Ards and North Down Borough Council’s latest Arts and Heritage programme has just been released! The Spring programme, covering the January to April period offers a vast range of exhibitions, creative classes, music and family events, all taking place across the Borough.

Programme highlights include the Friday Night Live and Music in the Chamber series of events which are making a welcome return this Spring. The Friday Night Live series sees acts such as Cool Hand String Band, Ken Haddock and Megan O’Neill take to the stage at Ards Arts Centre. While Music in The Chamber welcomes Niamh Dunne and LORE to perform at the beautiful Chamber room in Bangor Castle.

Art lovers will enjoy Ards Arts Centre’s fantastic spring exhibition schedule. Highlights include; Hans Litten. Europe During the rain. A Heap of Broken Images, an exhibition of artworks by Leslie Nicholl supported by The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and The Space Between an exhibition by Lisa Ballard exploring the processes the artist uses in her landscape painting.

The New Year is the perfect time to start a new hobby or learn a new skill. The new Arts and Heritage programme offers Creative Classes and Workshops taking place in Ards Arts Centre or try one of the new Outreach Classes happening at venues around the Borough. Choose from painting, ceramics, printmaking and more!

Spring is shaping up to be a busy time at North Down Museum too. The popular Arts Night at the Museum event returns on Friday 31 March. The historic museum building will be filled with local artists providing arts and crafts activities for you to participate in, experience or observe. This free event is fun for the whole family!

Valhalla Street Theatre will host Tales of Down in the Museum’s Courtyard on Sunday 5 March. Meet local characters such as Betsy Gray and Jenny Watts and hear tales of the local area and its people, all brought to life through animated storytelling.

The Museum’s spring exhibition schedule will see their temporary galleries displaying work from an array of local groups and artists. Highlights include the Glenlola 125 Exhibition which celebrates the history of one of Bangor’s oldest schools and Linen and Lace an exhibition by Ards Historical Society exploring the history of the textile industries in Newtownards.

Looking for a last-minute Christmas gift? Online ticket sales for all music events and enrolment for all classes and workshops are available from Thursday 15 December.

To view the full programme, book tickets or enrol in a class or workshop, visit: https://andculture.org.uk/whats-on