Coming up Next
Sue Roche and Louisa Hannah
Location: Guildford Institute
Opening Times: 10:00 - 17:00
Hosted by: Guildford Arts
As part of a long established partnership, see the latest Guildford Arts exhibition featuring the stunning work of photographer Sue Roche and painter Louisa Hannah.
Louisa Hannah
Louisa’s inspiration comes from beach scenes and landscapes using vibrant colours and beautiful shapes and aims to spark joy through her paintings.
Sue Roche
Her collections reflect her passion for travel photography, capturing the simple beauty or intriguing juxtapositions of people, landscape and architecture.
The exhibition will be open throughout the festival in The Guildford Institute's historic Assembly Room (home to V Café).
Sarah Rawlins: An Artist’s Journey
Location: The Guildford Institute
Event type: Talk (ticked but free)
As an artist, Sarah Rawlins finds inspiration in the vibrant colours and shapes found within nature, combining realism with the abstract, to produce powerful visual images, influenced by Cubism and Van Gogh. Her dynamic compositions, painted in acrylics, watercolours and oils, draw the viewer in, capturing the magic and wonder of the natural world. Sarah will discuss her art practice and how it has evolved since she first picked up a paintbrush at the age of three.
Her work is regularly exhibited in Surrey and London, and she is a founder member of The Glad Rags Gang, the volunteer-run textile group at West Horsley Place, where she transfers her vibrant designs onto fabric and handsews them into artistic homeware products. She has been nominated for Surrey Artist of the Year 2023 and 2024, and is exhibiting in Vienna, Austria this year with ArtCan.
To book your free ticket: info@sarahrawlins-artist.com
Tote bag Printing Workshops
Location: Guildford Institute
Event type: Workshop
Hosted by: Georgia Tunesi
Customise a tote bag with a unique hand painted design in this fun, laid-back workshop. All skill levels welcome as inspiration and guided advice will be provided throughout the session to help you paint your dream tote bag. Blank tote bags and art materials will be supplied by us. This is the perfect time to get creative and try something new. Tickets are limited, book now so you don't miss out!
Price: £20 (includes materials and tote bag to take home)
Tickets can be bought in advance here.
Art - What is it Good For?
Location: Guildford Institute
Event type: Talk
Hosted by: Tammy Ellis
Over the course of her career certain artists and their works have inspired former Guildford Institute tutor and current trustee Tammy Ellis in various ways. In this special talk for Guildford Festival of the Arts, Tammy will explore artists including Frederic William Burton, Gustave Caillebotte, Laura Knight, Frida Kahlo, Elaine de Kooning and Damien Hirst and consider how their works answer the question ‘Art – What is it good for?’
The bar will be open before the talk and also during the interval.
Price: Non-Member: £21.75; Member: £19.25
Book via guildford-institute.org.uk or call 01483 562142
Introduction to Paper Flower Making workshops
Location: Guildford Institute
Event type: Workshop (ticketed)
Hosted by: Kate Alger
Kate Alger is an award-winning artist-printmaker and educator. Her work is entirely handmade and is often inspired by her walks in and around Guildford. Kate has several years' experience teaching many different forms of art and craft to a wide range of audiences. Kate's artwork has been exhibited at the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, Southbank Printmakers' Gallery, The British Motor Museum, the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers, Mall Galleries, the Royal Automobile Club, and many other galleries. Her work has been shortlisted for several awards, including the DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year 2024 and 2025. Kate created the artwork for the new signboard on The Mount, and she welcomes both corporate and private commissions. You can see some of Kate's artwork here; www.instagram.com/KateAlgerArtist
Do you fancy making your own paper flowers but aren't sure where to start? Come and learn how to make some simple paper flowers out of Italian crepe paper with local paper florist, Kate Alger. You'll leave with beautiful flowers that won't ever need watering and a probably a new favourite hobby...
