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.

Liverpool Biennial 2025 is open. Don't miss the UK's largest contemporary art festival that has taken over the city's museums, galleries and public places. At FACT, you'll encounter works by three contemporary artists. Expect: an interactive installation inspired by Manga visuals; a ceramic and sound work made in collaboration with local people; and a film shining a light on how humans have mistreated nature.

Keep discovering cutting-edge artists at other venues across the city, including Open Eye Gallery, Walker Art Gallery, and Tate Liverpool + RIBA North.

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.

Inject some colour into your life with this vibrant exhibition that celebrates the powerful allure of colour. Marvel at iridescent insects, contemporary works of art, a spectacular carnival costume and much more, to uncover how colour plays an important role in the world, from protecting the natural world to displaying symbols of power.

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.

Małgorzata Mirga-Tas is a contemporary Polish Romani artist, teacher and activist. She stitches together fabrics to build textile collages that tell vibrant stories of Roma history and culture, and her family's experiences. Grounded in research and family stories, she finds inspiration in museum collections and her personal archives to challenge stereotypes of Roma people, while demonstrating the community's rich heritage and resilience.

Marvel at these monumental porcelain sculptures by Felicity Aylieff. Towering up to five metres tall, these vast blue and white works are made in collaboration with master ceramicists in Jingdezhen, also known as the 'Porcelain Capital'. Aylieff blends traditional Chinese pottery techniques with abstract painting to reimagine them as supersized, contemporary sculptures.

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.