A thriving West Leeds community arts event is raising its ambitions thanks to new funding from the developer behind a proposed residential development at Kirkstall Forge.
The Kirkstall Art Trail, which is now in its 11th year, will feature around 100 artists in over 30 venues right across the area, ranging from private homes, local shops, schools and community venues through to the Hollybush Conservation Centre, Abbey House Museum and Kirkstall Abbey.
A £1,970 grant from the Banks Group’s Banks Community Fund will enable the Festival to enhance the exhibition that will showcase the winners of its ‘Capture Kirkstall’ photography competition at Butlers in Kirkstall Forge, as well as to give professionally printed and framed prints of their submissions to the winning entrants.
The grant will also pay for the materials required for a special bunting project, which is already seeing local school children, older residents and community groups creating lengths of flags on different themes which will decorate the nave of Kirkstall Abbey during the Art Trail.
And it will cover the cost of Apex Studios producing a new large-scale mural at the Church Lane Allotments off Woodbridge Garth, as well as new gazebos and trestle tables that will be used during the Art Trail’s sustainable fashion show in the Abbey.
Around 2,000 visitors are expected to attend this year’s Art Trail, which is a free event taking place over the weekend of 18 and 19 July, and which is delivered by a team of around 40 volunteers.
This year’s event will also include its first ever poetry competition, as well as the chance for visitors of all ages to try out different artistic materials and methods for themselves in a range of different workshops.
Mandy Long, chair of the Kirkstall Art Trail organising committee, says: “The Art Trail is well established as a creative influence in our community, as well as a wider cultural highlight within Leeds and Yorkshire beyond, and we’re so excited about the breadth and quality of this year’s programme.
“It’s a wonderful way to bring communities together, both over the Art Trail weekend itself and in the run-up to the event, and offer a fantastic range of activities for participants, residents and visitors to enjoy.
“We’ve tried to expand and improve what we offer in each successive year, and the support we’ve had from the Banks Group will be absolutely crucial in enabling us to put more of the infrastructure in place that we need to do just that this time round.
“Our community photography competition is now open for entries, while local people of all ages are already well on with making the bunting that will decorate Kirkstall Abbey over the Art Trail weekend.
“We know from previous years that we have some very talented artists living across our community and we’d love to have as many local people showing off their creativity in the summer.”
The Banks Group is the business behind plans for a new residential development on a 4.8-hectare area on the former Kirkstall Forge site, which will include around 80 new homes and approximately 140 new apartments.
The project would also see two existing Grade Two Listed cottages on the site being brought back to life, with the Grade Two Listed Forge itself being given appropriate prominence as an iconic monument to the area’s industrial heritage.
Jamilah Hassan, community relations manager at the Banks Group, added: “The Kirkstall Art Trail is a brilliant initiative that gives local people the chance to express their creativity and their pride in their community.
“We’re very pleased to be helping the Art Trail team build on their achievements so far and can’t wait to see what’s on display in the summer.”
- For further information on the 2026 Kirkstall Art Trail, visit its website.
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