is making waves at Gunwharf Quays by establishing its own Lighthouse!  

The Lighthouse is a small stand-alone building, located between the Loch Fyne and Fire & Stone restaurants  - perfectly situated to attract passing visitors and shoppers to the innovative work of the gallery. It is hoped that the Lighthouse will act as a beacon for aspex, reaching out of its gallery base in the Vulcan Building to its new secondary location on the waterfront on Canalside.  

Lighthouse will form the new base of its Learning & Participation programme, which through a series of workshops and events for all ages encourages people to participate, learn and try something new. 

This summer the gallery will be running its ever-popular holiday workshops for 8-13 year olds, starting on Tuesday 16 August, alongside a new programme of activity aimed at teenagers, including introductions to book-binding and graphic illustration, and a sculpture master class. Adults are catered for too, with a series of beginners life-drawing classes, and workshops based around customizing clothing. aspex continues to provide for children with autism and special educational needs and their families, through the gallery’s fun creative workshops which are run with the support of Portsmouth City Council. Full details of all of these workshops and classes are available by visiting the education section of website.

Lighthouse is a community education initiative has been entirely supported by the goodwill of numerous local companies and organisations. The University of Portsmouth Project Office gave aspex a great deal of support, advice and useful contacts at an early planning stage. Warings provided professional electrical and plumbing support, and Covers and Dulux donated materials. CHK offered their design services free of charge and Elliot’s Signcentre and BJM Upholstery provided further support to the project.

Gunwharf Quays has provided invaluable support to aspex throughout the establishment of the Lighthouse and a team of staff from Gunwharf Quays has assisted the project by painting and cleaning the unit inside and out. 

Lighthouse will be up and running for the school holidays - drop in to find out more about the fun creative activities on offer for children, teenagers and adults this summer.