Over the past two years, Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery has quietly built one of its most ambitious and varied exhibition programmes to date. Moving confidently between local artistic voices and internationally recognised names, the museum has created a season of shows that reflect the city’s diversity, imagination and creative energy, while inviting new audiences through its doors and into conversation.

13 January 2024 to 23 March 2024

Peterborough photographer Chris Porsz returned with Reunions, a powerful exhibition capturing the emotional impact of reconnection. Known for reuniting the subjects of his earlier street photographs decades later, Porsz’s work brings past and present into the same frame, revealing the passage of time through faces, families and friendships.

The exhibition explored themes of memory, migration, belonging and change, pairing original images with contemporary recreations. These carefully restaged portraits highlighted both continuity and transformation, offering a poignant reflection on how lives unfold and how communities evolve.

Displayed at Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery, Reunions invited visitors to see familiar streets and stories through a deeply personal lens. Both intimate and universal, the exhibition celebrated the enduring power of photography to hold history, identity and human connection in a single moment.

13 April 2024 to 15 June 2024

Paul Kneen’s solo exhibition PAINtings explored portraiture through the lens of mental health and emotional struggle. Featuring over 90 original works created across a year, the exhibition captured anxiety, frustration and resilience through abstract, expressive portraiture.

Breaking away from traditional canvases, Kneen worked across wooden boards, recycled cardboard and even skateboards. Displayed across three rooms, the show traced the evolution of his style, offering visitors a chronological journey through his creative process. Despite its sombre themes, the exhibition was infused with energy and colour, suggesting hope beneath distress.

Launched November 2024 to 29 March 2025

Imaginal Field invited visitors to reconnect with nature through a project rooted in a five acre Fenland field once farmed by Jeni Cairns’ family. Eight artists created work inspired by the land, wildlife and heritage of the site.

Funded by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, the exhibition explored how artists respond to place and environment. It encouraged reflection on the relationship between creativity and the natural world, offering a quiet but powerful counterpoint to more urban themed shows.

8 February 2025 to 31 May 2025

This colourful and nostalgic exhibition celebrated the illustrators behind the iconic Ladybird books. Featuring original artwork, rare editions and artefacts loaned by Helen Day, it highlighted the enormous cultural influence of Ladybird publishing in the twentieth century.

A standout feature was a striking wall of 480 Ladybird titles, alongside displays exploring fairy tales, history, early reading, nature and technology. The exhibition resonated across generations, blending design history with childhood memory.

3 May 2025 to 2 November 2025
An unofficial Doctor Who exhibition

Adventures in Time & Space transported visitors into the world of Doctor Who through an extensive display of monsters, props and memorabilia. From Daleks to Weeping Angels, it was one of the most comprehensive Doctor Who exhibitions seen in over a decade.

The exhibition attracted families, long term fans and new audiences alike, reinforcing the museum’s ability to combine popular culture with serious curation.

14 June 2025 to 21 September 2025

This bold and vibrant exhibition showcased the career of illustrator Jeff Cummins. Known for his work on Doctor Who book covers, BBC Radio Times artwork and record sleeves for Paul McCartney, Wings and Whitesnake, Cummins’ work defined an era of commercial illustration.

Original paintings, prints and memorabilia traced his colourful journey, including new work featured in recent publications such as Outside the Box. The exhibition blended pop culture nostalgia with artistic craft.

22 November 2025 to 17 January 2026

Tony Nero’s Half a Pencil celebrates the work of a well established Peterborough artist whose mixed media practice spans pencil, charcoal, pastel, oils, watercolour, stipple-dot drawing and spray paint.

A familiar figure in the local arts scene, Nero has previously exhibited at the museum and supported student talent through Peterborough City College. This exhibition offers a fresh opportunity to experience his dynamic and expressive style, with free entry for all visitors.

Currently on display, Diesel Streets brings the energy of Peterborough’s street art into the gallery space. Created by Nathan ‘Nyces’ Murdoch, the exhibition explores the arrival of graffiti in the city during the 1980s and traces its influence on today’s vibrant street art scene.

Blending archival material with Nathan’s own work, the immersive exhibition reframes a once underground culture as a vital part of Peterborough’s visual history. Special installations created for the show, alongside opportunities to purchase selected works, make this a bold and timely celebration of local creative expression.

Together, these exhibitions demonstrate the museum’s breadth and ambition, moving from environmental art to urban culture, from publishing history to science fiction, and from local artistic practice to internationally recognised illustration.