Words: Eliza Ainley
Photos: Yann Ainley
This weekend, a team of volunteers and over 100 independent artists powered the annual Kirkstall Art Trail transforming historic landmarks, neighbourhood front rooms, and public walls into a massive, free community art showcase designed to let people know that Kirkstall is a haven for artists of all kinds.
Inside the Abbey nave, the Community Bunting Project turned the ancient space into a textile gallery. Under the guidance of Natasha Joseph of We Belong Here, schoolchildren and older residents stitched hundreds of flags from scraps and waste materials — a colourful reminder that art and sustainability can go hand in hand.
Environmental themes ran through the Trail. Photographer Emma Valbret’s series Interstitium explored the River Aire, currently the fifth most polluted in the UK.
At each stop along the river, Valbret submerged her prints in collected water, letting the pollution itself shape the images.
“Each image transforms differently,” she said. “Some show subtle marks, others dramatic destruction. Together they reveal the fragility of the landscape and the lasting impact of human activity.”
Chair of the organising committee Mandy Long (pictured above with her sculptures) said the event keeps growing.
“This year we worked with two local high schools to give twenty teenagers a chance to try street‑art techniques. They recreated vinyl LPs, inspiring Jamie Stewart’s eight‑by‑sixteen‑foot mural of eyes that became the backdrop for the sustainable fashion show.”
She added: “Few events bring neighbours together like this. People are realising just how many artists live and work in Kirkstall.”
Volunteer and KAT website coordinator Mindy Goose agreed: “Because of the Trail, we know each other better and have built a real community around it. Seeing work in spaces like the Abbey is spectacular — it’s unique and special in terms of the place, the people, and the support.”
Students from Lawnswood and Abbey Grange schools collaborated with local street artists to reimagine vinyl LPs, inspiring a mural that became the backdrop to the fashion show.
The students’ work in turn inspired this mural.
Breaking completely away from traditional indoor frames, artist Adina Wykes painted live in the builders’ yard behind Carmine House.
“My work transforms blank spaces into eye‑catching moments that make you stop, smile, and maybe look twice,” she said. “It’s about boosting people’s happiness and how joyful they feel about the spaces they live in.”
If you missed it, details about the art trail remain live on the website, Home – Kirkstall Art Trail where you can sign up for updates on displaying at or visiting next year’s event.
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