{"id":335999,"date":"2025-08-11T15:03:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T15:03:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/335999\/"},"modified":"2025-08-11T15:03:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T15:03:13","slug":"gesture-exhibition-comes-to-swinnow-grange-mills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/335999\/","title":{"rendered":"Gesture exhibition comes to Swinnow Grange Mills"},"content":{"rendered":"

What does it mean to take up space \u2014 to leave a trace, to reach outward, to say: I\u2019m here
and this matters?<\/p>\n

Gesture is the first exhibition from the Resilient Artist Cohort, an artist-led development
programme from Aire Place Studios<\/a> that centres radical care, collective agency and creative
risk. <\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t about perfection or polish. It\u2019s about process, autonomy and power \u2014 shifting who gets to speak, who gets seen, and who shapes the future of culture in Leeds.<\/p>\n

Over the course of 12 months, the cohort is engaging in mentoring, peer learning,
hands-on curatorial work and critical dialogue. <\/p>\n

Together, they\u2019re co-creating a different model for artist development, one that\u2019s not about competition or careerism, but about support, self-determination and doing things differently.<\/p>\n

Gesture exhibition features new work by six dynamic Leeds-based artists.<\/p>\n

Through ongoing dialogue and collaboration, the artists began to notice shared themes
emerging, across mediums and methods, ideas surfaced around the body, mark-making,
memory, and gesture as both signal and action. <\/p>\n

The result is a show that doesn\u2019t just display work, but holds space for experimentation, intention and collective thinking.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing part of the cohort has given me a new perspective on my practice,\u201d says Jamie. \u201cI
usually begin with abstract sketches before painting or drawing figures. This process helped
me realise those early marks aren\u2019t just planning they\u2019re part of the voice.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m always curious about how other artists think and work,\u201d adds Christina. \u201cCollaborating like this has been incredibly insightful. It\u2019s opened up new conversations and shifted how I see my own work.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is no single curatorial theme, no fixed narrative. Instead, Gesture invites you into an
evolving conversation. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a space where artists are curating on their own terms, where intention meets risk, and where the work is allowed to breathe. Rather than a traditional group show, this is a live experiment \u2014 a powerful moment of visibility, authorship, and shared momentum.<\/p>\n

The final exhibition in March 2026 will build on the groundwork laid here, showcasing new
work shaped by deeper mentoring and collaboration with curators. <\/p>\n

By then, the cohort will have co-curated two public exhibitions, developed leadership experience, and cultivated the skills to shape their practices, and their audiences, with clarity, confidence and care.<\/p>\n

The Resilient Artist Cohort was born from the urgent demands Aire Place Studios heard through Let Us See You and The People\u2019s Gallery that artists need time, trust, and agency. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just about the art,\u201d says APS Director Sarah Francis. \u201cIt\u2019s about who gets to shape the system. With this cohort, we\u2019re not waiting for the door to open, we\u2019re building something better, from the ground up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gesture is an invitation into that space. A space for listening, questioning, risk-taking and
connection. A space to witness artists in motion, and to join a growing movement rooted in
care, resistance and radical imagination.<\/p>\n

Exhibition Details<\/p>\n

Title: GESTURE
Dates: 15 August \u2013 5 September 2025
Location: The Mill Gallery, Unit 5 Cardinal House, Swinnow Grange Mills, Leeds, LS13 4EP
Opening Event: Friday 15 August from 6.30pm. All are welcome.<\/p>\n

Sponsored content<\/p>\n

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