Bank Street Arts in Sheffield City Centre is an innovative cross-disciplinary Arts Centre. Now in its 4th year, Bank Street Arts is a self funded Arts Centre that provides a home, venue and setting for a wide range of creative individuals and organizations, housing some of the best new art, writing and culture from across the region and throughout the UK.
Bank Street Arts consists of 24 Studios and Offices, 7 Gallery spaces, 3 Project Spaces, an Education Space, a Café, a shared Jewellery Cooperative and Workshop. This however, is just the beginning.
Bank Street Arts is unique in terms of its structure and organization. As a self funded Arts Centre, we exist independently of outside funding bodies, giving us the freedom to determine our own remit and operate in ways that organisations at the behest of outside targets are unable to do. This freedom comes at a price in terms of budgets but delivers a premium in terms of flexibility and openness to ideas, suggestions and outside involvement – we do not need to overly define what we do and can respond quickly to suggestions, opportunities and requests.
In 2011 we hosted 65 different exhibitions involving over 1750 participants; a true testament to the way we operate. At Bank Street Arts, nothing is set in stone (even walls have been known to move) and every day is different.
Our artistic aims are to provide:
- Good quality, affordable studio space for creative practitioners
- Opportunities for anyone interested in participating in contemporary art, craft, performance and writing
- A hub for creative practice in Sheffield
- Encouragement and a collaborative working environment, promoting hybrid arts between diverse practitioners
- And to reach a wider audience for contemporary art, craft and writing through collaboration with popular festivals and events
Please take time to visit the Centre, find out more about what’s on, what we do and why we do it. If you would like to get involved, you can find out more here. Remember, we’re self funded so any participation from renting studio space, exhibiting, participating in fairs and markets, organising events, workshops, volunteering, applying for our residency programme, becoming a member or … well, you decide! Tell us how you would like to contribute. We are counting on the participation of many people at any level to meet the above aims.
