EXHIBITIONS
Detail from Lovelies 1945 by Edward Bawden © The Edward Bawden Estate
Edward Bawden - Snails for All
Opens 23 May 2026
Edward Bawden Gallery - Free Entry
In 1945, after returning from his duties as a War Artist in the Middle East, Edward Bawden wrote and illustrated a book about snails for his two young children called ‘Snails for All’. Last year The Higgins Bedford was gifted this amazing book for The Edward Bawden Archive. To celebrate this new acquisition the exhibition, of the same name, will display each page of the book alongside other works from the collection. There will also be artwork inspired by the book by children from Putnoe Primary School made in collaboration with local artist Philippa McDonald from Creative Days.
The Harpur Trust Art Competition
An exhibition of Children's Work
20 June - 4 October 2026
Sir William Harpur Gallery - Free Entry
The Children's Art Competition will feature more than 100 pieces of artwork created by pupils from schools across Bedford Borough. The children aged 4 to 18 have created their artwork at workshops with professional artists visiting
their schools. The theme for the 2026 exhibition is Aspire: Nurturing Potential, based on their aspirations, goals, dreams, hopes and what they want to be or do in life. This may be looking ahead to the year, before they go to secondary school, when they leave school, or even later in life. The competition and exhibition are delivered by The Harpur Trust and The Higgins Bedford.
Further information please see Art Competition - Harpur Trust.
Frontispiece for Venus and Tannhauser 1895 by Aubrey Beardlsey
Rhyme and Reason
25 September 2026 - February 2027
Wixamtree and Connections Gallery - Free Entry
Discover the influence of stories and poetry on artists in this new exhibition drawn from the internationally renowned Cecil Higgins Art Gallery Collection. Greek myths and Shakespearian stories, Arthurian legends and poetry will all be explored in the works of artists such as Thomas Gainsborough, Paula Rego, Henry Moore, Ceri Richards and Henri Matisse.
A full colour catalogue by curators Professor Christiana Payne, Dr Mary O'Neill and Victoria Partridge will be available to buy in the shop.
DISPLAYS
Exploring Bedfordshire’s Kilns: An Industry Revealed
28 April to 4 October 2026
Outside Settlement Gallery – Free Entry
In 2025, Albion Archaeology, part of Central Bedfordshire Council, unearthed a remarkably well preserved Late Medieval kiln under the playing field of Sutton V. A. Primary School, near Potton. Excavating the Sutton Kiln revealed the closing of a substantial pottery production centre in Bedfordshire, with over 30,000 pieces of pottery and 500kg of tiles recovered by the archaeologists – most of it washed by volunteers from The Higgins Bedford.
A new display, in collaboration with Albion Archaeology, explores this discovery, alongside other kilns found near Potton and in Bedford itself. Come and see what this kiln looked like in its day, as well as what kind of pottery was being made in Late Medieval Bedfordshire, and how the archaeologists saved this piece of Bedfordshire's heritage. This was a community-wide project, the display will include contributions from Bedford Young Archaeologists’ Club, Sutton V.A. Primary School and volunteers from The Higgins.
George, A Windrush Boy
1 May – 1 November 2026
Dressing Room Display in The Higgins House – Free Entry
This display is inspired by a historical novel, George (the teenage years), which tells the story of an 11-year-old Windrush boy who came to England from Jamaica and lived in South London during the 1960s and 1970s.
The author, Gilroy Gregory and his daughter (the artist) tell the story, with illustrations, of this black immigrant boy. The display is a glimpse into the lives of these unknown British children who came with their parents from the colonies to help in the rebuilding of Britain after World War 2. These children are a lost generation (to the government and the British public). In more recent times some have been mistakenly identified and forcibly removed as illegal immigrants; others have lost their jobs, houses and healthcare. The exhibits are all a connected part of George’s story and experience.