Spotlight Tours – Summer 2025
13 May - 16 July 2025Spotlight Tours include tea and cake in the Terrace Cafe, followed by a tailored tour of the Living Area.
Refreshments served from 10.30am, with tour starting at 11.00am
Total cost, including the tour and refreshments, is £6
Numbers are limited and booking essential
Booking link coming soon
Summer 2025 Spotlight Tours
Each tour highlights one aspect of the iconic Living Area collection, from artist, to region, or medium. Come along to learn of the stories behind our objects and discover unexpected connections between works!
Spotlight Tours include a hot drink and cake in The Terrace. Please arrive from 10.30am to enjoy refreshments before the tour begins at 11.00am.
Tuesday 13th May
The Oceans
Ancestral beliefs and our never-ending fascination for the sea
Take a look at amazing historic and contemporary works of art across the collection. These illustrate ancient cultural beliefs, legends and stories that relate to survival and total respect for the natural world. Today our challenge is to communicate and recognise how essential the seas are to all life…
With volunteer guide Jolyon Gough.
Wednesday 21st May
Stop! Don’t Walk By!
We consider some not-so-easy pieces from the collection
On this tour, we will examine artworks that might initially strike the viewer as ‘difficult’, controversial or challenging. We will explore the stories behind the pieces and the artists who made them and consider how they stimulate our imagination.
With volunteer guide Andrew Tarbuck.
Thursday 29th May
Henry Moore (This is an ENCORE)
The twentieth century British artist who became a worldwide celebrity
British World War II ‘National Treasure’. A myth in his own lifetime. Henry Moore, renowned for his monumental semi-abstract bronze sculptures was a media and global superstar for two decades, admired for his artistic endeavours and approachability. We will explore Henry’s life, legacy, artistic practice and personal connection to the Sainsbury Centre.
With volunteer guide Bo Davis.
Friday 6th June
What’s New?
New faces, new ideas, new artists
Find out about some of the more recent acquisitions in the Sainsbury Collection. Why were they chosen and how do they complement the existing artworks?
With volunteer guides Julie Roy and Lynne Middlemiss.
Thursday 12th June
Does it Move?
Artworks that depict or give the viewer a sense of movement
This tour will explore the variety of ways in which some artworks manage the challenging task of either depicting movement or making the viewer think of movement, in the artist’s static paintings and sculptures. Join us to find out how they did this and consider how successful they were.
With volunteer guides Matt Cross and Dave Johnson.
Friday 20th June
Art from China
Take a good look at the ancient Chinese art in the Sainsbury Collection
A bowl pretending to be a turtle, two flamboyant mythical beasts, three sinuous and elegant dancing ladies, two serene bodhisattvas, an enormous, richly patterned storage jar, simple black ceramics …. Enjoy the variety of Chinese artworks in the collection.
With volunteer guide Linda Chapman.
Thursday 10th July
Where are the Women?
Women, spanning centuries, continents and media – as depicted in the Sainsbury Collection
We will compare and contrast the female form in many guises, including a tiny figure from the ancient land of Mesopotamia, an East African ceremonial staff, a Surrealist painting from Mexico, a French Venus and an ancient Cycladic figure.
With volunteer guides Sue Hall and Georgie Livingstone.
Wednesday 16th July
Giacometti
Friend, brother, lover and rival
Exploring the links between Giacometti and his artworks in the collection, we will look at his life and relationships, including his friendship with the Sainsburys, his dependence on his brother Diego, his love for his wife Annette, his fascination with model/muse Isabel Rawsthorne and the much debated ‘rivalry’ with Francis Bacon.
With volunteer guide Caroline Robson.