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Arts Catalyst

@artscatalyst

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We develop creative projects connected to the world around us. Our public programme is open to all. Find out more through the link below.

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Apophenia is open until 1 August! 🌊 A new exhibition by artist Leah Clements (@leah_r_clements), co-commissioned by Arts Catalyst (@artscatalyst) and Peer (@peergallery). The exhibition features new film, sculpture, and audio works that explore mental health, illness, and wellness.–Apophenia is open 12pm - 5pm, Thursday - Saturday, until 1 August 2026. The film is shown every half an hour with a British Sign Language version of the film playing at 1pm daily and an audio described version of the film plays at 3pm daily. This exhibition has a Masked Visiting Hour between 4-5pm every Thursday, and a Relaxed Visiting Hour between 1-2pm every Saturday. We encourage visitors of all ages to attend Apophenia and have an activity table set up for families. –Thank you to everybody who came to celebrate the opening of Apophenia with us last month! We look forward to more of you enjoying the artworks and film and getting stuck into the activities we have on offer over the coming weeks. To find out more including access information please click the link in our bio. –Image credit: Smart Jervas Banda (@smartjervas)Image descriptions can be found in alt text. by @artscatalyst

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16 days ago

Programme Announcement 📢🚨Across 2026, Arts Catalyst’s programme unfolds through deeply embedded artistic practices shaped by care, collaboration, and place.Featuring new work by Leah Clements, Aliaskar Abarkas, and a major public art commission developed with Bloc Projects, alongside a year-long curatorial residency with Nathalie Boobis, the programme facilitates and grows close relationships with communities, institutions, and environments. From hospitals and housing developments to exhibitions and the opening of our new community hub & garden at Exchange Place, these projects reflect our commitment to art that is made with people - grounded in lived experience, disability justice, and ecological thinking.Read more on our website! Link in bio. ___Summer 2026: Apophenia exhibition by Leah Clements (@leah_r_clements), co-commission with Peer (@peergallery)Autumn 2026: Aliaskar Abarkas x Sheffield Children’s Hospital exhibition by Aliaskar Abarkas (@aliaskar______abarkas), in collaboration with (@team.artplus)Winter 2026: Newstead GN Estate public artwork, artist to be announced spring 2026, co-commissioned with Bloc Projects (@blocprojects), in collaboration with the Public Art Officer with the support of Sheffield City Council (@sheffieldcitycouncil)2026 & 2027: Future Curators Programme Residency with Nathalie Boobis (@nathalieboobis), supported through partnerships with DAO (@disabilityarts) and DASH (@dashdisabilityarts)Spring 2026: Arts Catalyst community hub & garden at Exchange Place designed by Studio Polpo (@studio_polpo) with Yorkshire Artspace (@yartspace) by @artscatalyst

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6 months ago

STATEMENT: SOLIDARITY WITH PALESTINEArts Catalyst stands in solidarity with the people of Palestine in opposition to the actions of the Israeli government. As an organisation we do not condone any systems of oppression, we do not condone acts of violence against any civilians and call for this cycle of violence to end.Our programme supports shared values and promotes understanding of environmental and social justice issues. We work in ways which are both hyperlocal and responsive to planetary challenges and changes. We support our Palestinian programme partners Riwaq Centre for Architectural Conservation and Sakiya in their call for solidarity and acknowledgement of the humanitarian situation in Palestine. We call for interventions that will support the people of Palestine and secure safe humanitarian actions as a matter of urgency. Arts Catalyst directors, staff and trustees.....Image description: white text on black background (text panels same as body text). by @artscatalyst

