By Lucy Neill | 18 March 2026
A new series of immersive playscapes are coming to libraries in Ipswich during May and September, marking the 250th anniversary of the birth of Suffolk-born landscape artist John Constable.
Make Play, an Ipswich-based arts organisation, have created immersive playscapes to enable children aged 0-5 and their families to explore Constable’s Garden, a brand new hands-on experience inspired by the painting Golding Constable’s Kitchen Garden.
Children can wander, crawl, climb and play in a playscape full of tactile surprises. The experience is inspired by Suffolk landscape and heritage, and is designed to engage the senses, inspire creativity and support early learning.
Constable’s Garden is a part of the Constable 250 celebrations led by Colchester + Ipswich Museum, made possible by funding from National Lottery players and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The events will be taking place on the following dates:
- Thursday 7 May at Chantry Library
- Monday 11 May at Gainsborough Community Library
- Wednesday 13 May at Ipswich County Library
- Wednesday 3 June at Christchurch Mansion in Ipswich
- Wednesday 2 September at Christchurch Mansion in Ipswich
- Wednesday 9 September at Ipswich County Library
- Thursday 10 September at Chantry Library
- Wednesday 16 September at Ipswich County Library
- Friday 18 September at Gainsborough Community Library.
The sessions are free an open-ended, open to all families with children under five. More information about these events can be found on the Suffolk Community Libraries website.
Councillor Nadia Cenci, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Communities, said:
“John Constable was one of the notable painters in our history and we should rightly be proud of the way his paintings brought the beautiful Suffolk landscape to life. It’s fantastic that these Constable 250 activities are bringing his work to life for a younger generation in our libraries.”
“We’re delighted to be working closely with Suffolk Community Libraries to bring Make Play’s imaginative, Constableinspired playscape into the heart of our local communities right across the town. Constable’s Garden is a great way for families to connect with the artworks and the Suffolk landscapes that were so important to John Constable for all his life.
“This collaboration forms an exciting part of the wider Constable 250 programme led by Colchester + Ipswich Museums, and we’re so pleased to see this creative project reaching out to so many children and their families. We are grateful to National Lottery players and The National Lottery Heritage Fund for making this programme possible.”
Rachel Sedgwick from Make Play added:
“We are so excited to be part of this celebration of Constable’s work. We are having so much fun creating this landscape-inspired playscape for children and their families to play with!”
About Make Play
Make Play is an Ipswich based arts organisation that designs innovative and intriguing spaces for children and their families. They use art, sensory exploration, and imaginative play to inspire learning, curiosity, and creativity from an early age.
About Constable’s Garden
Constable’s Garden is a part of the Constable 250 celebrations led by Colchester + Ipswich Museum and is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we will be able to explore Constable’s art and legacy through 2026.
Find out more about Constable 250 on the Colchester + Ipswich Museums website.
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. That’s why as the largest funder for the UK’s heritage we are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.
Over the next 10 years, we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to make a decisive difference for people, places and communities.
Find out more at: www.heritagefund.org.uk