Spring / Summer Arts & Culture Programme, 2026

Art and culture is fundamental to how we work, offering process, influence, inspiration and escapism.

It’s something we’ve returned to consistently over the years. Our first exhibition in 2012, featuring artists including Stanley Chow, Andrew Brooks and Ben Pepper, helped shape our early thinking and set a direction that still holds.

Engaging with art creates space to think differently. It brings us closer to the places we work in and the people around us, while opening up new ways of seeing.

This spring and summer, we’re building on that with a new programme of exhibitions, talks and visits across London and Manchester, developed in collaboration with the University of Newcastle School of Art and Culture.

Alongside this, we’ll be making a number of events accessible to local colleges, including Co-op Academy and East Manchester Academy, ensuring access isn’t limited by circumstance. We’ll also be opening up selected moments for others to join us which are listed below.

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Spring / Summer Arts & Culture Programme, 2026.

Here’s a selection of events across London and Manchester that we think are worth your time, spanning exhibitions, talks and experiences that challenge, inspire and open up new ways of seeing.

• Double Agents: Play and Perform in the Digital World, 30 April, Manchester
• Hyakkō: 100 Makers from Japan, 1 May 2026, London, JOIN US
• Out Here, 3 May to 19 July, Manchester
• Nicola Ellis: Exercises in Knowing, until 17 May, Manchester
• Liberating Materials with Chris Lefteri, 19 May, London
• AI, Value Engineering & The Art of Working Smarter, 19 May, London
• The New Cultural Landscape, 19 May, London
• The Meaning of Objects, 19 May, London
• Creativity Can…, until 7 June, Manchester
• Manchester School of Art Degree Show 2026, 10 June, Manchester
• Horizon of Khufu, April to June, Manchester
• Ai Weiwei: Button Up, 23 July, Manchester
• More than Human, 18 September 2026, London, JOIN US
• Othello, 29 September to 10 October, Manchester
• Beneath the Great Wave, 14 March to 15 November, Manchester
• Modal Exhibitions, Manchester. Ongoing.
• What is Manchester Art Gallery? Ongoing.
• Out of the Crate, Manchester. Ongoing.

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Join Us

We’re opening up a small number of places to guests, because these experiences are better shared. It brings in different perspectives and makes each visit more open, more engaging and less inward-looking.

Email hello@bertagency.co.uk with the subject: ART & CULTURE. We can accommodate up to 4 guests per application on a first come, first serve basis.

JOIN US: Ai Weiwei: Button Up

23 July (Manchester, Aviva Studios)

We’ll be visiting this major exhibition together, exploring Ai Weiwei’s work and its global cultural and political context.

JOIN US: Manchester School of Art Degree Show 2026

10 June (Manchester, MMU Campus)

A group visit to see emerging talent across disciplines and engage with the next generation of artists and designers.

JOIN US: Hyakkō: 100 Makers from Japan

1 May 2026 (London, Japan House London)

A major showcase of over 120 contemporary Japanese makers, offering a broad and detailed look at craft, design and innovation.

JOIN US: More than Human

18 September 2026 (London, Design Museum)

A landmark exhibition tackling the climate emergency and the future of design.

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With Thanks

Thank you to Lily Rowe, whose background in fine art brings a considered approach to how we engage with artists, ideas and audiences. 

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