British Wildlife Photography Awards 2025
July 22nd – September 7th
Kingdom of the Hare by Drew Buckley / BWPA
This prestigious competition has toured the UK since 2009, celebrating the talent of wildlife photographers in the UK whilst highlighting the beauty of British landscape and wildlife, as well as contemporary issues in conservation, biodiversity and climate change. This is an exhibition suitable for all ages, ready to inspire young minds and challenge some of us older ones.
See more of the winning entries HERE
The winning photograph, “Urban Explorer” by Simon Withyman, was taken in Bristol in 2023, capturing a fox’s ‘beauty in [the] everyday urban scene’. A wedding photographer by profession, he has spent three years trailing this particular vixen across the city. It is a striking look at city wildlife, the vixen looking down the camera in the midst of Bristol’s tower blocks. It also speaks to the dedication of wildlife photographers, Withyman having lost track of the fox for a period and rediscovering it across the city, driven by a love of the species.
This award explores not just urban wildlife but a whole host of categories, from ‘Botanical Britain’ and ‘Animal Portraits’ to ‘Coast & Marine’ and ‘Wild Woods’, promising a rich view of British photography talents. As visitors walk through the exhibition, they can embark on a visual journey across the UK, discovering hidden gems and moments of wonder in the most unexpected places. For young photographers, it is a chance to see where their passion could lead, while for seasoned enthusiasts, it offers fresh inspiration and a renewed appreciation for their craft.
As always, entry to this exhibition is included in admission fee.
2D and 3D works by artists from Gloucestershire Society of Artists. This is their 101st Annual Exhibition. Most exhibits are for sale.
In the Education Centre, free to visit
Come and ex
plore a special display in our Education Centre, created to coincide with Heritage Open Days (12th–14th). This engaging exhibition offers a rare opportunity to jump into the rich and varied social history of Wallsworth Hall. Through photographs, historic documents and more, you’ll discover stories from its past, from its earliest days and original purpose, to the many ways it has evolved over time.
Perfect for history enthusiasts, families, and anyone curious about local heritage, this exhibition invites you to pause, look closer, and connect with the past.
Free to enter, in the Education Centre.
Please note this talk will no longer take place.
Doors open 7pm to view galleries. Finger buffet at 7.30pm followed by talk.
This illustrated talk will explore th
e history of gardens in Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire, covering various types such as medicinal, culinary, therapeutic, educational, and those created for enjoyment, starting from the earliest recorded mention of gardens.
In partnership with The Green Pledge Project @ The Hub, supported by the Heritage Fund
Tiger with Karen Coulson
Course Suitability: Suitable for all
Maximum Participants: 12
Course Description:
Explore the techniques to draw soft fur required to create this tiger portrait using a variety of Colour Pencils on Pastelmat.
A line drawing is supplied
Materials Required:
Materials will be provided within the session.
Places are on a first come first basis.
To secure your place on this course a £25 non-refundable deposit is required.
All courses are £59 per day for members, £75 per day for non-members
Hedgehog portrait with Karen Coulson
Course Suitability: Suitable for all
Maximum Participants: 12
Course Description:
Assorted Colour Pencils on Mount Board
Explore the techniques required to complete this Hedgehog in the Grass using assorted colour pencils.
A watercolour pencil is used for the first layer of the background.
A line drawing is supplied.
Materials Required:
Materials will be provided within the session.
All courses are £59 per day for members, £75 per day for non-members
Totally Tactile is a fully tactile exhibition where visitors will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with all the exhibits. From wood to metal, from realistic animals to abstract interpretations, this is a fantastic opportunity to engage with art in a way you might not usually get to! We will ask visitors to pop on blindfolds if they are sighted and invite everyone to take their time touching and thinking about the artwork in front of them. There will be a mix of artworks from the main collection, our reference library and other items kindly lent to us for this special occasion. This exhibition will also mark the introduction of audio guides across galleries for those who need it – we are aiming for the majority of our objects on display to have accompanying audio description by September. We will also have a small number of tablets available to borrow, with high contrast images of our artwork on for visually impaired visitors to take in at their own pace.
