Leeds Art Map

Experience, study and enjoy sculpture from around the world in the Institute’s Galleries, Research Library and Archive.

Visit to discover their year-round changing programme of exhibitions and research events, which encourage everyone to think about what sculpture is, how it is made and the artists who make it.

Find the Institute next to Leeds Art Gallery, in the heart of Leeds, the city where Henry Moore (1898–1986) began his training as a sculptor.

Leeds Arts University Gallery is the public-facing platform for practice-based research, curating knowledge generated within the University and beyond. The University gallery embraces a range of creative practices, programming graduates, Northern artists and internationally-recognised exhibitors engaged in research. Recent shows and events have included 'Yoko Ono at Leeds' and 'Nicola Dale: Figurehead.' The University gallery is always free and open to all.

Leeds School of Arts is home to more than 3000 students in subjects ranging from Architecture and Landscape, Creative Technology, Art and Design, through to Fashion, Film, Music and Performing Arts. For over 170 years we have been instilling in our graduates the confidence, curiosity and commitment to succeed.

Currently with courses located in both the city and Headingley campuses, our brand-new state of the art £80m Leeds School of Arts Building, Portland Way is due to open in 2021.

Aire Place Studios is a not-for-profit, Leeds-based creative studio. They provide exhibition opportunities, low cost workspaces as well as a community hub which focuses on giving a platform to artists and creatives who wouldn’t traditionally have had such opportunities. Aire Place Studios is a predominantly volunteer and member-led creative studio and community interest company, which focuses on profit for purpose.

They are not just a company, they are a community – made up of 50 members including artists, musicians, writers, and small business owners who use the studios as their workspace day-to-day.

Archive is a unique coffee house and eatery on the site of a former TV archive. The large adjoining event space complete with licensed bar is available to hire for art exhibitions, private functions, live theatre and music performance.

Archive is situated within the Prime Studios complex; a film and TV facility that has accommodated A-listers like Keira Knightley, John Malkovich and Rupert Grint. It has on-site learning facilities and regularly hosts screen industry training courses.

Assembly House is an artist studios, gallery and project space in a Victorian mill in Armley, established in 2014. We exist to support early career artists, through affordable studios, space hire, peer-to-peer learning and opportunities. We also run projects in our local area and work to build a supportive, creative community for Leeds. We run a year-round public programme of exhibitions, music events, talks, film screenings, digital exhibitions, workshops and more.

Born out of the frustration of trying to find post-graduate exhibition spaces, BasementArts-Project began in 2011. First, using the basement of a terraced property was a practical solution, but over the years it has become the cornerstone of an expanding practice that thrives through interaction. Exhibiting at BasementArtsProject has become more than a gallery experience, it is about becoming part of a family, a real one that resides in and around a permanent art space.

Built as a children's nursery school for the working families of Leeds in the 1930s, Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen opened its doors in 2013, restored to its former glory following years of neglect. Spread over 3 floors, the venue hosts live music, comedy, film and regular art exhibitions; as well as serving fresh canteen-style food from the two in-house kitchens – Dough Boys pizza and Patty Smith's Burger Co.

BLANK_ is a project space and accompanying publication at University Centre Leeds, showing new work from emerging and established creatives. The project space provides a platform for a range of creative disciplines, including art, design, film, photography, fashion, and media make up.

Through exhibitions, artist talks and creative networking events, the programme engages with Leeds' cultural debate.

CA Spaces works with local artists and residents to improve small unloved areas of Chapel Allerton through greening spaces, street art and playful features. We’re a not-for-profit community group run entirely by volunteers who are passionate about bringing people together through art and nature.

Cole's Gallery is an independent art gallery that specialises in painting, prints, progressive and traditional art works. The gallery shows new and established artists from Yorkshire and the UK. Cole's Gallery aims to be at the forefront of an exciting and growing art community in Leeds.

Established in 2012 and based in Leeds' Creative Quarter, Colours May Vary is an independent gallery and bookshop with a focus on graphic art and design, illustration and typography.

The gallery space is welcoming and inclusive, supporting up-and-coming artists and designers as well as bringing established names to Leeds. They stock a range of books, journals, prints, stationery and design objects.

