Making Orleans House Gallery a home for artists this summer

The team at Orleans House Gallery have been counting down the final few days until we can fully reopen and welcome everyone back on site. Our mission is to bring thought provoking art to the borough of Richmond Upon Thames and allow Richmond residents to experience a wide range of art and cultural activity. We are celebrating our reopening by filling our grounds with artists this summer.  

From May onwards, Orleans House Gallery will become a hub of artistic activity as we invite artists, collectives, and classes from across London and the South East to converge on Orleans House and transform it into a centre of artistic research, ideas, creativity and fun.  We believe in fostering a lifelong love of the arts, and so there will be opportunities for toddlers to art enthusiasts to seniors.  

Orleans House Gallery will soon be opening its doors to the Bolder Not Older Dance Company (BNO Co). With weekly classes every Thursday morning from 10-11am and 11.30am-12.30am participants will get the opportunity to work with experienced teachers and professional choreographers in a fun and comfortable environment. Bolder Not Older dancer Jules explains why BNO Co is so special and why dance is so important: 

I feared dance classes may be out of reach for someone of my age, I came across DanceWest and asked the dreaded question ‘What’s the age limit’ to discover the BNO Co is open to anyone 55+. I literally jumped for joy! 

…BNO Co has enabled me to make new friends and belong to a wonderful diverse community who all share a love of dance. There is no competition, just great music, experienced friendly teachers and an atmosphere that is almost addictive…. I have found a fantastic outlet for my love of dance and a true sense of belonging”  

To find out more about Bolder Not Older Classes click here: Bolder Not Older Dance Class 

This summer will also see a series of artists take up residence in Orleans House Gallery and grounds to research different ideas around how we can renew our relationship with nature. Ackroyd & Harvey, Bryony Ella, Vicky Long & Eloise Moody and Nestor Pastana will carry out unique artist research projects from May until October, creating an ever evolving and developing artist studio inside the gallery. Each residency will feature a number of events from Wild Drawing, to panel discussions, presentations, lectures, lates and workshops for you to get involved in. Keep an eye on our website for more details.  

Artists will also be exploring audio and music with the development of our Echoes App, available for download from the 18th of May. Simply scan one of the barcodes at the front desk to download the trail and explore the grounds like never before through an immersive, audio experience. 

This June will also see the launch of a new series of engaging and fun events for very early years with Curious Tots, and for families with Let’s Get Creative. From September we’ll also be starting a Friday morning fortnightly session for pre-school ages with Play:Make:Art. You can find out more details about how to get involved with all of these activities and events, and how to book tickets 

For more information on all our events this summer please see the ‘What’s On’ page of our website.