Open for Art
Open for Art is Reading’s largest summer town centre celebration of all things creative. Making, dancing, painting, filming. We are open to all of it.
During the festival we showcase creative groups and organisations that we work with throughout the year. We celebrate individual artists and creators, working with businesses to host pieces of artwork for all to see, creating an artist trail for the town. The festival is the perfect time to try out one of our workshops, many of which are free, we encourage everyone to get involved.
As always, we will bring together a diverse range of creators to share their work with you, highlighting many unusual spaces in the town and how they can be used creatively.
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Open for Art 2026 - Highlights
Our theme for Open for Art 2026 was reflect.
This year marked ten years of Open for Art — a decade of artists, makers, communities, ideas, and shared experiences. As we celebrated this milestone, our theme invited everyone to pause and consider how creativity emerges from people coming together — experimenting, making, and reflecting.
For 10 days, we invited Reading to slow down and notice the creativity through the town. Art popped-up in shops and businesses, you could encounter artists as they worked, take part in creative sessions, and join conversations about how reflection shapes artistic practice.
Open for Art 2025 - Highlights
Our Open for Art theme for 2025 was PLAY. Our open for art programme questioned:
How does play influence your creativity?
How can play create connection?
How can you inspire others to play in your town?
What role does play have in the local and global arts community?
We encouraged you to explore the joy, experimentation, and possibilities that emerge through play in all its forms. Whether through playful processes, reimagining spaces for play, or exploring the deeper meanings of playfulness.
Open for Art 2024 - Highlights
‘Impact’ is the theme for this year's festival.
How does art impact you?
Do you know what your environmental impact is?
How will you impact your town?
What impact can your art have on the local and global community?
Thank you to venues who hosted art work in 2024
Rise - 4 Chatham Place
Castle Tap - 120 Castle Street
Coffee Under Pressure Speciality Coffee & Tea - St Mary’s Butts
John Lewis - Broad Street
Jacobs the Jewellers - Douglas Jacobs House, 25 King St
Nylon - 7 Duke Street
58 Barbershop - 58 Kings Road
Thames Lido - Napier Road
Simon Dowling Bespoke - 8 The Forbury, Sussex House
Picnic - 5 Butter Market
Eclectic Games - 5 Union Street
Shed and Milk - The Old Forge, 8 Merchants Place
Highlights from Open for Art 2023
In 2023, we created an Open for Art map to highlight our trail of 14 venues hosting 16 artists' work and 16 events including walks, talks, exhibitions, residencies and workshops.
Exhibiting artists were Associate Artists members and our Jelly workshop leaders.
We extend our thanks to the amazing sponsors, supporters and venues who made this event possible: Blue Collar Corner, Broad St Mall, Dance Reading, Reading Borough Council, Reading Indie Market, Reading Urban Sketchers, and the generous funding from Arts Council England, HM Government, Historic England, and National Lottery Heritage Fund.
We are incredibly grateful for the collective effort that made ThoroughFayre such a success,
Flimed by Matt Hulse Photographs by John Angerson
If you are a venue in Reading town centre and would like to be a part in Open for Art please get in contact by filling out our form below
For all our other workshop and events happening at Jelly and in our community please see our eventbrite page for FULL listing
