Stories Grow Here: Hallow's Eve Courtyard Bash
FREE FAMILY-FRIENDLY COMMUNITY EVENT — DONATIONS WELCOME
Saturday 31 October 2026 12 - 4PM
Doncaster Unitarians, 60 Hall Gate, DN1 3PB
Followed by Love Music Hate Racism gig: 7PM til late
Join us on Saturday 31st October for a free community autumn celebration featuring:-
ECO HALLOWEEN CRAFTS WITH ZOE WRIGHT |
APPLE PRESSING WITH THE CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS (TCV SOUTH YORKSHIRE) |
SEASONAL PLANTING WORKSHOPS |
MURAL LAUNCH WITH SQUIGGLE GANG STREET ARTIST COLLECTIVE |
"HOW TO BUILD AN ARTBOMB" ZINE LAUNCH & READINGS WITH DAISY WALL & TERRY HUDSON |
PAPERMAKING, IRISH MYTHOLOGY & THE ORIGINS OF HALLOWEEN WITH FIONA CAHILL |
SPOKEN WORD WITH MOLLY EROJE |
LIVE MUSIC |
ArtBomb and Doncaster Unitarians warmly invite Halloween revellers to venture through the Gates of Hell (we mean Hall Gate, probably) for an afternoon of family-friendly fun.
This Hallow's Eve, we're going back to the festivals' ecological roots, welcoming in the darker nights through eco-crafting, seasonal planting workshops, Irish folklore, live music, spoken word and apple pressing.
The event is also the next chapter in Stories Grow Here, our ongoing courtyard redevelopment project through which we're reimagining this hidden urban oasis as many things - a garden, a gallery, a music venue, a testbed for new ideas… and on 31 October, perhaps a portal to a glorious underworld, where creative misfits roam free and people dance into the early hours.
Image credit: Tom Marshall, Senior Project Officer, The Conservation Volunteers
Squiggle Gang: if these walls could talk
As part of the afternoon, Squiggle Gang, Doncaster’s homegrown street art collective, will unveil the second in a series of large-scale murals created especially for the Doncaster Unitarians courtyard.
Together, these public artworks will transform the open air space into Doncaster's hub for street art, a new legacy we hope to keep growing into 2027 through on-site street art workshops and citywide street art interventions.
Squiggle Gang mural launch 04.09.26 Image credit: Jennie Gilman
How to Build an ArtBomb: Zine Launch
We will also be launching How to Build an ArtBomb, a brand-new zine publication by local student and emerging creative, Daisy Wall.
Featuring contributions from Terry Hudson, Chris Perkins (Creative Push CIC), this 32-page documents some of the extraordinary projects made by ArtBomb artists and collaborators throughout 2026.
Inside are stories of housing, migration, belonging, music, activism and making things happen — from Darshan Gajjar’s My Home in Doncaster, a short documentary exploring migration through the lens of belonging and home, to Kalabash's EcoSoundSystem, an interactive audio visual experience incorporating data sampled from the River Don.
There’s also the evolving story of Mother Fhungus, a monthly gig series led by a youth music collective quietly transforming Doncaster Unitarian church into a grassroots music hub.
At its core, the DIY zine showcases ArtBomb as less a tightly polished arts organisation than an experiment in creative community building. It’s a celebration of the people who make things happen: artists, musicians, performers, makers, organisers, activists, volunteers, audiences, neighbours, curious people — and people who don’t necessarily think of themselves as any of those things.
Printed in A5 risograph and digital formats, the zine will be available to buy on 31 October, or from the ArtBomb shop whilst stock lasts.
And then things get loud…
As darkness falls, the afternoon will give way to the Love Music Hate Racism gig in the main hall of Doncaster Unitarian church.
With more than nine bands and artists taking to the stage, expect an eclectic night of rock, punk, synth pop and dub — bringing the community together through the simple, powerful combination of great music and standing together against racism.
Gig dress code: Dress to Distress!
Buy gig tickets in advance here. Tickets are also available on the door for £10.
Minimum Age: 16+ (under 16's must be accompanied by an adult)
What to expect
As with all of ArtBomb's programming, we want to make this event as safe, accessible and inclusive as possible.
The event is entirely free, and no pre-booking is required.
Any donations made will be used to support ArtBomb in growing its creative community here in the heart of Doncaster.
There will be a dedicated quiet zone on the ground floor of the church where there are comfortable couches and chairs. There are also benches and chairs in our outdoor courtyard area.
Please note that this event features outdoor elements, so please dress appropriately for the weather. If it rains, we will bring all activities indoors.
ArtBomb team members and volunteers supporting the running of the event will be wearing coloured lanyards or badges. They will be on hand to offer support throughout the day. If you have any concerns, please report to them.
Please email jennie@artbomb.uk.com if there's a way we can make this event more accessible for you.
Getting here
GETTING HER
ArtBomb is located at 60 Hall Gate, Doncaster city-centre: a 10 minute walk from the train station.
Please note that there is no on-site parking. The nearest car park is NCP Doncaster, 1 Frances Street, Doncaster DN1 1JD.
If you have any questions about the event, please email admin@artbombuk.com
Looking forward to see you there
