Blockbuster exhibitions in the North

Get playful at Pippa Hale's Pet Project, where you can cuddle larger than life squishy cats and dogs inspired by the Bowes Museum's collection of ceramic pet figurines. After you've got hands-on with these interactive works of art, dive into the museum's ceramics collection, displayed alongside pet ceramics donated by members of the public. And did you know? These newly commissioned sculptures have been supported by a grant from Art Fund.

Discover three contemporary artists who play with materials to create powerful sculptures. Emii Alrai, Mónica Mays and Dominique White each make works drawing on their personal and collective histories to examine themes of heritage, displacement and transformation.

Witness a historic first: a museum exhibition exclusively dedicated to William Kentridge's monumental sculptures outside of South Africa. Over 40 works go on display across the Underground Gallery and in the grounds of Yorkshire Sculpture Park, inspired by the artist's interest in puppetry, film and theatre props.

Meet an innovative feminist artist who broke traditions and taboos. Helen Chadwick's provocative works blended beauty conventions with the grotesque, employing materials such as bodily fluids and meat. And did you know? She was one of the first women artists nominated for the Turner Prize. And while you're there, don't miss Caroline Walker: Mothering, an exhibition of a contemporary painter examining the everyday lives of mothers.

Celebrate 250 years since JMW Turner and Jane Austen were born at this major exhibition showing their work side by side for the first time. Witness an imaginary encounter between the prolific painter and beloved writer who both shared an interest in British country houses. And did you know? We supported this exhibition.

What can archaeological artefacts reveal or conceal about a nation? How can museum collections bear witness to political violence? Ali Cherri creates works across film, sculpture, installation and performance to examine the connections between archaeology, history and heritage and the impact of preserving cultural objects in museum collections.

Get a fresh perspective on the iconic and influential landscape painter JMW Turner, in this celebratory exhibition marking 250 years since he was born. Get up close to his staggering works that were expertly crafted to depict light in its most glorious form. Watercolours from the Whitworth's own collection are displayed alongside a lesser-known series of prints.

Did you know that bees date back to the dinosaurs? This immersive exhibition blends art and science to follow their story from its origins 120 million years ago, to the environmental challenges they face today. Featuring interactive displays, a soundscape of a live beehive, sculptures and projections, rediscover these vital creatures and their current struggle for survival.

Through portraiture, self-taught artist Lela Harris reimagines six Black people connected to the transatlantic slave trade who lived in Lancaster during the 18th century. Harris has combed through archival material to produce visual records of these people who have been historically erased, crucially reminding us of their existence and humanity.