The Harris

08/09/2026

🏛️ The Egyptian Balcony at The Harris is a hidden top-floor gallery wrapped around the lantern, featuring 1908 murals of Egypt by artist John Somerscales.

🏛️ For 2026 Heritage Open Days, this unique space will be opened for free. Join us for a self-led exploration of this space which takes around ten minutes and it’s free with no tickets required.

🗓️ 12 & 13 September | 1pm - 3pm.

📌 *Please note, the Egyptian Balcony is up steep, narrow stairs without lift access and please note we expect this to be busy so queues will be shutting at 2.30pm!

07/09/2026

07/09/2026

🏛️ The Egyptian Balcony at The Harris is a hidden top-floor gallery wrapped around the lantern, featuring 1908 murals of Egypt by artist John Somerscales.

🎨 For Heritage Open Days 2026, this unique space will be open for a free, self-guided exploration lasting around ten minutes, with no ticket required.

🗓️ 12 & 13 September | 1pm - 3pm

📌 Please note, the Egyptian Balcony is up steep, narrow stairs without lift access.

07/09/2026

📣 Great news!

🗣️ You've asked for another date for our popular lunchtime lecture and we’ve listened. There is now an extra date for John Garlington’s talk on Preston’s Victorian Red Light District.

🗓️ Wednesday, 23 September at 12.30 - 2pm.
🎟️ Book your free tickets here: https://theharris.org.uk/product/lunchtime-lecture-2/

🗣️ Lunchtime Lecture: Preston’s Victorian Red Light District

📖 Join local historian and author John Garlington for a fascinating talk inspired by his book, Preston’s Victorian Red Light District: Into the Sandhole.

📍 Step into a hidden world long erased from the map and uncover the stories of the people who lived through poverty and hardship to survive in one of Preston’s most notorious places.

🗓️ Sunday, 6 September at 2pm - 3.30pm
🔗 Book your free ticket here: https://theharris.org.uk/product/lunchtime-lecture/

06/09/2026

🏛️ Art admirers, history enthusiasts, fashionistas, newlyweds, curious children, brunch lovers, photographers, creatives, bookworms, shopping enthusiasts, Prestonians and tourists. Everyone is welcome to visit The Harris and begin their own story.

📍 Visit us for the perfect day out. From checking out our exhibitions to fun events for all the family, The Harris is here for you.

🔗 Plan your visit: https://bit.ly/4v8yUcw

05/09/2026

🗣️ Encounter Festival lands at The Harris Quarter on Saturday, 19 September with a jam-packed programme of free fun for all the family.

🎭 Expect walk-about theatre, interactive performances, music, workshops and much more, including...

📌 Arachnobot by Tim Davies Design
📌 Mr & Mr Burn by Ramshacklicious
📌 HUG by Levantes Dance Theatre
📌 Noisy Noise Noise by Working Boys Club

🌟 As day turns to night, the spectacular Torchlight Procession will take centre stage as it weaves its way through the city, filling the streets of Preston with music, dancing and light.

🔗 Check out the full programme at lancsencounter.co.uk.

📸 1. Tim Davies | 2. Paul Blakemore | 3. Roswitha Chesher | 4. Brent Jones

05/09/2026

👗 Join pARTnership artist Chloe Macfarlane for a creative collage workshop inspired by fashion and art.

✨ Meet Chloe for a short artist talk about her exhibited work, Chloe’s Fabric, before creating your own colourful fashion-inspired artwork using collage materials, paint sticks and pens. Expect plenty of colour, pattern and creativity!

📅 Friday, 25 September from 11am - 12.30pm
🎟️ Free tickets, but booking is required: https://bit.ly/3T6z46i

🖼️ Using The Harris Collection as a jumping off point, The Big Picture brings together an ambitious and vibrant collection of contemporary work spanning painting, sculpture, and mixed media, made by artists from The pARTnership, a visual arts development project working with learning disabled artists in Blackpool, led by Grundy Art Gallery.

Join pARTnership artists to create your own mixed media artwork using collage and mark making.

04/09/2026

✊ For Heritage Open Days, get creative and discover the stories behind some of history's most powerful protest movements with The Friends of Edith Rigby.

🏛️ Join a hands-on placard-making workshop inspired by The Suffragettes' fight for the vote and early industrial workers campaigning for fair labour conditions.

✏️ Create your own protest placard and explore how visual messages have been used to inspire change throughout history.

📅 Saturday, 12 September
⏰ 12pm – 4pm
📌 The Studio

04/09/2026

🧶 Join us for Knit & Natter. Bring your latest craft project, and enjoy a chat with friendly, like-minded people. Whether you knit, crochet, stitch, or you want to learn something new – everyone is welcome!

📅 On Monday, 14 September at 10am - 12pm

🧶 For adults, 16+

🎟️ Free drop in, no ticket required

04/09/2026

🎬 Film lovers, this ones for you…

🎬 The Harris in collaboration with LA1 Shorts & Doc North presents Medicine Man: The Stan Brock Story.

🎬 Medicine Man is a captivating documentary following the unlikely journey of Preston-born Amazonian cowboy turned TV star, Stan Brock, as he sacrifices everything for his life-changing mission to bring free healthcare to remote and underserved communities across America.

🎬 Join Stan on an inspirational adventure that sees him go from wrestling giant anacondas on TV to grappling with one of the biggest social issues of our time.

🎬 The screening of this award winning documentary will be followed by a Q&A with the director, Paul Michael Angell.

📅 Saturday, 5 September (2pm - 5pm)
👨 Suitable for Adults, 16+
🎟️ £5

🔗 Book here: https://ow.ly/WMY550ZHCAi