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3 years ago

We are excited to share some wonderful pictures, learnings and furniture from Roo Dhissou’s (@roodhissou) recent project Building Together. Drawing on DIY cultures, collective making, and community-led design, Roo delivered a three-day collaborative design-and-build project with year 9 and 10 students at Astrea Academy Sheffield (astreaacademysheffield). We encouraged the students to consider how different people with different access needs might use the furniture they created and how it could support care, comfort, access, and connection within their school. Many students focused on rest as a core need. The project was driven by the students’ desires and ideas, with production support from artists and staff. The students drew their designs, made small scale models, selected their materials via a very energetic auction, and manufactured the final pieces of furniture themselves.One student summed up the project beautifully: ‘There’s more to a bench than wood!’ 🪑❤️–Special thanks to @roodhissou, @fredhubble, and teaching staff at astreaacademysheffield!Thanks to @sheffieldartistmakerexchange, @sheffield_woodcraft, and @brown_reclaimed for donations of scrap wood and thank you to @reytrepair for lending us tools. Image credit: Astrea Academy and Arts Catalyst. Image descriptions can be found in alt text.Building together is part of the public programme for Apophenia, an exhibition by Leah Clements that places access at the core of its artworks. Apophenia is open 12pm - 5pm, Thursday - Saturday, until 1 August 2026 at Exchange Place, S2 5TR. by @artscatalyst

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4 days ago

Join us for Voice ≠ Speech: A Visual Conversation, a workshop exploring access and care-centred practices in the form of a collective visual exchange.Co-facilitated by Jade Foster (@_jade_foster) and Cecilia Wee (@cecilialmwee), the workshop is held largely as a visual conversation - working through marks, drawing, and writing rather than spoken discussion. This workshop makes room for slower perceptual knowing through visual exchange, letting thinking gather visibly and making space for what doesn’t arrive at conversational speed. Together, we invite art workers (artists, curators, and producers) and community organisers to reflect on care and access-centred practice, on what it might mean to hold articulation rather than rush to release it, and on the kinds of insight that arrive slower than speech. All forms of communication are welcome; no prior knowledge or active engagement with the subject are required. The workshop will be held in a relaxed environment that makes space for reflection, contemplation and fun. To secure your ticket and for more information including access please visit the Eventbrite link in our bio. 🗓️ Saturday 1st August 2026, 1–3pm (relaxed start 12.30pm & relaxed finish 3.30pm)📍 Exchange Place🎟️ Via Eventbrite –Voice ≠ Speech: A Visual Conversation is part of the public programme for Apophenia, an exhibition by Leah Clements. This workshop takes place on the last day of the exhibition which is open 12pm - 5pm, Thursday - Saturday, until 1 August 2026 at Exchange Place, S2 5TR. Poster Image Credit:Close up of ‘countermapping the ecotone’, 2025, audiovisual installation by (CWxWC).A collaboration between Cecilia Wee and William Crosby.Photo by William Crosby. Image descriptions can be found in alt text. by @artscatalyst

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11 days ago

‘The clock rules over our lives like an internal panopticon; it came in with the factory and the relentless demands of capitalism to metre out incessant work where previously it was led by the sun, the seasons, the length of the job at hand. […] I’m keen to know how different ways of experiencing time; of moving through it; of feeling it; of relating to schedules; can shape how it is administered, felt, and what is possible within it. Does clock time not bind us, keep us from, busy us, exhaust us, box us, and judge us?’ 🕰️In March 2026, Nathalie Boobis began a 12-month hybrid curatorial residency with Arts Catalyst, in partnership with Disability Arts Online. This residency is part of the Future Curators Programme, a dedicated initiative founded by DASH for Disabled curators within visual arts institutions.As she settles into the research phase of her residency, Nathalie shares early thoughts and ideas and the core questions driving her research in a new blog titled, ‘Early musings on the transformative potentials of wobbly and unreasonable crip time shapes’. Nathalie says: I’m following a thread of thought around the intersections of disability justice, the politics of liberation and crip time. I’ve been thinking about time and crip time for so many years but ironically have never had the time, outside of being a student, to really dig into it. So I’m very grateful to have this opportunity to really get into it and let the research lead the project.Read the full blog on our website now. Link in bio. #FutureCuratorsProgramme #FCP #DisabledCurators@nathlaieboobis@artscatalyst@disabilityarts@dashdiasbilityartsImage descriptions contained in alt text. by @artscatalyst

