Contemporary Six
WHERE
Altrincham
What it’s like
A small contemporary art gallery where kids can look at original paintings, prints, sculpture and ceramics, with talks and events laid on too.
This is a gallery in the proper sense, not a hands-on activity centre, so what you're doing is walking round looking at original paintings, landscapes, portraits and abstracts alongside handmade prints, sculpture and ceramics. The exhibitions change and are curated to show off work from local and international artists, so two visits a few months apart won't look the same. If you've got a child who likes to look and ask questions rather than climb on things, this is more their speed than a soft play afternoon.
They also run artists' talks and events, which is worth knowing if you want to turn a browse into something a bit more structured for an older child who's genuinely into art. There's no mention of anything aimed specifically at kids, so this reads as a grown-up gallery that families are welcome in, rather than a children's attraction with art bolted on.
One practical thing that stands out: they offer the Own Art scheme, letting you split payment on any piece you buy over ten months interest-free. That's a nice detail if a painting catches your eye and you weren't planning to spend it all in one go, though obviously it's not going to matter to the kids themselves.
It's open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm, and shut on Sundays and Mondays, so this isn't a spontaneous Sunday outing. There's no booking link listed, which suggests you can just turn up in opening hours rather than needing to reserve a slot.
Need to know
- Worth knowing
- Own Art scheme allows splitting payments over ten months interest-free
- Closed Sundays and Mondays, open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm
- Exhibitions rotate and feature both local and international artists
- The Own Art scheme lets you spread payment on artwork over ten months interest-free
Plan your visit
Is there anything for kids to do, or is it just looking at art?
It's a proper gallery, so the main thing is browsing original paintings, prints, sculpture and ceramics. There's nothing listed that's specifically hands-on for children.
Do we need to book ahead?
There's no booking link given, so it looks like you can just turn up during opening hours.
What days is it open?
Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm. Closed Sundays and Mondays, so plan around that if you were thinking of a weekend visit.
Are there events worth timing a visit around?
They hold artists' talks and events alongside the regular exhibitions, which is worth asking about if your child has a real interest in art rather than just a browse.
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