Gaada director visits Leeds for Curatorial North
Gaada founding director, Daniel Clark recently visited the city of Leeds and learn from some of the UK’s most dynamic art organisations. Daniel is a member of the Taisbean / Northern Curators Network, and this trip was supported by the Scottish Contemporary Art Network (SCAN).
The Taisbean programme is delivered by SCAN and supported by the William Grant Foundation and Creative Scotland. A BIG thank you to fellow Taisbean member Kirsten Body of Inverness based artist-led collective Circus Arts who organised the bulk of this expedition and reached out to involve Gaada!
You can follow the Taisbean Curators North project on Twitter and Instagram @TaisbeanArt
Here Daniel shares some insights into his adventure to Leeds and Edinburgh.
East St. Arts, 130 Vicar Lane (Leeds)
East Street Arts
↳ https://www.eaststreetarts.org.uk/
First up on our visit was to East Street Arts, where Daniel met with founding directors Karen Watson and Jon Wakeman who established the organisation way back in 1993. It was amazing to gather some insight around their journey over the last 30 years right up to the present day as they begin to step back from the organisation and explore ways to maintain their legacy after they return to their personal practices.
The Art Hostel, Interior
The Art Hostel
↳ https://www.eaststreetarts.org.uk/project/the-art-hostel/
We also had the opportunity to visit The Art Hostel - East Street Arts’ award winning boutique hotel which is due to open early in 2022. We were given the opportunity to tour the entire space whilst learning about their growing business model behind one of Trip Advisors top destinations for Tourists in Leeds.
Screenprint Processing Room, Leeds Print Workshop
Leeds Print Workshop
↳ https://leedsprintworkshop.org
I popped into the recently established co-operative Leeds Print Workshop and explored some of their well equipped facilities. They have set up in a modest basement space, and exploring the studio was a good opportunity to imagine how Gaada could maximise some of its less utilised space and improve our facilities.
Cithra, Lauren Gault, The Tetley
The Tetley
↳ https://thetetley.org/exhibition/lauren-gault-cithra/
I spent some time visiting The Tetley - a pioneering centre for contemporary art located in the stunning art deco headquarters of the former Tetley Brewery. The ornate surrounds of the first floor galleries gave clear indications of this spaces’ past, whilst also creating an interesting and challenging space in which to view contemporary art. On display was Lauren Gault’s Cithra - a multifaceted body of work which demonstrated the open ground an artist can cover when they are able to regularly access a wide range of making facilities. I found my thoughts wandering back to Gaada’s Future Site proposal and the potential facilities in Shetland could afford artists.
I HAVEN'T BEEN SLEEPING, Thomas Harker, Screw Gallery
SCREW Gallery
One of my last stops in before departing was the artist-led exhibition space Screw Gallery. The gallery is a combination of artist studios and exhibiting space, whose members outlined its fiercely independent, non-commercial ethos.
Etching Presses, Edinburgh Printmakers
Edinburgh Printmakers
↳ https://edinburghprintmakers.co.uk
With mere hours to stop over in Edinburgh on my return journey home, an essential stop was of course Edinburgh Printmakers, where studio technician Mhairi was only too happy to show me around their brand new facility. It was stunning to be inside a workshop of this magnitude once again, and I left feeling buoyed by a refreshed look at one of Scotland’s leading public studios.
