OUR LEEDS
Our roots are firmly planted in the Mabgate, Burmantofts and Lincoln Green areas of Leeds. Our regeneration work in the area is on-going, placing art right at the heart of the community. We have recently purchased and converted the Convent next door to Patrick Studios into Convention House – a new venue for artists and audiences to explore technology, art and the environment, and also purchased the old presbytery and this will open as the permanent home for our Art Hostel, a 60 bed venue in 2021.
Looking outward we have initiated and are supporting a Neighbourhood Plan for the area conscious of the encroaching growing city and the dangers of re-gentrification.
The development of our studios, facilities and project spaces includes Union 105 in Chapeltown, Barkston Studios in Holbeck, Leeds Print Workshop cooperative on Vicar Lane and Artist House 45 in Beeston. Supporting a community of hundreds of artists and creative businesses. We want to see them continue to thrive and engage with city developments and aspirations. As such, they significantly contribute to the economic and social capital and identity of Leeds.
OUR ARTISTS
Our starting point will always be artists, as we believe they have the talent, energy, ideas and determination to change our worlds. We underpin all our work with artists support programmes including our SSO funded project Guild.
We raise funds for and initiate an on-going range of projects that support locally based artists. Bringing artists from all over the world to Leeds through commissions, residencies, and events.
These activities position artists, young people and neighbours in taking an active role to:
- Effect change in the places they live and work.
- Intervene in the power of hierarchies, subjective judgements and distribution of wealth.
- Take a role in the development of a city that doesn’t displace people who live and work there