Image: Orleans House Gallery, Wakefield
Orleans House Gallery in Twickenham is approaching the final weeks of 'All The Things: Exploring play and imagination across generations', an inter-generational exhibition by Abigail Hunt, Lucy McDonald and Matt Shaw that runs until 31 August 2026. The project was developed with people from across the Richmond borough, spanning ages six months to 94, and asks how play and imagination can transform everyday life.
The exhibition opened on 28 March 2026 and is presented as a free-entry show in the gallery’s Octagon Room, open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm. According to the gallery, the artists worked collaboratively with children, young people and adults, alongside community groups including Age UK Richmond, primary school children, gallery volunteers, Curious Tots, Ham Children’s Centre, St Richard’s Primary School in Ham, Culture 4 Keeps and the Children in Care Council, with support from Achieving for Children.
The gallery describes the work as rooted in the idea that imagination is a shared resource that can grow, overlap, contradict, evolve and surprise people of any age or background. Rather than telling one fixed story, 'All The Things' brings together many ideas that continue to shift as visitors and participants connect with the exhibition. The artists have said in a gallery interview that the initial proposal began with an empty gallery and the intention to work with audiences to decide what would come into the space.
A recurring motif in the project is the table, which the artists described as both an artwork and a meeting place. In the interview, they said the table became symbolic of the co-creation process, providing a centre point for drawing, discussion and the rearrangement of the exhibition over time. The artists also said they prefer to think in terms of process rather than outcome, and that the installation evolves in response to what they observe in the gallery.
The current run includes a series of public activities designed to broaden access to the exhibition’s participatory format. 'National Play Day' takes place on 5 August, with sessions from 10am to 12pm and 12:30pm to 2pm, led by Matt Shaw and aimed at families with children of all ages. The gallery says the event invites visitors to explore the exhibition and have a go, in line with the wider focus on play and imagination.
Further family-oriented sessions follow later in the month. 'Quiet Sessions' are scheduled for 12 and 25 August from 10am to 12pm, offering the exhibition in a calmer environment with visual story guides, sensory maps and ear defenders available at the front desk. 'Kids Aloud Sessions' are listed for 26 July, 13 August and 26 August from 1pm to 3pm, encouraging children and families to explore, create and make noise in the exhibition.
The gallery’s July newsletter notes that 'All The Things' is now coming towards the end of its run and invites visitors to return or see it for the first time as the installation continues to evolve. The exhibition remains on view at Orleans House Gallery until 31 August 2026.
