National Saturday Club at Gainsborough’s House is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we are able to offer free art and design workshops for 13–16 year olds living, working and studying in the local area of Sudbury.
In 2024, Gainsborough’s House joined forces with the National Saturday Club network to offer free art classes to 13–16 year olds who live, work or study in Sudbury and the surrounding areas.
From October 2025 to June 2026, we have a rich programme of workshops lined up, facilitated by a team of highly skilled and knowledgeable practitioners currently working and teaching in the creative industries.
Club member attend weekly Saturday workshops that take place between 10am–12pm at Gainsborough’s House. They offer a fantastic opportunity to develop new skills, gain confidence in your own ideas and meet lots of like-minded people your own age with creativity and experimentation at the core of everything you do.
The National Saturday Club gives 13–16-year-olds across the country the opportunity to study subjects they love at their local university, college or cultural institution, for free. Find out more here.
Our tutors will work with you to support your creative development and your critical thinking through approaches linked to graphics, illustration, sculpture, drawing and image making. Through the exploration of your ideas, you will be encouraged to be playful and to take risks, but predominantly have fun with new materials and processes.
Club members also take part in national events including Masterclasses with leading industry professionals and the Summer Show, where Saturday Clubs nationwide exhibit their work in a public exhibition – all for free!
We are very excited to be able to offer this provision for free to 13–16-year-olds in the local area as part of the Gainsborough’s House Facing the Future Project supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Throughout the year a team of extremely dedicated and knowledgeable practitioners, currently working and teaching in the world of Art & Design, will work with our young people to nurture confidence and creativity. We can’t wait to see what they get up to!
Charlie Dixon, Club Coordinator
