The Dulwich Festival 2026 is set to bring vibrant community arts celebration to life in South London across 10 days from Friday, May 8 to Sunday, May 17.
Featuring over 80 events spanning music, dance, literature, visual arts, performances, fairs, walks, workshops, wellbeing sessions and family activities, the event is laden with diversity and enrichment.
Whether a silent disco, tours taking us through the history of Dulwich, meditative chanting sessions, bird walks or curated art exhibits, there’s a little bit of everything for you to immerse yourselves in through the course of 10 exciting days of events.
“This exhibition is significant as it contextualises oracle script of calligraphy art in a Victorian church space” – Carry Hornby, Chinese brush artist
One of the flagship events of the Dulwich Festival is the Artists’ Open House 2026, taking place on the weekends May 9-10 and May 16- 17 . Consisting of several intriguing and profound curations as well as engaging workshops, the open house event gives locals artists and art lovers to absorb the nuanced creativity on display.
Chinese Brush artist Carry Hornby has curated the exhibit titled ‘Script of the Heart,’ led by her expertise in intricate and ancient art of Chinese calligraphy to allow visitors to engage and appreciate the rich cultural heritage of the art.
Speaking of the exhibit, she says, “As the curator of this exhibition, I apply my training as Asian Arts Curator at SOAS University of London to tell a story of an enlightened and awakened Path in spiritual house of many through my calligraphy scripts in correspondence with biblical references.
“As a Chinese calligraphy artist, this exhibition is significant as it contextualises oracle script of calligraphy art in a Victorian church space. It amplifies the dialogue between the messages from the calligraphy script and the divinity of the exhibiting space. I use my brush strokes carried my expressions of emotion and feelings in response to my encounters observable and invisible in the house of spiritual sanctuary at St Stephen’s church,” she adds.
Carry will also be part of the group exhibit by the South London Women Artists(SLWA), which supports and showcases local women artists. Framed by their ethos of inclusivity and diversity, their group exhibit at the East Dulwich Picture House explores the theme of ‘Lightness of Being.’
Besides Carry’s aesthetic and informed dive into the history and importance of Chinese calligraphy, other shows worth dropping by includes group shows such as ‘So where do we go from here,’ and ‘Un-Earthing’
The former exhibit – curated by Lucy Bainbridge, Monika Kita, Jane Millar / Sarah Sparkes, Jen Moore / Ellie Reid, Kim Thornton, Marianne Walker – grapples with what the future looks like in these times of uncertainties, rooted in the idea of shared pause and coming together to explore meaning and direction. Meanwhile, ‘Un-Earthing’ curated by Hong Kong-Belgian curator Douceline van Caloen explores de-colonial perspectives and how legacies of extraction continue to shape our current world.
The deep thought and poignance of these exhibits are only a glimpse of the multitudes that awaits us at the Artists’ Open House 2026, which will also including innovative, hands-on workshops that allow people of all ages to truly experience creativity first-hand.
In the community-led workshop ‘Root and Shoot’ which turns found objects into mini pencil earrings, participants get to learn the creation process and take their work home. Additionally, all proceeds from the workshop will go to charity. In another workshop ‘Brushes and Beyond,’ people will get to explore the water colour medium, while Carry will also be holding water and ink calligraphy talks and workshops to capture the emotion, encounters and culture nestled in every stroke of the brush.
With an expansive list of other exhibits, studio spaces, workshops and talks to drop by, the Artists’ Open House 2026 is sure to be any art lovers’ dream. You can check out the full list of art events here .
Find out all about the other events and activities you can experience during the Dulwich Festival here.
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