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18 days ago

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25 days ago

‘You get that lightbulb moment and it might be a complete delusion, I think a lot of the time it probably is.’ Jenn AshworthArtist Leah Clements (@leah_r_clements) and writer Jenn Ashworth (@jennashworth82) will discuss Clements’ new film Apophenia, which is inspired by Ashworth’s autobiographical publication, Notes Made While Falling. Leah and Jenn will use the film as a starting point to talk about the complex, uncertain, physical, and psychological process of finding meaning in the experience of illness and disability.Join Arts Catalyst (@artscatalyst) and Sheffield Museums (@sheffmuseums) at Millennium Gallery for In Conversation: Leah Clements & Jenn Ashworth: 📍 Millennium Gallery, Sheffield🗓️ Wednesday 15 July, 6-7pm 🎟️ EventbriteFor more information about this event including access and tickets please visit the Eventbrite link in our bio! Exhibition details: Showing at Exchange Place from 18 June - 1 Aug, Apophenia is a new co-commission and the first major solo exhibition in the UK by London-based artist Leah Clements, produced by Arts Catalyst and Peer (@peergallery).Image credit: Leah Clements, Apophenia, (2026), HD Video, 23 minutes. Commissioned and produced by Peer, London and Arts Catalyst, Sheffield. Courtesy of the artist.Image description: 1. A Black woman in her 30s lying on a bed, we see her from above and she looks up at us intensely. Her left hand with green painted nails lays next to her head on the white pillow, hair in singles on her shoulders, over a green patterned robe. She is staring not at us, but at something floating above her face, whether it is actually there or not. It is a series of symbols, formed from white outlines, in an almost-symmetrical pattern. They appear to be in motion.2. A text graphic with a light blue background and black text that reads: In Conversation: Leah Clements & Jenn Ashworth. Date: 15 July. Time: 6-7pm. Location: Millennium Gallery. There are also two abstract symbols on this post, one looks like a vertical rectangle with a v in the top and a slightly curved bottom, the other is a rounded L shape but the bottom of the L drags down. by @artscatalyst

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a month ago

Arts Catalyst are pleased to share our upcoming public events, talks, and workshops to run alongside our new exhibition Apophenia, by Leah Clements. Apophenia Exhibition Opening Friday 12 June, 5.30-7.30pmExchange Place, Sheffield Join Arts Catalyst for the opening of Apophenia, Leah Clements’ first major UK solo exhibition. Featuring a new single-channel film, alongside a series of sculptural and audio works that explore themes of mental health, illness, and wellness.Building TogetherMonday 6 - Wednesday 8 JulyAstrea Academy, SheffieldDrawing on DIY cultures, collective making, and community-led design, Roo Dhissou (@roodhissou) will lead a three-day collaborative design-and-build project with a local school, working with the students to construct furniture that supports care, rest, comfort, access, and connection. Beyond [music plays]: An Introduction to Creative Captions and Shaping of the Sonic EnvironmentSaturday 11 July, 12-3pmOnlineDisabled and queer-led working group Care-fuffle (@carefuffle) and artist Nina Thomas (@ninathomasart) will be leading an online workshop experimenting with the art of captioning. Through a series of gentle exercises, we will explore how captions can build a rich sonic environment that enhances access and stands for collective joy, care, and solidarity.In conversation: Leah Clements & Jenn Ashworth Wednesday 15 July, 6-7pmMillennium Gallery, SheffieldArtist Leah Clements (@leah_clements) and writer Jenn Ashworth (@jennashworth82) will be discussing Clements’ new film Apophenia, using the work as a starting point to talk about the complex, uncertain, physical, and psychological process of finding meaning in the experience of illness and disability. Apophenia by Leah Clements is open 18 June - 1 August 2026, Thursday - Saturday, 12 - 5pm, at Exchange Place, S2 5TR. Find out more about upcoming events via the link in our bio. Image descriptions are contained in image alt text. by @artscatalyst

