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Culture & Heritage In Colchester
Colchester is Britain’s oldest recorded town, with a colourful history dating back over two thousand years. It’s a history you can share by visiting the town’s award-winning museums where you can see collections of international importance.
From a Roman Temple to cutting edge 21st century design, via Victorian splendour and medieval timber frames, panoramas of beautiful buildings reflect the town’s history and contemporary appeal.
As well as being the inspiration for famous English artists like 19th century landscape painter John Constable, 18th century artist Thomas Gainsborough and 20th century equestrian artist Sir Alfred Munnings, the Colchester area offers cutting-edge contemporary art galleries and art cafés for you to enjoy and buy locally made art and craft.
If you like art, you won’t have to look far to see it. Infact Colchester's such a cultural hotspot that later this year the former firstsite at the minories will blossom again in a cutting edge new £17.8m building. This new cultural attraction will showcase local regions, national and international artists. Europe’s only collection of Latin American art (held currently by University of Essex) will also have a permanent exhibition space there.
Colchester is also a very musical town with music of most genres being performed in pubs, bars, theatres and churches. Colchester is also the home of signal, media arts which provides media production courses. If also showcases an international short film festival in October.
Outside Colchester, art and craft can be found in several locations such as the Dedham Art & Craft Centre, Chappel Galleries, and Mistley Quay Workshops (with tranquil lunches and estuary views). In truth, there is always something art related on and quite often it’s not even in a gallery.