We had such a special day at Torre Abbey on Saturday 4th April, one of those days that really reminds you why projects like this matter.
We were there as part of The National Gallery’s Art on Your Doorstep, bringing well-known artworks out of London and into communities across the UK. Torre Abbey is one of the first places to host it, and the exhibition, running from March to September 2026, stretches all the way along the seafront to Torquay Harbour. Seeing these paintings at full scale, out in the open, feels really different and special.
What made the day so memorable for us, though, was sharing it with our Doorstep groups and their families.
We had five of our Doorstep groups involved, with ages ranging from just 3 years right up to 20. Each group created something inspired by the artwork, there were devised performances, audio pieces you can listen to here and musical numbers from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, exploring the 1910 era of some of the paintings. DAS are in full rehearsals for their Chitty production this August at The Palace Theatre and we would love to see you there! Tickets available here
The atmosphere on the day was just brilliant. Families turned up in full support and the encouragement was a joy! There was so much pride for what the young people had achieved and created. It felt like a real celebration of creativity and community. We even had time to enjoy an Easter Egg hunt – with it being Easter Bank holiday and families had access to the Abbey too.
We feel very lucky to have been part of something like this and we’d really encourage you to go and see the exhibition if you can. It’s a lovely way to experience great art in a completely different setting and it’s right here on our doorstep until September. A big thank you to all the staff at Torre Abbey for a fantastic day.
