Bernie's Blog

Plan your festive visit

Talbot Rice Gallery is open Tuesday - Saturday, from 10am - 5pm. Our last day open before the festive closure will be Saturday 20 December. We will reopen in the new year, on Tuesday 6 January 2026. 

Until Saturday 7 February 2026, you can catch our current exhibition The Children are Now, a group show that aims to represent the relationship of children to the key challenges that we face today.

If you are planning a visit, we have good news and bad news about our lift. We have secured investment in a new lift which is due to be installed in 2026. However, the old lift has since stopped working. We are doing everything we can to fix this while waiting for the new one. Please accept our apologies and bear with us while we modernise our heritage estate. 

Little Creative Morning:

Monster Mask Making

Saturday 17 January, 10am

Register for free

In this session with artist-educator Fibi Cowley, children will dive into the world of monsters, embracing their wild side and transforming into imaginative “creature” characters of their own design. Using pre-cut paper mask templates and a range of collage materials, participants will build and decorate their own monster masks, with the option to add claws, hands, or feet for a full transformation.

Once in character, children can choose to step in front of a green screen to record short clips of their character in action. These recordings will form part of a collaborative mini film created from this workshop and our next Little Creative Morning on Saturday 31 January.

Little Creative Morning:

Ideal World Making

Saturday 31 January, 10am

Register for free

In this session with artist-educator Fibi Cowley, children will design and build a world of their own—small enough to fit inside a shoebox, yet big enough to hold their dreams. Using collage, clay, fabric, found objects, and simple construction techniques, participants will create imaginative miniature sets: dreamscapes, forests, tiny homes, floating heavens, fictional underworlds, or anything else their imagination conjures.

These shoebox sets will become the backdrop for the monster characters filmed during the previous Little Creative Morning, contributing to a collaborative mini film that brings together children’s voices, stories, and creations.

Yoga | Student Sessions

Friday 12 December

Register for free

Join us for an evening of gentle yoga and reflection inspired by The Children are Now, the current exhibition at Talbot Rice Gallery. This yoga session invites University of Edinburgh students to explore themes of play, presence, and imagination reflected in the exhibition’s artworks. Through mindful movement and breath work, participants will be encouraged to rediscover curiosity and connection.

*This event is for University of Edinburgh students*

BSL Tour of The Children are Now

Wednesday 10 December

Register for free

Join Trudi Collier for a deaf-led BSL tour of the exhibition The Children are Now as part of Deaf Action Burns Week. The tour lasts one hour. Please meet us at the entrance of Talbot Rice Gallery on the ground floor, at the bottom of the stairs. We will be waiting next to a BSL tour sign.