Arts at Surrey
Arts at Surrey encompasses a vibrant mix of music, literature, dance, film, performance and visual art. We offer a range of classes, Students’ Union societies, performances, events, academic research and programmes – all of which are available to both arts and non-arts students.
About the Arts at Surrey
The University of Surrey is committed to promoting the arts, both as a key academic discipline and through supporting the creative industries.
Whatever your interests, whether you’re a creative type or whether you enjoy the works of others, there’ll be something that you can get involved in.
To fully explore what’s currently going on, visit the Arts home page.
Events
Arts at Surrey hosts a vibrant range of:
- Concerts
- Exhibitions
- Dance and theatre performances
- Free lectures by eminent contemporary artists, sculptors and writers
- Poetry readings
- Film screenings
- The biennial Guildford International Music Festival
- The annual Guildford Book Festival
Visit the Arts playlist on our YouTube channel for a flavour of our recent events and activities.
Ivy Arts Centre
Many of our events take place in the £4.5m Ivy Arts Centre which opened in June 2011.
Housed in a former sports building that became redundant with the opening of Surrey Sports Park, the Ivy Arts Centre provides a theatre, studios, workshops, dressing rooms and various other spaces including a large wardrobe store, costume-making room and laundry.
The theatre seats 200 people and includes a box office, foyer and bar area.
“The new venue, coupled with the GSA opposite it, realises the ambition of creating an arts hub right at the entrance to the campus,” says Professor Phil Powrie, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences. “Staff, students and visitors will now enter the University through an arts gateway.”
“This is a testament to the University of Surrey’s commitment to promoting the arts, both as a key academic discipline and as one of the major ways in which we support the creative industries. It also puts another top-class venue on Guildford’s cultural map.”
Performing Arts Technology Studios (PATS)
Located a short walk along the spine road from the main entrance and next to the NatWest Bank, this building is home to:
- PATS Studio One – a flexible-capacity concert hall and sound-recording studio, seating up to 260. This is the primary performance space for music concerts at the University and hosts the weekly lunchtime and rush-hour concerts, which are free to all staff, students and the public.
- PATS Dance Studio – a multipurpose rehearsal and performance space for dance and theatre. This venue is also used for regular film screenings.
Lewis Elton Gallery
If you are interested in visual art in particular, we have our very own on-campus gallery. The Lewis Elton Gallery presents a dynamic series of exhibitions featuring nationally and internationally known artists. Students are always welcome to come to private views, which are usually attended by the exhibiting artist.
The gallery is open Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm, or by prior appointment at weekends.
Exhibition previews usually take place on Monday evenings, 6pm to 8pm, approximately every three weeks during semester.
For more information, visit the What’s On section of our website.
Classes, workshops and rehearsals
There’s a diverse range of classes on offer, including painting and drawing, pottery, dance (everything from ballet to break-dancing) and music ensembles (including choir, orchestra and big band).
Your cultural life
Ways to join in with our cultural community
- Visit our newly completed £4.5 million Ivy Arts Centre, which contains a 200-seat theatre
- Experience concerts, dance and theatre performances, exhibitions, poetry readings and film screenings
- Hear free lectures by eminent contemporary artists, sculptors and writers Participate in the biennial Guildford International Music Festival and the annual Guildford Book Festival
- Take part in our diverse range of classes, including painting and drawing, pottery, dance (everything from ballet to break-dancing) and music ensembles (including choir, orchestra and big band)