As Norwich sheds its winter coat and welcomes in those brighter days, it’s time to start filling your calendar with the best events and activities for April. In the coming month, with its creative forums and days out for everyone to enjoy, there’s no better backdrop than the City of Stories.
Read on for our top recommendations throughout April! (And if you need some last-minute plans for Easter, we’ve got that covered too, check out our blog here!)
This time of year is always an exciting one as the Norfolk Makers Festival at The Forum makes its return. With an eclectic mix of FREE and paid for (but affordable) events, the Norfolk Makers Festival brings together local artists, crafters, and artisans for a wonderful celebration of all things creative, including works of personal expression and artistic collaboration!
Whether you’re a professional or complete amateur looking to find your next hobby, you’re more than welcome at this festival, which encourages everyone to get involved, have a go at something new, develop your skills, and discover your true creative self!
One particular highlight of this year’s Norfolk Makers Festival is ‘Margaret: The Complete Collection’ (Saturday, April 13 – Sunday, April 21), a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition of all of this wonderful woman’s unique and jaw-dropping textile creations (find out more about her story here). See her knitted model of Great Yarmouth, Sandringham, Buckingham Palace, and many, many more, all completely created from wool, and for the last time in one place!
If you’d rather get a bit more hands-on, you could join ‘Communal Cartooning’ and help draw out a really, really long story (Saturday, April 13 – Sunday, April 14). For two days, the Norfolk Makers Festival and cartoonist and illustrator, David Shenton, invites you to pick up a pen and help turn rolls of plain wallpaper into a community-made story! Here, there is no planned beginning, middle, or end – it’s up to everyone involved to take it in the direction they choose! All materials needed for this event are provided, and everyone is encouraged to come along and get involved.
So, as you can tell, there is a lot of choice in this year’s Makers Festival. Whether you’re looking for exhibitions, activities, workshops, talks, online events, or even demonstrations, you’ll find it all here. Be sure to check out the Norfolk Makers Festival website for their full and extensive calendar of events!
The Norfolk Makers Festival is the perfect way to find your next favourite hobby!
The Norfolk Makers Festival isn’t the only fantastic event being held at The Forum in April – there’s plenty to get up to in the coming month.
Visit the annual ‘Spring Art Show’ (Wednesday, April 3 – Sunday, April 7), which showcases the talented artists living right here in the East of England. Expect a range of mediums and styles – all of which are truly fascinating! Amongst these works will be original artworks and prints, all of which will be available to buy – just in case you spot that must-have piece!
Don’t miss the chance to support even more amazing local craft and gift makers with the ‘Jabbawocky Spring Fair’ (Saturday, April 6, 10am – 5pm). Explore dozens of stalls inside and outside The Forum to discover local makers and their works, from arts, crafts, textiles, jewellery, cakes, and more. You might even find the perfect present for a loved one too!
For The Forum’s full list of events on throughout April, check out their calendar here!
The Forum have got plenty of events on throughout April, especially for anyone looking to get creative!
From musicals and plays to comedy acts and hands-on workshops to get involved in, one thing is for certain… everyone is sure to find something interesting across Norwich Theatre this month!
Start your April with the iconic musical, ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ (Monday, April 8 – Saturday, April 13). For one week only at the Norwich Theatre Royal, this global phenomenon will be hitting the stage right here in the City of Stories to wow audiences with riveting rock music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, incredible choreography, and Broadway values. Tickets for this musical are available from just £10! Now that might be the only value you won’t find on Broadway – so be sure to book your seats on the Norwich Theatre website soon.
Or, if you’re looking for some laughs, ‘Doppelginger’ (Thursday, April 4, 8pm) by multi-award-winning comedian, Ray Bradshaw, is the show for you. Forever told he looks like other people’s ginger-haired friends, Ray has decided to put an end to this once and for all. In this brand-new show, he’s finally on the quest to find the person who looks most like him. It’s even encouraged to bring a friend who looks most like him! But if you don’t know anyone who matches the description, it’s still the perfect show to sit back and enjoy plenty of laughs. Tickets for this show are available for £17.50 and can be booked here!
Last but by no means least, the workshops. Each month, there’s plenty across the Norwich Theatre venues for you or your children to get involved in – they’re all very welcoming and great fun! For a highlight, all ages can get involved in ‘Cardboard Creations: Build a Stage Set’ (Tuesday, April 9, 10am – 3pm), a FREE session where families can collaborate and add to a temporary structure out of reclaimed materials – you can even take your designs home after! You can find all of Norwich Theatre’s workshops on their website.
Ray Bradshaw’s show is bound to be full of laughs as he searches for his ultimate lookalike.
With a new season comes a new fabulous wine from Chet Valley Vineyard (Saturday, April 20, 10am – 1pm)! And what better time to treat yourself to a nice new bottle of wine than the start of spring? During this release event, you’ll be among the very first to taste this delicious vintage release wine from the hand-picked grapes during the October 2023 harvest.
You’ll also hear from the faces behind Chet Valley, who will give a talk about the harvest, how their new vintage has developed behind-the-scenes in the winery, and the wine making techniques that are employed to create such an elegant tipple. A light lunch can also be booked after for £15 per person. It’s the perfect afternoon for any wine lover!
If you happen to be a Leaseholder at Chet Valley, you can attend this event free of charge, while tickets cost £30 per person for non-leaseholders. Book your place on the Chet Valley Vineyard website soon, this event is bound to sell out!
The release of Chet Valley’s new wine isn’t one to miss!
And if you’re looking for another fantastic event to impress any wine aficionado, Norwich Wine Week will soon follow from Friday, June 14 – Saturday, June 22. With a three-day Festival and a weeklong, city-wide showcase, it’s not one to miss in the City of Stories this year. Find out more about Norwich Wine Week in our blog!
