Welcome to The Arc!

The day has finally arrived and The Arc has officially opened its doors in Winchester.

Formerly Winchester Discovery Centre and set in an iconic, Grade II listed building on the city's Jewry Street, The Arc is a partnership between Hampshire Cultural Trust and Hampshire County Council. During the recent closures, the team have been hard at work upgrading facilities and revamping spaces to create a unique cultural destination.

Inside the Arc you’ll find many different services and features, with activities and opportunities for everyone.

The building will still be home to Winchester Library, one of Hampshire’s most popular libraries, with plenty of books available to browse and borrow, for all ages and interests.

An ongoing programme of classes and workshops is also on offer, where you can try something new or develop your skills further.

Check out the brand new Digital Lab, featuring eight state-of-the-art Apple iMacs with access to Adobe Suite and other open-source design software. This weekend (19 - 20 February) you can drop in anytime, chat with our facilitators, find out about upcoming interactive opportunities and even try out the computers.

Upstairs you’ll find The Gallery and City Space, two great spaces hosting an ongoing programme of temporary exhibitions, with plenty of chances to discover something new. At City Space’s new home on the mezzanine, take in Turn and Return (Until 3 April), featuring vibrant textile creations by local weaver Deirdre Wood, then see how war artist Eric Ravilious saw the beauty in day-to-day life with Extraordinary Everyday in The Gallery (until 15 May).

Treat yourself to an evening out at the Performance Hall, hosting fantastic live performances. Upcoming comedy highlights include the National Comedy Award-nominated Coconut from Shazia Mirza (26 February) and host of ITV2’s Killer Camp Bobby Mair (24 March), as well as regular comedy night Barnstormers Comedy (from 18 March).

If you’re more musically inclined, book now for An Evening of Big Band (5 March), An Evening of Vintage Swing (30 April), or unique experimental folk from the critically acclaimed Jim Ghedi and Cinder Well (25 March).

For families there’s an upcoming triple bill of great kids theatre with Messy (23 February), toooB, ideal for the very young (26 March) and a magical retelling of Little Red Riding Hood (18 April).

Take a break and refresh in the newly refurbished café, offering delicious barista coffee, hot and cold drinks and a range of food and sweet treats. The café will also play host once a month to chilled out live music with Acoustic Café (from 4 March).

Did somebody say cake...? 👀

All this and so much more is now available at The Arc. We look forward to welcoming you.


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Hampshire Cultural Trust

From museums to galleries to arts centres, we manage and support 24 attractions across the county, welcoming over 740,000 people each year. Our charitable purpose is changing lives through culture.
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