Wide Open is a celebration of Paignton’s people, places and spirit. Join us to dream up, make and experience great creative and cultural activities where you live.
Wide Open is a celebration of Paignton’s people, places and spirit. Join us to dream up, make and experience great creative and cultural activities where you live.
Light Source
Wide Open is delighted to welcome Monica-Shanta as our artist in residence for November.
From 13th to 29th November, Monica-Shanta will be working with local light sources in Paignton, from the natural sun, to playful refractions of glass and water and electrical light.
Never Look Straight At The Sun - drop in day
Today the doors of the Projection Room are open for you to come on in and join artist in residence Monica-Shanta to play with light and shadow, film and projection.
When the Fun Stops, Try Again?
An interactive and audience-led show about gambling addiction. ‘There’s a one in fifty-one chance you’ll win £500. There’s also a one in fifty-one chance you’ll end the show immediately.
Devising Interactive Theatre: Object and Play
Join Theatre-Maker Nathan Charles for a ninety-minute exploration of how to devise interactive theatre through games and play.
Artist Gathering - Arts and Heritage
Get together with local creatives and find out more about the Torbay Heritage Fund and get inspired about working across arts, community and heritage.
Dance-a-Story
Spark young imaginations and explore seasonal stories through dance and creative play, with Lauren Pomfret.
Film made on Film
An exciting opportunity to come and enjoy film, animation and network with South west film producers.
Does this look right?
Join us for an exclusive insight into the unnerving and absorbing style of Filmmaker and Animator Ashley Thorpe.
Open View: Never Look Straight At The Sun
During November the Wide Open artist in residence Monica-Shanta has been making an experimental short film inspired by light, including sources of light in Paignton, for a new piece of work called Never Look Straight At The Sun.
Lantern Making Workshop & Night Light Stroll
Enjoy some festive crafts with Sarah Farrow-Jones to make some light up lanterns and join us a night light stroll
If I Were To Paint You A Picture
Spend the day exploring views 'To the Bay...' from Paignton and experimenting with various mixed media techniques with guidance from contemporary landscape artist, Claire Jo Harmer. All art supplies included, all welcome, no experience necessary.
‘To the Bay …’
‘To the Bay ...’ includes work by guest artists and features latest works by contemporary landscape painter Claire Jo Harmer, including ‘en plein air’ and preparatory sketches alongside her paintings inspired by visits to Paignton coastal spots.
Court Room Roast
Step into the chaos of Court Room Roast, the fully improvised comedy show where YOU are the jury, and the laughs are legally binding!
Open View - 'To the Bay …'
The doors are open wide for you to celebrate the work of local artists inspired by the Paignton coast in the ‘To the Bay …’ exhibition, meet the artist Claire Jo Harmer as her project ‘Picturesque Torbay’ comes to a close.
Trio of Men - Instant Song Writing Workshop
Join Trio of Men for an intergenerational “instant” song writing workshop! All ages are welcome from the beginning as well as after school or college
Composing in Light
This workshop is suitable for anyone with a playful curiosity and interest in light, sound and technology. Artists from NooN collective invite you into the processes used to create their show 'Murmur'.
Make a Zoetrope
Bring pictures to life and create your own spinning Zoetrope. Visual artist Monica-Shanta will show you how to make a zoetrope from the early days of animation.
Through the Moving Image
A celebration of filmmaking in Torbay and Devon - with screening of short films from Devon based film producers and an opportunity to network.
Spooky Splash
The brilliant people from Paignton Community Shed have been busy designing spooktacular shapes. Get ready for Spooky Season by painting your own weird and wonderful decorations to take home.
Strandline: Benchmark
The culmination of a co-creative project in Paignton, with local people sharing and gathering stories of everyday heritage. This exhibition of objects, maps and stories includes a ‘Talking Bench’ installation which will take you on an audio journey across Paignton without having to leave your seat!
Echoes: Paignton in Motion
Paignton Picture House comes alive with projections & soundscape ... a giant rotating zoetrope brings the facade to life as a motion picture machine. Through its internal machinery this contraption reflects and echos the surrounding area. Book in advance if you can!
Ocean Youth Radio: Live Broadcast
Ocean Youth is going live directly from the Projection Room in Paignton in collaboration with Wide Open!
Creative writing sessions
A series of weekly creative writing workshops gently linked to the theme of ‘sky’ and led by poet & short fiction writer Zo Copeland. Guiding you through a series of prompts and exercises, Zo's workshops aim to empower you with tools and techniques to enhance your wellbeing and creative practice.
In Conversation with Squeezebox
Join the SqueezeBox team for a group conversation exploring what a care-led process can look like, and indeed, sound like - and how the economies of care shape creative practice and society.
Squeezebox: Artists in Residence
October's resident artists who open conversations on care as universal experiences through installation, performance and workshop.
