As we welcome in the New Year and plan for another exciting year ahead, we wanted to take a moment to look back and reflect on some of our highlights of 2025.

• In 2025, the Learning team engaged with over 2,851 students and teachers through our school’s programme and the Art Fund Teacher Fellowship.
• We welcomed our first resident Watts Potter, Bahareh Khomeiry, whose expertise has been instrumental in expanding our pottery programme. Bahareh has worked alongside the Learning team to introduce new pottery classes and courses for aspiring potters and creatives alike.

• As part of our Art for All community programme, we have been working with our valued partnership with HMP Send and the Michael Varah Memorial Fund (MVMF). In our 2025 ‘Our Time’ exhibition, the women artists sold 202 artworks in just 6 hours!
• We welcomed more than 1,837 visitors onsite to participate in our family workshops and events, including Family Days, The Make Space, Clay Club and Watts Tots.

2025 has been another busy year in the grounds and gardens. Chris Sharples our Head Gardener, the Estates team as well as our many talented volunteers work together all year round, to upkeep, maintain and dress the entire site.

• In February, Clytie, our terracotta sculptural bust from the Compton Potters Art Guild was given a special valentine garland.
• In spring, our Tree Fairy trail brought folklore and magic to our grounds. Inspired by our exhibition Flower Fairies: The Magical World of Cicely Mary Barker and in partnership with RHS, this trail invited families to explore our vast woodlands and to learn about all our different trees and plants.
• During our Scented Visions exhibition, we had a Scent Seekers trail and a Scented puzzle trail, encouraging visitors to unearth the captivating smells of the flora and fauna that George and Mary Watts would have known.
• The dedicated Estates team have beautifully transformed the site this winter, ready for the festive season. Using a variety of classic as well as Indian influenced decorations, inspired by our exhibition Women of Influence: The Pattle Sisters. The entire site celebrated the joy of Christmas and echo the influential lives and stories of the Pattle sisters.
• We had 12 trees donated by the Surrey County Council this year, plus, a number of generous donations of plants. The plants have been repurposed around the site to encourage propagation and prevent loss from construction work.

Our Collections team have also been very busy this year, ensuring our collection is cared for and conserved.

• 6 paintings by G F Watts have been on loan to exhibitions - 2 internationally and 4 in the UK.
• 12 objects have been accessioned into our collection.
• 744 objects have been moved or audited on our Collections Management System.
  

• Our Watts Contemporary Gallery worked with 83 artists over 7 exhibitions this year. So far, we've 156 artworks!

• We've had 3 weddings, 6 celebrations of life, 5 author talks in partnership with Guildford Book Festival welcoming more than 200 visitors, 3 interactive concerts for children with Surrey Hills International Music Festival and 1 African Storytelling Festival.
• It was also our first year as one of 5 national hubs for the national Being Human humanities festival, hosting 4 of the 220 events held across the country. Hosting talks, workshops and commissioning a sound installation at Watts Chapel in partnership with Surrey University.
• We also hosted 3 large scale conferences for local businesses and organisations, established new relationships with wonderful local caterers and businesses who kindly supported our work.
• Held 4 exhibitions in our new Loft space, and 1 mini Christmas Fair from local artists and jewellers.
• We've held more than 30 wakes booked by families of those who loved Watts and felt it was the perfect setting to say goodbye.

• Towards the end of 2025, we raised £75,700 for the Big Give Christmas Challenge, exceeding our target of £75,000. These donations will help support our Art For All by All learning programme.

As a charity, we strive to make art, as well as our site accessible to all, and none of the above would be achieved without your ongoing support, so thank you.

We are very excited about our upcoming 2026 programme which offers a variety of creative activities, inspiring workshops and an exciting programme of exhibitions and events. We hope to see you soon!