Join us for free adult creative drop-in sessions at Thackray!

We’ll be running a different creative activity on select Fridays this summer. Get involved or simply bring your own project to work on.

Here’s what you can try:

Block Printing - 12 July

Embroidery - 26 July

Cyanotypes - 3 August

Still Life Drawing - 10 August

Drop-in any time between 12.30pm and 3pm.

No booking required – just check in at the front desk upon arrival.

Make the world's best worst robot!

Hebocon is a competition where you will create robots by taking apart old broken toys and putting them together again in weird and wonderful ways! Think Sid from Toy Story...

The big screen will be up this Sunday for our community to watch the match - comfy seating great view of the game, friendly crowd, all welcome. 

Come and watch Left Bank-style!

Get In The Mood and join us for a swingin’ night of nostalgia and music. Step back in time and immerse yourself in the enchanting world of the 1940s with the 16-piece, Leeds-based Northern Swing Orchestra and special guests, The Honeybirds. This is the ultimate big band show that you won’t want to miss!

The Northern Swing Orchestra, known for its captivating performances and exceptional musicianship, will take centre stage to deliver a showstopping performance that pays homage to the golden age of big band music.

Let us take you on a journey through the history of Leeds and highlight treasures from our library collections.

Pop along to the 2nd floor of Leeds Central Library to explore collections dating from the 17th century in our Heritage Open Day showcase event. Focusing on this year's Routes - Networks - Connections theme, we will transport visitors through the history of Leeds and explore the city's global connections. Librarians will handpick their favourite examples, from exciting expedition accounts and historic maps to tracing local railways and rivers.

Every single hamlet, village, town and city in the British Isles has a story of secret passages running beneath the landscape. The tales speak of hidden tunnels connecting the castle and the monastery, or the hermitage and the pub, or the church and the manor house. Often these are supposed to be escape tunnels, sometimes they are connected with smuggling or treasure, on other occasions the given reasons for their existence are somewhat salacious and scandalous. 

Yorkshire's very own tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival!

Sunflower Thieves are childhood friends, Amy and Lily: a self-produced sisterhood, nurturing a unique sound, through ethereal vocals harmonies and storytelling lyrics. The band’s debut EP, Someone To Be There For’, was met with huge support from Radio 1’s Sian Eleri, 6Music’s Steve Lamacq and revered tastemaker, Tom Robinson. They have previously played shows with the likes of Flyte, Say She She, Haley Blais, Nell Mescal and Lewis Watson, been longlisted for Glastonbury’s Emerging Talent Competition and named ‘Ones To Watch’ by PRS.

Following first single “Relief”, today Our Girl announce the release of their new album The Good Kind due out 8th November via Bella Union. To accompany the announcement the band have shared new single “Something About Me Being a Woman”, a track on which Our Girl singer/guitarist Soph Nathan turns over a remark from an acquaintance that was at best “just bad timing” and, at worst, brazen misogyny.

Join the Thackray Boffins as they uncover the secret science that sits behind medical innovation and discovery. Inspire your own future health heroes with inspiring true tales, jaw-dropping demonstrations and, of course, audience participation.

Step inside the offices of Boffin Devices Incorporated where we design unique healthcare technology which is truly all about YOU.