Duke Studios is an open, collaborative space in Leeds’ South Bank area, providing work space for individuals and companies in the creative industries (co-working and studio space), meeting and event space, and creative services (Duke Makes).

The East Leeds Project is a visual arts organisation based in Gipton where they host an office, event space and project space. Their work focuses on co-production with communities bordering the Wyke Beck Valley, the hidden gem of East Leeds, which is bookended by Roundhay Park and Skelton Lake.

They are currently pioneering an ambitious plan to create the first dedicated Maker Space for East Leeds, working in partnership with local people and Bauman Lyons architects.

Fabrication Crafts is a social enterprise that supports local artists, designers and makers. Their retail space on Albion Street sells everything from jam to jewellery, clothing and cards, artwork, furniture, etc. alongside homewares, body products and gifts. They are all unique pieces and locally made by the shop staff. The shop also has a gallery space showing work by community art groups, as well as single artist's exhibitions and events.

They are planning a café for summer 2019.

Fabrication Crafts is a social enterprise that supports local artists, designers and makers, acting as a business incubator, and helping to stop social isolation amongst crafts people.

Their affordable workspace on Edward Street provides a home for messy creatives. It houses jewellery benches, metal and leatherwork facilities, a photography studio and a fashion incubator, with space, equipment and benches available to hire on an adhoc or permanent basis. Their tenants also run a wide variety of classes and workshops.

Footprint Worker's Co-op is a small print shop based in Chapeltown. They specialise in riso printing and small press, also offering digital print. Sometimes they will take their risograph out for live printing, run workshops and give talks. They also organise Leeds Zine Fair.

They aim to work to the highest possible ethical and environmental standard, using soy based inks and only recycled paper. As a workers co-operative, Footprint have no bosses, so the business is run as they want, doing interesting jobs for interesting people.

Located on one of the oldest streets in Leeds, you will find everything you need to make anything you want in Fred Aldous. Over two floors they have more than 25,000 art, craft and design products, alongside contemporary stationery, design-led gifts and homeware.

Their friendly and dedicated staff with an enthusiasm for creativity make Fred Aldous a great place to shop! You will also find a vintage analogue black and white photo booth on the ground floor.

The Geraldine Connor Foundation (GCF) is a registered charity, established in 2012 to continue the work and vision of Geraldine Connor by bringing people together through arts and culture. They are an ambitious arts organisation that nurtures new talent and celebrates cultural forms from across the world.

GCF provides global perspectives across many artforms including music, theatre, dance, spoken word poetry and visual arts.

They reach around 800 young people every year through projects such as workshops, performances and mentoring programmes.

Harewood sits in the heart of Yorkshire and is one of the Treasure Houses of England. The House was built in the 18th century and has art collections to rival the finest in Britain. Visitors can enjoy exhibitions of contemporary art, rare Bird Garden, Farm Experience and over 100 acres of exquisite gardens to explore.

Their astounding collection of masterpieces by Italian Renaissance masters, including Bellini and Titian, sit amongst the great portraits of Reynolds, Hoppner and Lawrence plus more. Surrounded by the furniture of Thomas Chippendale and interiors by Robert Adam, alongside sculpture by Jacob Epstein and contemporary works too, there’s much to explore.

HEART is the arts, enterprise and community centre in the middle of Headingley.

HEART exists thanks to the efforts of Headingley Development Trust that worked hard to keep this old primary school in community use. They offer a versatile venue to hire, a spacious shared workspace and a varied programme of events and classes.

Visit them for fun or work, but make sure you stop by Assembly Bar + Kitchen nestled inside the building. Find out what they do for our community.

Housed in a former textile mill and tucked away in one of Leeds' historic yards, Headrow House is a multi-use venue set across four floors. With on-site spaces including a live venue space, award-winning restaurant Ox Club and two sprawling roof terraces, Headrow House hosts an eclectic calendar of cultural events, from kitchen takeovers, monthly art markets, live music and club nights.

Experience, study and enjoy sculpture from around the world in the Institute’s Galleries, Research Library and Archive.

