diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b4e69994ffa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+name: release
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+    - release**
+    paths:
+    - '**.py'
+    - 'pyproject.toml'
+    - 'requirements.txt'
+    - '.github/workflows/release.yaml'
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+    - release**
+    paths:
+    - '**.py'
+    - 'pyproject.toml'
+    - 'requirements.txt'
+    - '.github/workflows/release.yaml'
+jobs:
+  notebooks:
+    name: notebooks
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+    - name: Clone repo
+      uses: actions/checkout@v2
+    - name: Set up python
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v2
+      with:
+        python-version: 3.9
+    - name: Install pip dependencies
+      run: |
+        pip install cython numpy  # needed for pycocotools
+        pip install -r requirements.txt
+        pip list
+    - name: Run notebook checks
+      run: pytest --nbmake docs/tutorials
+  integration:
+    name: integration
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+    - name: Clone repo
+      uses: actions/checkout@v2
+    - name: Set up python
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v2
+      with:
+        python-version: 3.9
+    - name: Install pip dependencies
+      run: |
+        pip install cython numpy  # needed for pycocotools
+        pip install -r requirements.txt
+        pip list
+    - name: Run integration checks
+      run: pytest -m slow