Artober
At Royal William Yard this October
Artober is back for its third year, turning Royal William Yard into Plymouth's autumn home for contemporary art. It will feature exhibitions with locally and nationally renowned artists, some in residence for the duration and others with shorter pop-up shows, creating a constantly evolving display of contemporary art, large-scale oil portraits, landscape photography and interactive installations.
There will be a Paint Out inviting artists to capture the character of the Yard's waterfront setting, the Affordable Art Market, an art installation raising awareness for homelessness charity Path, and a full programme of workshops from paint-and-sip evenings to drawing fundamentals.
Once again, the Yard will become a key part of Plymouth Art Weekender, the city-wide celebration of Plymouth's independent creative scene, bringing artists, organisations and audiences together.
Paint Out
Saturday 3 October, 11am – 3pm
Artists, painters and sketchers – amateur and professional – are invited to spend four hours capturing Royal William Yard’s waterfront setting from a location of their choice, from the Yard's historic architecture to its harbour views. Work must be started and finished on the day; judging takes place at 4pm in the Melville Building. Prizes include a £100 Cass Art voucher for the overall winner, plus £50 vouchers from Art Side, Wildwood, Le Vignoble and Jacksons Art. The top five pieces go on to feature in the Artober Exhibition. Tickets cost £15 per artist and booking closes on 1st October (book here).
Good Food & Craft Market
Sunday 4 October, 10am – 3pm
The Green
Known for showcasing some of the region's most talented artists and makers, the market offers everything from tasty treats to handcrafted gifts. A staple of Royal William Yard's event calendar for years and an award winner along the way, expect stalls ranging from food to jewellery to original art, with art and crafted goods taking centre stage for Artober. A wide range of local artists and creatives will set up on The Green, with plenty of original and inspiring work to browse across the day.
The Affordable Art Market
Friday 2 – Sunday 18 October
Open Tuesday - Sunday 10am - 4pm, Melville Corner
Original artwork direct from the artists, priced from £25 and capped at £500, spanning landscapes, abstracts, printmaking and ceramics. Exhibiting artists include Charlotte Viles (Cornish coastal light in paint and print), Sarah Hamilton Brewer (abstract moodscapes), Charlotte Cundell (figurative ceramic sculpture), Ley Roberts (drawing-based Cornish printmaking), Claire Gent (layered coastal acrylics), Donna Francesca (atmospheric coastal painting in oil, ash and wax), Kate Bosence (gestural, weather-inspired painting), James Williams (sculptural ceramic forms), Erica Ankers (semi-abstract paintings of place), Celine Gilart (bold, colour-led acrylics), Rebecca Roberts (porcelain homeware and abstract ceramics), Lucy Green (small-batch functional ceramics), Amy Teague (palette-knife coastal painting) and Madison Allen (lino print with painted detail).
Hope Begins With A Home
Saturday 10 – Sunday 18 October, 11am – 4pm
Melville Building
A community exhibition brought together by homelessness charity Path, and supported by Ocean City Arts, as part of Homelessness Action Week. Following last year's There’s No Place Like Home mural and community gallery, Path has invited artists, makers and creatives from across Plymouth to respond to themes of home, hope and homelessness, in a collection spanning painting, photography, textiles and text-based work.
Plymouth Art Weekender
Friday 16 – Sunday 18 October, 11am - 4pm
Melville Building
A city-wide celebration of Plymouth's independent creative scene, running since 2015. Plymouth Art Weekender brings artists, organisations, spaces and audiences together for a weekend of exhibitions, performances, workshops, screenings and talks, spanning established galleries, artist studios, homes and unexpected spaces across the city. At Royal William Yard, expect a showcase of the city's homegrown talent alongside artists visiting from further afield.
Artober Exhibition
Friday 23 October – Sunday 1 November, 11am – 4pm
Melville Corner
Royal William Yard's own exhibition sits at the heart of Artober, bringing artists together under one roof for nine days of contemporary art. This year’s exhibitors include The Conscious Sisters CIC (historic knitted fishermen's jumpers, reworked with contemporary fishing issues in mind), Kate Bosence (paintings and prints of Dartmoor and the coast), Gary Winters (painting, print and collage), Ewa Morawska (mixed-media collages and hangings), Martin Bush (abstract painting), James Lewis (seascape paintings), William Luz (drawing), Sally Holt (paintings), Amy Teague (framed paintings), Elaine Ford (evocative paintings of land, sea and abstract), Graham Steen (drawings and paintings), Amber Jane Stevens (contemporary paintings), Erica Ankers (semi-abstract paintings), Bored Claude (indie artist), and the top artists from the RWY Paint Out competition.
South West Coast Path Photographer of the Year 2026 Exhibition
Featuring 23 striking large-format photographs, the exhibition celebrates the beauty, wildlife and people of the 630-mile South West Coast Path, which stretches along the coasts of Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset. Alongside stunning landscapes and wildlife, the exhibition also highlights the growing impact of climate change on the Trail and the vital role supporters play in helping the South West Coast Path Association, the charity that cares for the path, protect this extraordinary National Trail for future generations
Workshops
Take part in one of the workshops taking place during October as part of Artober:
- Thursday 8 October, 7 – 9pm — Parisian Stroll: Sip and Paint, Bistrot Pierre, £33pp
- Saturday 10 October — Fundamentals of Drawing and Sketching with Sally Holt (Book here)
- Sunday 11 October — Fundamentals of Drawing and Sketching with Sally Holt (Book here)
- Thursday 15th October -6.30 – 9pm — Mindful Paint and Sip, Steel Brew
- Friday 16 October, from 7pm — Sip n Sketch, Tipple Cellar, Arcade
- Thursday 22 October, 6 – 8.30pm — Gustav Klimt: Create like Klimt, Mills Bakery. Run by artist Jayne Ashenbury, tickets £35 pp
- Saturday 31st October, 3-3.45 and 4-4.45pm Pumpkin Carving, Natural Source, Arcade
Artist in residence: Sally Holt
Royal William Yard has its very own artist in residence. Painter and illustrator Sally Holt returned to the Yard in June, after five years at Ocean Studios, to take up a larger studio in Brewhouse. As well as continuing her own work, Sally is exhibiting in the Artober Exhibition and running a Fundamentals of Drawing and Sketching workshop on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th October.
Best known for her charcoal and canvas work, Sally specialises in dog portraits, which suits a destination as dog-friendly as Royal William Yard. Her own dogs, Freddy and Lily, are regular visitors to the studio. Her clients include Disney, the BBC, Netflix and Tate St Ives.
During the week, the studio is a working space for Sally's own artwork and commissions. At the monthly Good Food & Craft Market and other events, the doors open to the public. Visitors can see the artwork on display, buy prints and greeting cards, and have their dog photographed for a portrait commission.
Art for all the family
There are free colouring activities throughout the month too: a weekly drop-in session every Saturday morning at DockSide Coffee Bar, colouring sheets available at DockSide, Pebble and the Pop-up Shop in the Arcade.
Keeping little ones entertained during a meal out and about, with children's colouring available for little diners at Wagamama, Seco Lounge and Wildwood.
