đź“ŤDurlston Country Park, Lighthouse Road, Swanage BH19 2JL
Durlston Country Park’s Fine Foundation Gallery has a year-round programme of arts events, from exhibitions to cinema screenings, theatre performances and live music.
Located in the historic Durlston Castle, the gallery hosts a range of local and national artists, craftspeople and performance companies, and acts as a venue for annual festivals including the Purbeck Film Festival, Purbeck International Chamber Music Festival and Dorset Art Weeks.
Many exhibitions explore the history, geology and wildlife of Swanage and Purbeck, and the wider Jurassic Coast.
The Fine Foundation Gallery also holds regular wedding showcases, talks and other events, and can be hired as a function venue.
It has great acoustics and a professional sound system, along with the use of a projector and screen for your event.
- Accessible (with wheelchair-accessible toilet)
- Café & restaurant, shop and visitor centre in same building
How to exhibit at the Fine Foundation Gallery
If you’re an artist or creator, working in any medium, you can get in touch with the gallery at Durlston to enquire about exhibiting your work, either as part of a group show or as a solo artist.
Simply send a short proposal and bio to: durlston@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
- No hire fee (agreed commission)
- Self-invigilation
- Free on-site accommodation offered to exhibitors for the duration of your exhibition
You can find all the information you need, along with how to apply, in this document on the gallery’s website: www.durlston.co.uk/userfiles/files/Exhibitions%20at%20Durlston%20How%20to%20Apply.pdf
Events at Fine Foundation Gallery
Abstraction vs Realism: The Joy of Colour Exhibition (Durlston) 
Tue 30 Jun 2026 - Wed 15 Jul 2026
10.30 - 16.30
Look! And Look Again! Exhibition (Durlston) 
Wed 20 May 2026 - Sun 7 Jun 2026
10.30 - 16.30
Emma Scattergood Exhibition: Grounded (Durlston) 
Tue 28 Apr 2026 - Thu 14 May 2026
10.00 - 16.30
Wild Nature Exhibition (Durlston) 
Tue 24 Mar 2026 - Wed 8 Apr 2026
10.00
We All Bloom Differently Exhibition (Durlston) 
Sun 8 Mar 2026 - Sat 21 Mar 2026
10.00 - 16.00
Wareham Whalers Concert (Durlston) 
Fri 6 Mar 2026
19.00 - 22.30
Durlston & the Sea Exhibition 
Sat 14 Feb 2026 - Sun 15 Mar 2026
10.00 - 16.00
Unseen | Unmasked Exhibition (Durlston) 
Thu 29 Jan 2026 - Thu 12 Feb 2026
10.00 - 16.00
Durlston Past Exhibition (Durlston) 
Tue 6 Jan 2026 - Mon 26 Jan 2026
10.00 - 16.00
Incredible Insects & Brilliant Bugs Exhibition (Durlston) 
Wed 10 Dec 2025 - Sun 4 Jan 2026
10.00 - 16.00
Coastal Life Stories Exhibition (Durlston) 
Tue 7 Oct 2025 - Thu 16 Oct 2025
10.00 - 17.00
Voices of Durlston Film Display (Durlston Country Park) 
Sun 21 Sep 2025 - Fri 26 Sep 2025
10.00 - 17.00
Landing Among the Stars Exhibition (Durlston) 
Sun 7 Sep 2025 - Thu 18 Sep 2025
10.30 - 16.30
Zennor Box Exhibition (Durlston) 
Wed 13 Aug 2025 - Thu 28 Aug 2025
10.30 - 16.30
Making Waves Exhibition (Durlston) 
Thu 10 Jul 2025 - Thu 24 Jul 2025
10.30 - 16.00
The Wonderful World of Plants Exhibition (Durlston) 
Tue 17 Jun 2025 - Mon 7 Jul 2025
10.30 - 16.30
In Our Nature Exhibition (Durlston) 
Fri 23 May 2025 - Wed 11 Jun 2025
10.30 - 16.30
 Retracing Purbeck: Then and Now Exhibition (Durlston) 
Tue 29 Apr 2025 - Mon 19 May 2025
10.30 - 16.30
Birds and Bees Exhibition (Durlston) 
Fri 4 Apr 2025 - Wed 23 Apr 2025
10.30 - 17.00
Waymarked Exhibition (at Durlston) 
Mon 26 Aug 2024 - Tue 10 Sep 2024
10.30 - 17.00
The Art of Motherhood Exhibition (at Durlston) 
Fri 9 Aug 2024 - Fri 23 Aug 2024
10.00 - 17.00
Fragile Earth Exhibition (at Durlston) 
Wed 24 Jul 2024 - Tue 6 Aug 2024
10.00 - 17.00
Hierarchy & Other Stories - Josh Hollingshead Exhibition (at Durlston) 
Wed 3 Jul 2024 - Thu 18 Jul 2024
10.30 - 17.00
Rooted in Nature Exhibition (at Durlston) 
Wed 12 Jun 2024 - Thu 27 Jun 2024
10.30 - 17.00
The Instinct of Hope Art Exhibition (at Durlston) 
Sat 25 May 2024 - Sun 9 Jun 2024
10.30 - 17.00
Convergence: Exhibition at Durlston 
Tue 23 Apr 2024 - Tue 7 May 2024
10.30 - 17.00
An Audience with Paul Gough at Durlston 
Fri 19 Apr 2024
17.30
