Face Painting Saturday 29 August 2026 10am – 4.30pm   Prices: Glitter Tattoo £5, Face Painting £7, Magic Combo (face painting and glitter tattoo) £10  Suitable for ages 3+  Choose from a range of face painting designs by Fairy Dream Face Painting, including a striking wave inspired by Hokusai’s iconic The Great Wave. Glitter tattoos are also available. […]

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Open Studio: Make and Play Every Saturday and Sunday from 18 July – 6 September  except 25 July and 8 August 2026 10am – 4pm Included in general admission  Suitable for all ages   Discover family friendly stamp and ink activities inspired by the Making Waves: The Art of Woodblock Print exhibition in The Studio. Experiment, collaborate and create! 

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Paddle in the Surf: Mokuhanga Printmaking  Saturday 29 August 2026 10am – 4.30pm (Sessions run every 25-minutes)  £15 per person, tickets available to purchase on the day * Suitable for all ages and abilities   Join printmakers, Andy and Naomi to watch a live demonstration of Mokuhanga printmaking, a traditional Japanese woodblock printing technique. You’ll be guided through a short session creating 4 beautiful, printed designs inspired by ‘The Great Wave’ using rich Prussian blue […]

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Japanese Gardening Society Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August 2026  10am – 5pm   Free Suitable for all ages Members of the Japanese Garden Society will be on hand to share their knowledge and expertise in Japanese Gardening from construction and maintenance to restoration. The Japanese Gardening Society staff is located outdoors, in the Artists’ Garden directly behind York […]

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Creative Families  Saturday 29 August 2026  Drop in between 10.30am – 3.30pm  Included in general admission  Suitable for all ages  Join artist Lendita, for a fun, family workshop inspired by the Victorian York Gala. Surrounded by a themed paper-cut installation, created by Yorkshire artist Pippa Dyrlaga, you’ll make a colourful hot air balloon creation. 

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Sun Ring Making Saturday 29 August 2026 Drop in between 10.30am – 4.30pm  Free Suitable for all ages    Join artist Seiko Kinoshita for a fun, family-friendly workshop where you’ll create your own colourful woven sun wheel to take home.  This session takes place outdoors (weather permitting), in the Artists’ Garden directly behind York Art Gallery.

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The Art of Kokedama Saturday 29 August 2026 | 11am- 12 noon  £25 pp | SOLD OUT Suitable for ages 10+ In this creative session, Alice from The Outside In will take you step-by-step through the traditional style of creating Kokedama: using leafy plants and moss. Kokedama, roughly translates into English as ‘moss ball.’ You’ll […]

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Jiu Jitsu Performance Saturday 29 August 2026 2pm  Free Suitable for all ages Enjoy a demonstration of Jiu Jitsu, the unarmed self-defence martial art the Samurai (armoured warriors) used to train for the battlefield, with a modern twist. This performance will offer an introduction to the sport, showcasing techniques from falling safely to defence against punches, […]

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Paddle in the Surf: Mokuhanga Printmaking  Sunday 30 August 2026 10am – 4.30pm (Sessions run every 25-minutes)  £15 per person, tickets available to purchase on the day * Suitable for all ages and abilities   Join printmakers, Andy and Naomi to watch a live demonstration of Mokuhanga printmaking, a traditional Japanese woodblock printing technique. You’ll be guided through a short session creating 4 beautiful, printed designs inspired by ‘The Great Wave’ using rich Prussian blue […]

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Making Waves: A Closing Celebration Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August 2026 10am – 5pm Suitable for all ages Join us to celebrate the Making Waves exhibition by marking its closing weekend with a 2-day festival of music, workshops, creative activities, food and drink for all the family in York Art Gallery and York Museum Gardens.  Sunday Programme: Face Painting 10am – 4.30pm Face Painting £7, […]

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