A Summer Round-Up at Coda, 2026
From music-making and messy creative play to exhibitions, community events and fundraising, it’s been a busy Summer here at Coda.
Over the past few months, we’ve welcomed children, young people, families, artists, musicians and community groups through our doors - coming together to create, experiment, perform, and explore.
Here are a few of our Summer highlights…
Music-making with Sound Creatives
We welcomed over 35 children and young people to Coda for Sound Creatives - our multi-genre music workshops exploring music-making in a brand new way.
Across the days, our young musicians experimented with sound mixing, production software, beat-making, vocals, lyric-writing and a whole range of instruments. Working in groups, they created their own tracks, before sharing them with family and friends at informal performances.
It was fantastic to see how quickly ideas developed when young people had the space, tools and encouragement to experiment.
One parent told us:
“Evan enjoyed the workshop immensely. We came to the performance and we were amazed with how professional it sounded given the short timescale to produce such polished songs.”
Check out our reel for moments from the day, and a heart-wrenched about a "Never-ending Summer”!
Sensory Seasons - exploring Summer through the senses
This Summer we also welcomed families to Sensory Seasons - an immersive workshop inviting families to explore Summer through creativity and play.
Our gallery became a space for families to experiment with projections, light, sound, sculpture, drawing, stories and sensory play.
Together, families explored what Summer might feel, sound and look like - making marks and patterns, sharing stories, experimenting, and creating artworks along the way.
Some made something to take home; others simply enjoyed the process of exploring without worrying about the final outcome. This is something we really value at Coda: making space for curiosity, experimentation and creativity without pressure or expectation!
Play, Interact, Explore
Our gallery has also been a place for play this Summer, with Play Interact Explore, an interactive exhibition by Leap Then Look.
We’ve loved watching families and audiences of all ages get stuck in - exploring projection, sound, sculpture, dress-up, movement and balance throughout the gallery.
Rather than simply looking at artworks, visitors were encouraged to interact with them, try things out and discover their own ways of engaging with the space.
It’s been wonderful to see our gallery filled with movement, curiosity and play - both from families and kids, and from adults who simply enjoyed a space to chat whilst.
Dorset Art Weeks and Hampshire Open Studios with Coda studio artists
This Summer, we were proud to be part of two of the region’s largest and most established visual arts events: Dorset Art Weeks and Hampshire Open Studios.
Both events celebrate the creative talent across the region, inviting visitors to discover new work, meet artists, and explore studios and galleries. With Resident Studio Artists working across a range of practices, from ceramics and textiles to jewellery, printmaking and painting, it was a brilliant opportunity to showcase the multidisciplinary art activity happening here at Coda.
Through DAW and HOS, visitors could discover and buy work by Coda artists, take a look behind the scenes, and get involved in a range of taster workshops and events.
We’re proud to have been part of these much-loved regional celebrations of visual art, and to have welcomed so many new and returning visitors along the way.
Find out more about our Resident Studio Artists here.
Coda at the New Forest Show
We had a fantastic time taking Coda out into the community at this year’s New Forest Show.
Our creative cardboard sculpture workshops invited children to get hands-on with making, transforming cardboard into some very summery creations - including colourful ice creams and fans!
It was great to meet so many families, see the wonderfully inventive things they came up with and share a little taste of the creative activities that happen here at Coda.
A Summer of fundraising
Behind all of these programmes is a community of people who help to make these opportunities possible. This Summer, we’ve been incredibly grateful for a number of fundraising events held in support of Coda.
Our volunteer June Flowers generously asked friends and family to make donations to Coda instead of buying presents for her 80th birthday. Her celebration raised an amazing £830 for Coda.
The Kingfishers Music Weekend, produced in collaboration with Hammersley Homes, was another fantastic success, offering superb live music while raising funds for Coda.
And at St John’s Church, the community came together to create a beautiful ‘Waterfall Garden’. The project raised money for Coda as one of the church’s chosen charities, while offering a joyous installation for local people to explore.
We’re hugely grateful to everyone who organised, performed, donated, volunteered or simply came along to support these events. Every contribution helps us continue developing the programmes taking place here at Coda.
Music at the New Milton Dementia Allotment
Our Summer has also included an annual visit from Stuart’s Ukulele Band to the New Milton Dementia Allotment.
Meeting on Wednesday evenings at Coda, the ukulele band has grown into an accomplished group, sharing music with audiences of all ages. Their visit to the allotment is a joyful and relaxed occasion, with familiar tunes, plenty of smiles and lots of interaction.
The Dementia Allotment provides a welcoming space for people living with dementia and their carers to enjoy nature, gardening and time together. The Summer sessions take place on Tuesdays, 11am–1pm.
After this year’s performance, the team told us:
“Another amazing performance and brilliant interaction with our visitors. We received lots of positive feedback and I saw lots of happy faces which is what it’s all about!”
And finally, there’s still time for young artists across Dorset and the New Forest to get involved in our CODA YOUNG ARTISTS OPEN 2026 – PLAY.
Our open call invites children and young people aged 4–18 to submit an artwork responding to the theme of Play, with work selected for an exhibition at Coda this November.
We’ve already received submissions from a wonderful range of ages, ideas and approaches - and we’d love to see more.
Your artwork could be a drawing, painting, print, photograph, textile piece, collage, sculpture, mixed-media work or something entirely your own.
You don’t need expensive art materials or a polished final piece - we’re interested in creative ideas, experimentation and seeing what Play means to you.
There’s still time to submit!
Deadline: 1 October 2026
It’s been a Summer full of making, music, movement, play and community - and we couldn’t do it without the people who take part in our programmes, visit our exhibitions, support our fundraising, volunteer their time and help spread the word about Coda.
Thank you for being part of it.