Emmy Bridgwater and Birmingham Surrealists

Emmy Bridgwater and Birmingham Surrealists opens at the Midlands Arts Centre on Saturday 24 October, running through to Sunday 10 January 2027 in the First Floor Gallery. It's a celebration of Emmy Bridgwater (1906–1999), a Birmingham-born surrealist who was a pivotal figure in British Surrealism and the Birmingham Surrealist Group.

The exhibition brings together her paintings, drawings, collages and poetry spanning more than six decades, so you get a proper sense of how her work shifted over a long career. She's shown alongside fellow Birmingham Surrealists Conroy Maddox, John Melville, Oscar Mellor and Desmond Morris, and the inclusion of contemporary artists Laura Footes and Paloma Proudfoot adds a newer layer to the mix. The organisers say their work offers fresh perspectives on Bridgwater's legacy and on the role of women's voices within surrealist expression.

It's part of a wider surrealist season at the MAC, and the show is supported by The Oakley Charitable Trust and the Golsonscott Foundation. Beyond the gallery walls, the venue is running school visits and hands-on creative workshops around the exhibition, so there's more to it than just walking through and looking. Entry is free, with donations welcome, and it's on at the MAC in Cannon Hill Park, B12 9QH, from 24 October until 10 January.