Strandline
Join artist/musicians Emma Welton & Steve Sowden for our last creative meet-up as part of Strandline - a creative project sharing our everyday stories & making something new for our town. All welcome - tell your story & get involved!
Creative writing sessions
A series of weekly creative writing workshops gently linked to the theme of ‘sky’ and led by poet & short fiction writer Zo Copeland. Guiding you through a series of prompts and exercises, Zo's workshops aim to empower you with tools and techniques to enhance your wellbeing and creative practice.
Creative Paignton Exhibition
An exhibition showcasing some of the incredible work made as part of The Great Paignton Paint Out in 2023, a weekend of outdoor art inspired by plein air tradition, that took over the streets and seafront to show off Paignton & inspire artists far & wide!
No One Is Listening (a ghost story)
A thrilling venture into the unknown - master storyteller Vic Llewellyn takes us on a joyful, funny, and heartbreaking ride through the landscape of forgetfulness, Ghosts and lost memories. Age guidance: 14+
Creative writing sessions
A series of weekly creative writing workshops gently linked to the theme of ‘sky’ and led by poet & short fiction writer Zo Copeland. Guiding you through a series of prompts and exercises, Zo's workshops aim to empower you with tools and techniques to enhance your wellbeing and creative practice.
Lyndon Forster - Hand Pan
A great opportunity to hear accomplished musician Lyndon Forster playing the hand-pan at The Projection Room. Find out more about the instrument and Lyndon's work. No need to book, just turn up.
Open View: Technofossils - Traces of the Deep Future
Open Viewing of Erika Cann's final scupltural work, inspired by the geological past and future of Paignton, exploring the boundaries between geology and human, and natural and man-made.
Drop in: Technofossils, Erika Cann
Come along to meet artist Erika Cann and she explores the different art forms of photography, printmaking and sculpture, to understand and replicate forms and processes within geology. Submit your own deep-time finds, and to share your own stories about deep-time.
Strandline
Join artist/musicians Emma Welton & Steve Sowden for the last few creative meet-ups as part of Strandline - a creative project sharing our everyday stories & making something new for our town. All welcome - tell your story & get involved!
Creative writing sessions
A series of weekly creative writing workshops gently linked to the theme of ‘sky’ and led by poet & short fiction writer Zo Copeland. Guiding you through a series of prompts and exercises, Zo's workshops aim to empower you with tools and techniques to enhance your wellbeing and creative practice.
Creative Roaming
Creative Roaming walk with Erika Cann. A chance to explore the artist's creative process and to learn about how creativity can be a tool to question, imagine and unpick big questions through a group walk.
Strandline
Join artist/musicians Emma Welton & Steve Sowden for the last few creative meet-ups as part of Strandline - a creative project sharing our everyday stories & making something new for our town. All welcome - tell your story & get involved!
Creative writing sessions
A series of weekly creative writing workshops gently linked to the theme of ‘sky’ and led by poet & short fiction writer Zo Copeland. Guiding you through a series of prompts and exercises, Zo's workshops aim to empower you with tools and techniques to enhance your wellbeing and creative practice.
Technofossils: Traces of the Deep Future
Through September, we welcome our Artist in Residence Erika Cann, responding to the theme of Deep Time. Erika explores the relationship between bodies and geology, through her own body as a rock climber, making work inspired by the geological past and future of Paignton, exploring the boundaries between geology and human, and natural and man-made.
Land Empathy: Richard Chappell & Dr Ernesto Schwartz-Marin
Join Richard Chappell Dance’s leading dance artists and climate activists who are part of this local company’s summer production Land Empathy for a discussion on how dance, visual arts & movement can be linked to values of climate activism.
Picturesque Paignton
Full day workshop inspired by the coastline with artist Claire Jo Harmer. Start the day at the seafront, sketching out of doors then return to the Projection Room to develop sketches into paintings.
All at Sea: Music from the Devon Coastline
Legendary singer and song writer Maggie Duffy casts her net of songs and stories out to sea to bring you songs, folklore, legends and history from the West Country.
Kirkham House tours
Paignton Heritage Society timed tours of Kirkham House, one of Paignton’s oldest buildings. Booking essential, via the English Heritage website.
Paignton Pictures
Join illustrator Cecily Salt on a sketch & scribble workshop capturing Paignton moments. This workshop is suitable for all ages. All materials will be provided, but if you have particular materials you like to use for sketching or illustration, feel free to bring them along.
Mini Crafts Market
Stalls from local makers selling affordable crafts at pocket money prices alongside some special makes. All made by talented, local creatives including the brilliant Yarnia group from Paignton Library.
From creative events and activities, to unique spaces to test out and share your ideas, find out how you can get involved.
Wide Open is part of a major capital programme centred on Paignton Picture House made possible by the Cultural Development Fund. It will see the successful reopening of the historic grade II* listed landmark in 2025, one of the earliest purpose-built cinemas in Europe.