We promote the advancement of arts education and appreciation and support the preservation of our artistic heritage by offering a range of activities for people who share our interests in the arts

• a monthly series of hour-long, lavishly illustrated lectures from expert speakers
• study days giving in-depth insights
• visits and cultural tours in the UK and abroad
• volunteer opportunities
• chances for socialising with like-minded people

We meet on the third Monday of the month at 2:00pm at the Blackwell Grange Hotel in Darlington and warmly welcome visitors and new members to join us.

The programme for 2025 ranges across

• art forms from Palladio’s architecture to JS Bach’s music
• time periods from 15th century illustrated manuscripts to Renoir in the 1880s
• the world, from African Art to the cult of the Pacific  

Visits in 2026 include

• a virtual tour of Hampton Court Palace in January
• a trip to the Cotswolds in the Spring
• an overseas tour to Porto in the Autumn

An annual subscription, from our AGM in October, costs £70.  All talks, except January’s, are hybrid (either in the room at Blackwell Grange or at home via Zoom).   If you share our curiosity and want to expand your knowledge of the arts, come and join us.

More details in the Events and News boxes below