You can see some of Kate's artwork, and a selection of photos from past introductory paper flower workshops and longer masterclass workshops here: www.instagram.com/KateAlgerArtist
Suitable for ages 10+
Price: £25/person (max.10 per workshop)
To book tickets, please email Kate: kate.alger.art@gmail.com
Vincent van Gogh: The Final Years
Location: Guildford Institute
Event type: Talk
Hosted by: Ronnie Ireland D.A. (Drawing and Painting; Glasgow School of Art) B.A. (Hons) Open University
The archetypal, misunderstood, solitary artist, Vincent van Gogh dies barely acknowledged. However, after his death his legend took root. Now van Gogh’s works are among some of the best known and most valuable in the world. Can we dig through the layers of mystique and sentimentality to see his work as he saw it and perhaps find what it means to us now?
V Café will be open for refreshments and lunch.
Price: Non-Member: £26; Member: £23
Tickets can be bought here or call the Guildford Institute on: 01483 562142
Introduction to Paper Flower Making workshops
Location: Guildford Institute
Event type: Workshop (ticketed)
Hosted by: Kate Alger
Kate Alger is an award-winning artist-printmaker and educator. Her work is entirely handmade and is often inspired by her walks in and around Guildford. Kate has several years' experience teaching many different forms of art and craft to a wide range of audiences. Kate's artwork has been exhibited at the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, Southbank Printmakers' Gallery, The British Motor Museum, the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers, Mall Galleries, the Royal Automobile Club, and many other galleries. Her work has been shortlisted for several awards, including the DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year 2024 and 2025. Kate created the artwork for the new signboard on The Mount, and she welcomes both corporate and private commissions. You can see some of Kate's artwork here; www.instagram.com/KateAlgerArtist
Do you fancy making your own paper flowers but aren't sure where to start? Come and learn how to make some simple paper flowers out of Italian crepe paper with local paper florist, Kate Alger. You'll leave with beautiful flowers that won't ever need watering and a probably a new favourite hobby...
You can see some of Kate's artwork, and a selection of photos from past introductory paper flower workshops and longer masterclass workshops here: www.instagram.com/KateAlgerArtist
Suitable for ages 10+
Price: £25/person (max.10 per workshop)
To book tickets, please email Kate: kate.alger.art@gmail.com
Tote bag Printing Workshops
Location: Guildford Institute
Event type: Workshop
Hosted by: Georgia Tunesi
Customise a tote bag with a unique hand painted design in this fun, laid-back workshop. All skill levels welcome as inspiration and guided advice will be provided throughout the session to help you paint your dream tote bag. Blank tote bags and art materials will be supplied by us. This is the perfect time to get creative and try something new. Tickets are limited, book now so you don't miss out!
Price: £20 (includes materials and tote bag to take home)
Tickets can be bought in advance here.
Introduction to Paper Flower Making workshops
Location: Guildford Institute
Event type: Workshop (ticketed)
Hosted by: Kate Alger
Kate Alger is an award-winning artist-printmaker and educator. Her work is entirely handmade and is often inspired by her walks in and around Guildford. Kate has several years' experience teaching many different forms of art and craft to a wide range of audiences. Kate's artwork has been exhibited at the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, Southbank Printmakers' Gallery, The British Motor Museum, the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers, Mall Galleries, the Royal Automobile Club, and many other galleries. Her work has been shortlisted for several awards, including the DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year 2024 and 2025. Kate created the artwork for the new signboard on The Mount, and she welcomes both corporate and private commissions. You can see some of Kate's artwork here; www.instagram.com/KateAlgerArtist
Do you fancy making your own paper flowers but aren't sure where to start? Come and learn how to make some simple paper flowers out of Italian crepe paper with local paper florist, Kate Alger. You'll leave with beautiful flowers that won't ever need watering and a probably a new favourite hobby...
You can see some of Kate's artwork, and a selection of photos from past introductory paper flower workshops and longer masterclass workshops here: www.instagram.com/KateAlgerArtist
Suitable for ages 10+
Price: £25/person (max.10 per workshop)
To book tickets, please email Kate: kate.alger.art@gmail.com
Bluebell Wood in Acrylic Workshop
Location: Guildford Institute
Event type: Workshop (ticketed)
Hosted by: Nathalie Scott
Learn about acrylic techniques and how to create depth by layering as you paint a bluebell wood guided by award-winning artist Nathalie Beauvillain Scott.