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a month ago

🚨 RESCHEDULED: Join us for the opening of Apophenia, Leah Clements’ first major UK solo exhibition, 12 June at Exchange Place, 5.30-7.30pm! Due to unforeseen circumstances, Arts Catalyst staff and trustees have made the decision to change the date of our opening celebration for Apophenia from 13th June to 12th June.This exhibition explores mental health, illness, and wellness through a new short film alongside a series of sculptural and audio works. The film travels to sites founded across time, in an attempt to discover meaning in the context of illness. It follows the voice of author Jenn Ashworth (@jennashworth82) slipping into a state of apophenia, which she describes as a ‘relentless, out-of-control pattern recognition’. As this unfolds, the protagonist visits three sites of water, worship, and healing, each a thousand years apart: the ancient Temple of Sulis Minerva in Bath, the medieval St Winefride’s Well in North Wales, and a contemporary luxury spa in London.Apophenia was co-commissioned by Arts Catalyst (@artscatalyst) and Peer Gallery, London (@peergallery) and has previously toured at Peer.This commission and exhibition was made possible with support from the Arts Council National Lottery Project Grant (@aceagrams), Art Fund (@artfund), The Foundation Foundation, and Henry Moore Foundation (@henrymoorefdn_grants). With thanks to art’otel London Hoxton. 🌊Image descriptions: 1. A light blue poster with a landscape image (described in the next image ID for slide 2) and black text. The text on the poster reads: “Leah Clements, Apophenia. Arts Catalyst, Peer. Rescheduled, Opening Event, Friday 12 June, 5:30-7:30pm, Exchange Place, S2 5TR.” 2. A woman in her 30s with braided hair is in a semi-silhouette close to us, against a backdrop of water in an ancient temple. Her back is to us, cloaked in orange, and she turns her head to the right, deep in thought. In front of her a green body of water stretches out, framed in Roman stone paving and pillars, and lit by the sun and flaming torches flickering in the wind. by @artscatalyst

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2 months ago

🏠 We’re pleased to announce Mark Fell and Rian Treanor have been selected to produce an original public artwork for the Newstead General Housing scheme. This housing development is supported by Sheffield City Council, and will provide 77 new sustainably built homes in Birley, Sheffield.Co-commissioned by Bloc Projects (@blocprojects) and Arts Catalyst (@artscatalyst) this artwork will encourage people who already live locally, and those who will move to the area in the coming years, to connect with their green spaces, local communities, and wildlife. The artists will collaborate with local people and groups to explore the current and future nature and environment of Birley through sound workshops focused on play, rest, and reflection. The public artwork will be inspired by these sessions and will feel both grounded and imaginative, accessible and encouraging, guiding people to think differently about the world around them.Mark and Rian are father and son duo from Rotherham who frequently collaborate on artwork, sound, and community projects. Mark Fell is a multidisciplinary artist who has interests in technology and community creativity. Over the past 30 years his output has grown into a significant body of work spanning sound installation, performance, critical writing, and curatorial projects. Rian Treanor works primarily with electronic music and community workshops. He has released his own music on leading record labels and performed at numerous international arts festivals within various collaborations, workshops, live performances, and installations. His practice often focuses on creating challenging socially engaged work that invites people to connect and explore together. The Newstead GN Public Art Commission is made possible through the support of Sheffield City Council (@sheffieldcitycouncil) and collaboration with the Public Art Officer. Image descriptions are contained in image alt text. by @artscatalyst

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2 months ago

🚀Blast (off) from the past! Rob La Frenais (@eminencegris), former curator at Arts Catalyst, has written a wonderful new blog piece about Arts Catalyst’s zero gravity programme in the early 2000s. Between 2000 and 2003 Arts Catalyst commissioned and developed ambitious and unique opportunities for artists, curators, writers, musicians, historians, and scientists to perform and experiment new projects in zero gravity at Moscow’s Star City at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre (GCTC). The work was developed within Arts Catalyst’s then mission – to develop new artistic work which critically engaged with science and technology. The essay explores the complexity of this work and also reflects back on geopolitical changes and the challenges of creating work in the post-soviet era in Russia.This period of work, Zero Gravity or MIR (Microgravity Interdisciplinary Research), sparked the next decade of experimentation and commissioning for Arts Catalyst – that explored a series of programmes from Space Soon (2006-2009), to Republic of the Moon (2011 & 2014). Read the full blog on our website now! Link in bio. The featured video is an extract from Gravitation Off!, a short film documenting the zero gravity projects by The Arts Catalyst with Projekt Atol (@projektatol) between 2000 and 2003.Video Description: The video follows a large group of people floating in the air inside an aeroplane with no seats or windows, it looks like a large white room with crashmats on the floor. There are artists and dancers pretending to be asleep, performing choreographed routines, wearing electronic exo-skeletons, and conducting experiments in large perspex spheres with green goo, all spinning and floating through the air. by @artscatalyst

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2 months ago