Visit to discover their year-round changing programme of exhibitions and research events, which encourage everyone to think about what sculpture is, how it is made and the artists who make it.

Find the Institute next to Leeds Art Gallery, in the heart of Leeds, the city where Henry Moore (1898–1986) began his training as a sculptor.

Leeds Art Gallery offers a dynamic temporary exhibition programme, alongside a world class collection of modern art. Founded in 1888, it is home to one of the most significant collections of 19th and 20th century British art, widely considered to be one of the best outside the national collections.

Alongside the adjoining Henry Moore Institute, the gallery has built one of the strongest collections of British sculpture in the country, comprising of over 1000 objects and 400 works on paper.

Leeds Arts University Gallery is the public-facing platform for practice-based research, curating knowledge generated within the University and beyond. The University gallery embraces a range of creative practices, programming graduates, Northern artists and internationally-recognised exhibitors engaged in research. Recent shows and events have included 'Yoko Ono at Leeds' and 'Nicola Dale: Figurehead.' The University gallery is always free and open to all.

Encouraging us to #draweveryday since 2007, Leeds Drawing Club offers tutored and untutored life drawing classes and creative workshops from their studio on Meanwood Road.

Weekly evening life drawing classes, monthly all day drawing sessions, and tutored drawing courses, you can learn to draw with them, work on your existing technique, or develop your own practice.

Leeds School of Arts is home to more than 3000 students in subjects ranging from Architecture and Landscape, Creative Technology, Art and Design, through to Fashion, Film, Music and Performing Arts. For over 170 years we have been instilling in our graduates the confidence, curiosity and commitment to succeed.

Currently with courses located in both the city and Headingley campuses, our brand-new state of the art £80m Leeds School of Arts Building, Portland Way is due to open in 2021.

Leeds Street Gallery is a not-for-profit organisation who provide and manage public street art spaces. They are open for artists to use whenever they like, without any form of prior booking. They are often enlisted by organisations to transform city centre spaces, forming a rotating gallery showcasing the works of local artists on a more permanent basis.

This location is a rotating gallery that will be changed every 2–3 months, full details of their legal walls can be found on their social media. They also host art socials, graffiti jams and workshops.

Lens Lab aims to raise the profile of photography in Leeds and beyond. Still at an early stage of research and development, Lens Lab is seeking to connect photographers and artists working with photography, exploring both historical and contemporary processes, and supporting the development of ideas and expertise.

Based at Fiik Studios on the edge of the city centre, Lens Lab is developing resources including studio, darkroom, workshop and exhibition spaces. Get in touch to be added to their mailing list.

Music & Arts Production Charity is a pioneering alternative provider in creative education, offering qualifications and experience to young people at risk of exclusion from the mainstream school system. It is also home to legendary fundraising party Cosmic Slop.

MAP Charity purchased its historic Hope Foundry site in 2019. It is now fundraising to transform the building – from new space for makers to public-facing areas like a kitchen and café – to facilitate creativity and opportunity for all.

Meanwood Street Art is a community organisation working to connect local artists to streets and spaces in Meanwood. They are on a mission to add more colour, animation and fun to the streets of Meanwood.

Established in June 2020 they have already raised over £1000 through crowdfunding and have completed four colourful projects working with four amazing local artists. They are hoping to take this further and start to work with local schools and community groups to develop projects to add more colour and interest to the streets of Meanwood.

Open Source Arts empowers creative, practical action towards healthier, more resilient citizens, neighbourhoods and sustainable futures. It offers a diverse programme of events, classes, workshops, and performances in a range of artforms. Spaces are available for rehearsals, meetings, photo-shoots, exhibitions and more. The venue features a dance studio, aerial arts practice space, woodwork and textile workshops and a kitchen.

Open Source Arts also offers marquee hire, runs conservation activities and facilitates funding initiatives for artistic and environmental projects.

Pavilion (est. 1983) is a visual arts organisation that produces and presents ambitious new work by contemporary artists and supports the development of practitioners in the region. Their projects engage broadly with culture and society and often lead them to work outside the institutions of art.

