you would like to be in with a chance to win tickets for you and a friend to see the screening tag your friend along with your vote!
   
   The chosen film will be announced on 16th May – Tickets on sale now

Join us for a vibrant celebration of queer music amidst the beautiful setting of the Holburne’s lush garden. Immerse yourself in a one-of-a-kind experience in this spectacular Silent Disco where audiences will don their headphones and dance the night away to a curated DJ set celebrating queer music icons throughout the ages. Expect David Bowie, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Frank Ocean and more.

Let’s dance to celebrate love, identity, and expression in all its glorious forms honouring the beauty of being exactly who we are.

Throughout the day we will have drop in sessions for families. 

Chris Stephens, Director of the Holburne, will chair a lively conversation with Sebastiano Barassi, Head of Collections & Programmes at Henry Moore Foundation and Francesca Whitham, specialist in modern and contemporary art at Dreweatts auction house, exploring the impact and influence of Moore’s work in the 20th century.

This day trip is a rare chance to see a spectacular contemporary walled garden, not usually open to the public. Set in four acres, it was commissioned in 2004 and designed by Pascal Cribier, one of the most notable garden designers of his generation, and the only layout by him in this country. Cribier’s designs were influenced by botanical and Mughal gardens, his best known work is the restoration of the Tuileries Gardens in Paris. The garden shows the geometric and architectural influence of Mondrian and is planted in many bold colours, interspersed with vegetables. Among the highlights include a unique red and green ‘tramline’ garden, with parallel rows of grass interspersed with espalier apples and vegetable beds; and a redpaved courtyard garden with an oriental effect; overhanging with vines. The rose garden has a majestic pond and stunning use of colour and texture, featuring a former Victorian pond, retained by Cribier when it was redesigned, in collaboration with the owner Rosamund Brown, who has kindly allowed us to visit her gardens. This is a garden of unique style, maintained with great care, enthusiasm and panache. The day will start at 9.00am leaving the Holburne, with coffee on arrival at Woolton, followed by a guided tour of the gardens. Lunch will be served with wine and soft drinks. Please advise us of any dietary issues. Time to explore the gardens at your own pace after lunch.

*Tickets include private return coach travel, entry and guided garden tour, lunch with drinks. This event has been kindly organised for us by Jane Thrift.

One of the leading experts on 20th century British painting and sculpture, Chris Stephens, Director of the Holburne, has published extensively on Henry Moore and curated Tate Britain’s major retrospective in 2010. He will share his insights into Moore’s work and dig into the themes of our current exhibition, including the importance of intimacy to Moore and his art, the sculptor’s varied materials and processes, and his sources of inspiration from the displays at the British Museum to the beaches of Norfolk and the Hertfordshire countryside

We are fortunate to have secured exclusive private access to Stratfield Saye House and Gardens, home to the Dukes of Wellington since 1818.

Following the Battle of Waterloo, the First Duke of Wellington or the Great Duke as he was known, was regarded as the saviour of his country and Europe. A grateful nation voted a substantial sum of money to enable him to buy a house and an estate worthy of a great national hero.

After considering many far grander properties he chose Stratfield Saye, the exterior of which is “deceptively domestic”, while the interior has a stately quality with a sumptuous Library.

The house, which is lived in today by the 9th Duke of Wellington and his family, contains a fascinating collection of paintings and furniture purchased by the Great Duke with many mementos of his life and military career. Our group will also be given a private 20 minute talk on the first Duke’s famous funeral carriage.

*Price £85 to include private coach transport, a full day at Stratfield Saye House and gardens where we have private access, a private guided tour of the house, arrival refreshments and lunch.

Nathaniel Mander is delighted to be returning to perform at the Holburne in a beautifully romantic programme of works by Mozart on the Museum’s exquisite Schantz fortepiano. The fortepiano, acquired by the Holburne in 1983, is one of the highlights of the collection, gracing the top floor picture gallery. It was made in Vienna around 1795 and is extremely rare; one of only four such instruments to have survived. It was the composer Joseph Haydn who bought a Schantz fortepiano in 1788 and in his letters he stressed that if his music was to be played properly, it should be on one of these instruments. However, on this occasion, Nathaniel is giving us a recital of some of Mozarts’ most appealing and enchanting sonatas and variations. Nathaniel Mander is one of the most exciting early keyboard players to emerge over recent years, and is known for his expressive and virtuosic style. He is a noted interpreter of Mozart, and has recently recorded Bach’s Goldberg Variations for ICSM records. This is a special opportunity to hear the fortepiano brought to life by an artist of exceptional talent.

*Pay bar available from 6:30pm before the concert starts

Having organised Friends’ trips to Gloucester and Hereford recently, it seems natural to go for the ‘Three Choirs’ hat-trick and visit Worcester! Leaving the Holburne promptly at 9:00am, we shall first visit Worcester Cathedral for tea/coffee and a private guided tour of the many highlights. The Cathedral dominates the city, standing amid beautiful trees next to the River Severn. There is a little of everything here; glorious English church architecture ranging from the Norman crypt to Perpendicular Gothic, 13th-century misericords, charming cloisters, a Chapter House, fine stained glass windows and royal burial places including that of King John. We will then take the short stroll to the nearby Royal Worcester Museum, home to a unique collection of 8,000 ceramic objects tracing 250 years of social, food and design history connecting Worcester porcelain with the world. After lunch, we will have a private talk by historian Colin Millett on ‘Ladies of the Porcelain’ - the remarkable stories about the talented, funny and clever women who have made a significant contribution to the international success of Worcester porcelain. There will be time to explore the beautiful galleries to admire the collections.

 *Tickets include private return coach transport, tea/ coffee, entry and guided tour at Worcester Cathedral, a buffet lunch with soft drinks, plus entry and private talk and afternoon tea/biscuits at the Royal Worcester Museum. Please advise on the booking form if you have any dietary issues.