Words: Jim Corah.
Photos: Stephen Cole, Mindy Goose & Noelle Williamson
This weekend Kirkstall Art Trail will return for another year, bringing a free event of engagement, encouragement, and education about art in venues across Kirkstall.
Nearly 40 venues will be host to over 130 artists, workshops, and other events during the weekend, bringing together painting, sculpture, stone cutting, textiles, pottery, poetry, and fashion.
Open between 11am and 5pm on Saturday 20 July and Sunday 21 July, visitors will be able to engage and learn about a variety of art forms from artists both established and new.
Venues range from businesses like Solar Frame in Kirkstall Bridge Retail Park, the West End House public house, and Chunk café on Burley Road.
Along with these, homes and community venues will also open their doors, including Kirkstall Abbey, Kirkstall Educational Cricket Club, and Headingley Station West Allotments. While the British summer may be grey at the moment, step inside venues for a colourful glimpse into art from across Leeds and West Yorkshire.
Established in 2015 and growing to be “the friendliest event on the calendar” (visitor comment from 2018), Kirkstall Art Trail returned in 2023 after a couple of years hiatus in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Leeds 2023 was a boost for community events like Kirkstall Art Trail, spreading awareness to all of the wonderful and amazing activities across the region. The event is organised by a team of volunteers, led by chair Mandy Long, secretary Mindy Goose, and treasurer Jim Corah.
The event remains free for visitors (though some workshops may charge to cover costs). A digital map for the event is available online with hardcopy maps available during the weekend.
Funding for the event comes from Leeds City Council’s Inner West Leeds Community Committee, as well as sponsorship from Ceg, developer of Kirkstall Forge. Ceg’s support has resulted in a 5ft KAT sign appearing on Morris Lane, Kirkstall.
Community involvement has been at the heart of Kirkstall Art Trail. Workshops run by artist facilitators have resulted in neighbours coming together to create very public art displays on the streets of the Vicarages. These will feature printed tee shirts hanging from clothes’ lines among the back-to-back terraces.
Expanding Kirkstall Art Trail to include fashion has been relatively easy. From an initial spark of an idea back in January, sixteen upcycle sewers have been creating outfits using only clothes purchased from the local Cancer Research UK store in Kirkstall.
Each sewer was set a budget of £30 and the end products will be on show during the Gaia upcycling fashion show at 2pm in Kirkstall Abbey on Sunday 21 July 2024. There will be a chance to purchase the outfits.
There’s been quite an effort to make poetry a part of Kirkstall Art Trail. There will be a workshop with Jack Collins running from 2pm on Sunday 21 July 2024 in Burley Rugby Club (Abbey Road, Kirkstall, Leeds) and a spoken word event during the evening of Sunday 21 July 2024 with Jack and Cherie Battiste. Closing the weekend will be an open mic.
Elsewhere Clare Wigzell will use her poems to discuss Turner’s painting of the Abbey (on Sunday, there’s a wedding in the Abbey on Saturday), as well as a trail of 24 poems by writers from across west Leeds to be found across Kirkstall.
Putting together the Poetry Trail has been a joy for organiser Jim Corah as it has ‘demonstrated the creative voice of the west Leeds community, discussing everything from lockdowns, Burley beach, the romance found in Leeds, and the wildlife’.
Sponsored content
