BALTIC, Gateshead. Image from artfund.org
The V&A, the Tate, Saatchi and the National Portrait Gallery are four of the most visited museums in the United Kingdom. All located in London, and all boasting works from some of best known artists in the world, they’re the ones that tourists want to tick off their bucket lists and get that coveted selfie inside.
While visits to these spaces are a must, there is more to the UK’s art scene than Damien Hirst shows and extensive collections of ceramics from 2500 BC. The increase in popularity of art colleges and diversity in the courses they now provide means that more people are choosing to go down a more creative path, and the newer generation of dynamic young British artists are willing to go at it alone and make their own opportunities to create and show work.
So step a little outside of London and broaden your horizons to some of the most diverse and stimulating works courtesy of the UK’s artist-run spaces. It’ll be a new experience for the seasoned gallery-goer, with an opportunity to visit some pretty unlikely locations and experience the most contemporary work. Here, we present five of the best independent galleries coming out of Northern England, where the emerging art scene is proving there is more to the region than Manchester United and the Beatles.
Brian Griffiths. Bill Murray, BALTIC. Image from balticmill.com
BALTIC, Gateshead
The iconic BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art dominates Newcastle-Upon-Tyne’s alternative art scene. Consisting of 2,600 square metres, the gallery – housed in an old flour mill – is the largest dedicated contemporary art institution in the UK, with a mission to “create exceptional access to important and innovative contemporary art in a unique setting, that encourages and enables learning and transformational thinking.” Famed for exhibiting big names, having shown works by Nan Goldin during an exhibition on Elton John’s private photography collection, the centre is also known for hosting the 2011 Turner Prize event. As well as being the first space outside of London or Liverpool to accommodate the prestigious ceremony, the Turner Prize exhibition at BALTIC attracted over 149,000 visitors – more than at any previous Turner Prize exhibition.
Jon Wakeman, artistic director, East Street Arts, speaking at Do We Need to Grow Up, The NewBridge Project. Image from a-n.co.uk
The NewBridge Project, Newcastle
Established in a former office block in the heart of the city centre, The NewBridge Project houses over 80 artist studios, an exhibition space, a bookshop and a café. The artist-led community was set up in 2010, with the intention of providing a space for artists to work, but also to nurture the community by offering a support network allowing for feedback. Dedicated to encouraging an experimental and critical approach to the artists’ practice, the space promotes discussion groups and artists’ talks, as well as constantly exhibiting work and hosting various events. Supporting the art-world further, The NewBridge Project’s bookstore sells books and magazines from small-presses or self-publishers, with the intention of getting the work of these innovators into the public eye.
Castlefield Gallery, Manchester. Image from timeout.com
Castlefield Gallery, Manchester
Founded as an artist-run space in 1984, Castlefield Gallery has since gone on to become one of Northern England’s most active and successful organisations for developing emerging contemporary artists. Recognising the north as a beacon of creativity, the founders of this Manchester space are aiming to build Northern England as a place where its residents can not only live and create, but also present their work in national and international contexts. Supporting Turner Prize nominees and winners, as well as exhibitors of global festivals from the beginnings of their careers, the intentions of the gallery are certainly not in vein. As well as providing their main space for such practices, the gallery also works in partnership with landlords to make available the many empty buildings in Greater Manchester, allowing emerging artists to produce and showcase their work through limited workspaces and pop-up exhibitions.
Domino Gallery, Liverpool. Image from cassart.co.uk
Domino Gallery, Liverpool
Domino Gallery is the oldest independent art gallery in Liverpool. A small gallery with erratic opening hours, the space covers all aspects of the arts by hosting artist talks, musical events and poetry evenings, as well as painting, photography and installations from local creatives. The gallery is known for promoting up-and-coming Liverpudlian artists, hosting a group exhibition of work by Liverpool’s 2013 Biennial volunteers. Having said that, the intimate setting has also hosted work by more established artists, like renowned author of The Mersey Sound and poet Adrian Henri, and Kitchen sink realism pioneer John Bratby.
Snake Oil Carnival at Assembly House, Leeds. Image from leeds-list.com
Assembly House, Leeds
Repurposing one of the many textile mills from the Industrial Revolution in Armley, Leeds, the Assembly House concentrates on providing a comfortable public space. Boasting an eclectic range of work, the gallery visitors are invited to socialise through art via regular workshops and events, and engage in critical-thinking with the monthly exhibitions by in-house artists. A wide range of facilities caters to the diverse collection of art created at this space, with darkrooms, photographic studios and printmaking resources readily available. With the intention of nurturing the art community in Leeds, the Assembly House recently took over a second art space. The Lady Beck acts as the sister studio, and is important in continuing to build the organisation’s resilience and capacity and sustaining affordable workspaces for up and coming creatives.