This exhibition recently featured on ITV.
Pigments into paint with Fiona McIntyre
Course Suitability: Suitable for all
Maximum Participants: 12
Course Description:
Day one of this course will introduce you to the natural beauty of mineral and earth pigments and reveal the art of transforming them from pigment into paint. You will work with red, purple and orange ochre foraged by the artist from within the UK, and learn the secrets of exotic lapis lazuli from Afganistan and the subtlety of green earth from Italy. The artist will bring raw samples to demonstrate the process and participants will be able to mull pigments into watercolour paint to experiment with the following day.
On day two Fiona will guide you through a workshop to draw and paint from exquisite natural objects using the paints you have made on beautiful handmade watercolour paper. This natural media is much more delicate than manufactured paints, requiring patience, delicacy and a variety of layering techniques which Fiona will show you.
Materials Required:
Materials will be provided within the session for a charge of £15 payable on the day. Please also bring:
Rounds small, medium and large.
Flats small, medium and large
One fan brush hogshair
Apron
Protective goggles only necessary if you wear contact lenses
Empty watercolour box if you have it otherwise don’t worry
About the artist:
Fiona McIntyre ARE is an experienced tutor based in Gloucestershire. She trained in drawing and painting at Edinburgh College of Art followed by printmaking and fresco in Sweden, then an MA at Winchester School of Art in Barcelona. She is a founding member of The Arborealists and an elected member of the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers. In 2022 she completed a six month residency at the Sidney Nolan Trust to develop a body of work for the exhibition ‘Dreaming The Land’, made entirely with natural pigments and inks. Fiona is passionate about sharing her knowledge of raw materials and teaches drawing as the backbone of good painting. She combines observational techniques with intuitive colour accessible at all levels. Fiona is a regular tutor at New Brewery Arts in Cirencester near where her studio is and has a loyal student following. She has exhibited in over 40 exhibitions in the UK, Gibraltar, France, Norway, Sweden, and her artwork is in the permanent collection of the Ashmolean and Bohuslan Konstmuseum Sweden.
Places are on a first come first basis.
To secure your place on this course a £25 non-refundable deposit is required.
All courses are £59 per day for members, and £75 for non-members.
Join us for a chance to see the winners of the Wildlife Art Society International’s 2025 exhibition! Located in the Education Centre, this exhibition is free to visit. Meet TWASI artists demonstrating every day:
- 7th SARAIS CRAWSHAW Paper cuts and painting
- 8th BRIDGET CORDORY Batik and Painting
- 9th VALERIE BRIGGS Drawing
- 10th ERIC WATSON Pastels and graphite
- 11th AGNESE DAVIES Wool, wood and wire sculpture
- 12th CHRIS SAUNDERSON Watercolour
Images left to right: Sarais Crawshaw, Lucy D’Auvergne, Chris Saunderson, Sophie Parkhill
Course Suitability: Suitable for all
Maximum Participants: 12
Course Description:
Join us on this exciting course, exploring the artistic skills and techniques of sketching buildings with pen and wash. Over two inspiring days, you will delve into the fusion of pen techniques and watercolour washes, learning skills such as perspective, proportion, colour mixing and how to loosen up. Led by an experienced tutor, the workshop offers hands-on guidance in capturing the essence of buildings with precision and expressive flair. From foundational drawing skills to the harmonious blending of watercolour hues, attendees will discover a versatile approach to urban sketching. Suitable for beginners and students with some knowledge of the medium. www.jonathannewey.com
Materials Required:
Materials will be supplied by the tutor at a cost of £30 to be paid on the day.
Should the students wish to use their own tools and materials rather than buying a set from the tutor then they are welcome to bring them along.
A full list of what is needed can be obtained from the tutor jnewey210@gmail.com
About the artist:
Jonathan Newey is an award winning artist with over 25 years of experience in teaching in adult education. He has experience in a wide variety of mediums and subjects including landscapes, wildlife and architecture in acrylic, watercolour and coloured pencil.
Places are on a first come first basis.
To secure your place on this course a £25 non-refundable deposit is required.
All courses are £59 per day for members, and £75 per day for non-members