Award-winning artist Nathalie Beauvillain Scott specialises in highly detailed portrait paintings of everyday people in everyday life. Her pictures of everyone from children to celebrities are recognised for their incredible likeness, with her reputation for detail resulting in her work being displayed in the National Portrait Gallery on many occasions. You can currently see one of Nathalie's portrait in the National Portrait Gallery as part of the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer portrait award until 12 October 2025.
Price: £25 (materials included)
Please email to book tickets: nathalie@murals-portraits.co.uk
John Russell: Guildford’s Royal Academician
Location: Guildford Institute
Event type: Talk
Hosted by: Olive Maggs BA MA PGCE
John Russell RA was an English painter renowned for his portrait work in oils and pastels, and as a writer and teacher of painting techniques. Born in Guildford, Russell was one of the eighteenth century’s leading pastel portraitists. In 1789 he was appointed Painter to King George III, then later to the Prince of Wales and to the Prince Regent. However Russell captured the character of sitters from all walks of life, from royalty to local personalities of Surrey.
Price: Non-Member: £17.50; Member: £15.50
Tickets can be bought here or call the Guildford Institute on: 01483 562142
Create with Clay: 175 Pots for Mary Watts
Location: Guildford Institute
Event type: Workshop (drop-in)
Join Watts Gallery at the Guildford Festival of the Arts to celebrate the 175th anniversary of Mary Watts' birth.
As a tribute to the artist, designer, and visionary craftswoman, we’re inviting the community to help us create 175 miniature pots in her distinctive style. Drop in to meet our resident ceramicist, Bahareh Khomeiry, and learn how to hand-build a simple pot inspired by Mary Watts’ legacy.
Your creation will be taken back to Watts Gallery to be fired and displayed as part of a special exhibition honouring Mary’s life and work. After the exhibition, you’ll be able to collect your finished piece to keep.
Price: £10
Talk with Andrew Curtis: Drawing Music Live
Location: Guildford Institute
Event type: Talk
Hosted by: Andrew Curtis
Andrew will talk about how he approaches drawing music live at festivals and gigs, offering examples of his work. He will demonstrate his methods and give the audience practical tips. Participants are encouraged to bring along their own sketchbooks and have a go. Andrew is the former Head of Art at the Royal Grammmar School in Guildford.
Talk with Monica Popham: Landscape Artist of the Year
Location: Guildford Institute
Event type: Talk
Hosted by: Monica Popham
Monica Popham is a Gibraltarian landscape artist based in London. Her work is inspired by the Mediterranean light of her upbringing in Gibraltar, exploring how sunlight interacts with architecture. Through vivid colour and bold compositions, she often transforms everyday shadows cast by palm trees, washing lines, or windows into subjects in their own right, capturing the warmth and stillness of sunlit spaces.
In 2024, Monica won Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year, which led to a major commission for the London Science Museum, where she created a piece reflecting Orkney’s pioneering renewable energy landscape. Since winning the competition, she has been working as a full-time artist, continuing to expand her practice and explore the emotional power of light in her paintings.
Free your creativity
Location: Guildford Institute
Event type: Workshop
Hosted by: Denise Blackburn
Free your creativity workshop, where you can make a mess and be childlike!
Denise has a degree in fine art, lives in Surrey and is an active exhibitor in Open Studios. She runs workshops for people who want to express themselves through art and become aware of their creative flow. Creativity is about curiosity and innocence. In other words, Denise will help you get into your own creative flow and feel comfortable with what you create.
In the workshops participants can make a mess and give themselves permission to experiment. It’s not about a Picasso – it’s about you – and your own way of expressing your unique and individual style! We use cheap paper and paint and bits of collage. It’s abstract expressionism in its truest form!
You can get a place by filling in enquiry form on website www.soul-art.co.uk