Pictures+ are a family business providing bespoke artwork solutions to a diverse group of industries in the commercial, public and private sectors for over 30 years, not forgetting their valued, loyal and always welcome GENERAL PUBLIC! They frame, mount and design a presentation for your items and also supply mirrors and art prints. The frames are made in-house, enabling them to provide a dedicated client service to meet all deadlines. The experienced staff even provide professional installations if desired.

No need to make an appointment, you're always welcome.

Scott Hall Mills is home to independent creative businesses. Across three floors it houses workshops, a screen printing studio, event spaces, photography and more. The entire mill has been transformed by the people within it – what started out as near derelict is now a building filled with innovative design studios and collaborative creative spaces.

Founded by immersive designers Lord Whitney, Scott Hall Mills is a creative hub offering unique events and spaces to hire.

Seagulls is a social enterprise specialising in paint – its reuse and resale. Seagulls is a hub of colour, creativity and people. They are home to a paint store, mosaic workshop, refills shop, gallery space and successful volunteer programme 'We grow People'. They also are well known for their large scale mosaics across the city.

Serf is an artist-led community and project space in Leeds city centre. Serf aims to create an open, inclusive and communal space to make and show work, encouraging peer to peer learning and providing opportunities for artists.

The open plan studios provide workspace for over 25 artists, while the project space gives members the opportunity to experiment, showcase work and curate exhibitions, in addition to hosting external projects. To visit, just email serf.leeds@gmail.com

Sheaf St is a cafe, a bar, a multi-functional events space, and a hidden gem. Serving up an eclectic programme of events, locally sourced fresh food and fun and welcoming parties for nice, friendly folk.

Established in Leeds in 2013, at the iconic Corn Exchange, Simcha Gallery is both a contemporary craft gallery and the working studio of jeweller Stephen Roper, and designer maker Anne Roper.

Stephen's nature inspired silver and gold jewellery collections, and Anne's mixed media cards and artworks, berets and scarves, are showcased alongside contemporary hand made ceramics and glass by UK designers. Stephen undertakes commissions and upcycles customers own jewellery into fresh new designs.

Stitch-Up is a Modern Craft School with a social purpose, helping to make learning a craft accessible to all. They run a range of textile craft workshops and events such as knitting, crochet, macrame and embroidery and as a social enterprise invest any profits into creative community projects in Leeds.

They work with talented local makers and their focus is on teaching valuable, practical skills but also on the power of craft and creativity to bring people together and help improve everyday wellbeing and mental health.

Sunken Studio create opportunities for people to encounter clay for the first time, more of the time or lots of the time. They run a large co-working ceramics centre in Leeds. They host pottery making and ceramics courses for beginners and advancers, masterclasses, and provide support and resources for their community of members.

If it involves making, building, architecting… they're up for it.

Sunny Bank Mills Gallery is a light and tranquil art space in a stunning former textile mill, supporting local, regional and national artists and makers at all stages of their careers.

Be inspired by the artists and makers selected by their small and friendly team. Be tempted by the unique range of hand crafted ceramics, jewellery, glass, original prints, textiles and gifts, or simply relax and chill with some tea and homemade cake whilst soaking up the atmosphere and browsing the book collection.

The Tetley is a pioneering centre for contemporary art located in the stunning art deco headquarters of the former Tetley Brewery.

They offer a warm Yorkshire welcome whether you're there to see the latest exhibition of contemporary art, take part in a workshop or event, or sample the locally sourced menu with a pint of Tetley's.

Launching in 2020, Threshold is a new artist-led project space for outdoor sculpture. Located in the front garden of a traditional back-to-back house in Burley, the space will exhibit the work of artists based in Yorkshire and further afield. Visible from the street, exhibitions are open for all to view. Threshold is a space for experimentation in the public realm.

A fixture of Headingley's creative community, Workshop offers a wide range of classes where you can stitch, craft, glue, sew, cut and thread your way from novice to atelier.

In the comfort of this cosy corner of Leeds, Workshop provides cake and coffee from independent suppliers, art, cards and prints from local artists, sewing machine hire by the hour and an in-house haberdashery for all your sewing needs.