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may

We invite you to see 'Where are you from originally?', an exhibition exploring race, identity, belonging and heritage. Opening: Friday
We invite you to see ‘Where are you from originally?’, an exhibition exploring race, identity, belonging and heritage.
Opening: Friday 3rd April 2026
Last date to view : Sunday 31st May 2026
‘Where are you from originally?’ takes its title from a question that is often framed as casual curiosity, yet carries the weight of assumption, belonging, and exclusion.
For many, it is a question that refuses a simple answer. The artists in this exhibition respond not by offering fixed origins, but by revealing identity as layered, shifting, and deeply personal. Here, identity is explored through race, religion, language, memory, and lived experience. Some artists draw on ancestral histories and inherited traditions; others examine migration and the spaces between cultures. Heritage appears not as a single point of origin, but as something negotiated, shaped by family stories, faith practices, and colonial histories.
‘Where are you from originally?’ invites viewers to reflect on how questions of origin are asked, and who is expected to answer them. Who gets to belong without explanation, and who is repeatedly asked to justify their presence? Through textiles, sculpture, photography, moving image, and painting, the artists explore their relationship to this question and its significance to their own identities.
Curator Domino Panton-Oakley assembles Yorkshire-based artists of mixed global identities, all of which use identity as a theme in their work. Featuring Penny Moe, Saira Baig, and including newly commissioned and never-before-seen work by Shaun Connell, Saba Siddiqui and Hijab Zainab, rather than resolving the question “where are you from originally?”, the artists ask us to listen more closely, to sit with complexity, and to recognise that identity is not a destination but an ongoing process.
Please also take with you a ‘Where are you from originally?’ zine, developed by artist and facilitator Mussarat Rahman, and designed by Kelvin Chan. The zine includes responses from those who have experienced this question, had their identity questioned, or questioned their own identity. It includes honest responses to the questions and offers new insights into the exploration of identity.
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April 3, 2026 10:00 am - may 31, 2026 3:00 pm(GMT+01:00)

Plenty at the Square Running: Friday 3rd April 2026 February - 24th May 2026 Caroline is an artist based in Bingley known for her captivating
Plenty at the Square
Running: Friday 3rd April 2026 February – 24th May 2026
Caroline is an artist based in Bingley known for her captivating detailed drawings of local townscapes.
Inspired by her surroundings, she is drawn to, and loves to draw, the unique architecture and landmarks that shape the places around her. She likes to capture the contrast between old and new buildings that tell a story about a town’s history and its current day life.
Before beginning a drawing Caroline visits each place and takes her own photographs, this way she can identify key features and get close ups or different angles of anything that interests her. Then using these images as reference she drafts each composition in pencil before filling in the details freehand in black pen to form her unique townscapes.
Exploring this style she has built up a collection of drawings featuring towns across Bradford and Yorkshire.
See more of her work at:
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April 3, 2026 10:00 am - may 24, 2026 3:30 pm(GMT+00:00)

Ryall Hill’s debut short story collection Friday 8th May 7.30-9pm Join us
Ryall Hill’s debut short story collection
Join us for the launch of Ryall Hill’s debut short story collection – ‘Bradford District Lines’.
Ryall Hill is an economic migrant to Bradford from London via Norfolk. He was inspired to write for the first time since school on a course by Michael Stewart of the Bronte Writing Centre in 2017. His short stories, ‘Losing Control’ and ‘The Collapse’, were published in collections by Grist, an imprint of Huddersfield University Press. Another, ‘Holding Back’, was published in, ‘Blooming Under Bradford Skies’, by David Ben Eke.
Inspired by the announcement that Bradford had won its bid for City of Culture 2025, Ryall wrote a short story for each of its 24 postal districts. He shared one story online each fortnight throughout 2025. These are presented together for the first time in hard copy as, ‘Bradford District Lines’.
Ryall will be supported by Bill Broady, reading excerpts from some of his Bradford-set stories in “In This Block There Lives A Slag” and a new, as yet untitled, selection.
‘Bradford District Lines’ is the first publication by Ings Press – a new publishing imprint founded by Mike Farren. Mike, also of Yaffle Press, aims to provide an outlet for the best poetry, literary fiction and creative non-fiction, with a strong focus on providing the best experience for author and reader alike. ‘Bradford District Lines’ is a wonderful collection that Ings Press is proud to publish. Watch out for more titles coming soon. https://www.ingspress.com/
Ryall Hill’s collection, inspired by the City of Culture 2025, comprises a short story for
each of Bradford’s 24 postal districts.
Themes of injustice, compassion, exploitation and love are explored through a diverse
cast of sometimes recurring characters.
Ryall will be joined by Bill Broady, celebrated Bradford author and Ings Pres stablemate,
who will read extracts from his forthcoming novella and past work.
“Writerly assurance is established in the collection’s very first story and is maintained
throughout all the various locations and characters, triumphs and tragedies, tears and
laughter that follows.” – Bill Broady
“District Lines is a formidable exploration of the 24 postal districts that constitute the city ofBradford in short story form: playful, assured and lyrical.” – Michael Stewart
“Hill’s stories are contemporary, with characters you might bump into in town and plots that
you have pondered. The magic is finding it all, crafted beautifully, not promising escapism,
but truth that grips you from the first line and stays with you.” – Nabeela Ahmed

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May 8, 2026 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm(GMT+01:00)
09may(may 9)10:00 am30(may 30)3:00 pmSet ApartSolo exhibition of paintings by John Allcock

Solo exhibition of paintings by John Allcock Running: Saturday 9th May - Friday 30th May 2026
Solo exhibition of paintings by John Allcock
Compelled by bad weather to take a break from a climbing trip in northern Spain, John
Allcock came across a group of ancient hermitages in the hills above Potes. Fascinated by
the idea of the hermit’s withdrawal from the secular world, he gathered reference material
which became a series of paintings on his return to the UK. The result is this series of
fourteen images in mixed media.
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May 9, 2026 10:00 am - may 30, 2026 3:00 pm(GMT+01:00)

Saturday 9th May 20261:00 pm - 4:00 pm Explore the art of traditional glass painting in this workshop led by South Square Studio holder, Samantha
Saturday 9th May 2026
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Explore the art of traditional glass painting in this workshop led by South Square Studio holder, Samantha Yates
This hands on workshop running from 1-4pm introduces the techniques of traditional glass painting used in medieval and historic stained glass. Participants will explore tracing, matting and shading with vitreous paint working directly onto glass.
Work can be fired in the kiln and collection/postage arranged for a later date. The focus is on the process and material understanding giving you the opportunity to develop confidence through making.
Suitable for beginners. All materials and equipment provided . Please note access to the studio is down a flight of steps.
To book your space, click here
more

Saturday 23rd May 2026 | From 12pm | Collaboration Event with Fountain Street Arts, The Watchmaker and How to Speak Hip
Saturday 23rd May 2026 | From 12pm | Collaboration Event with Fountain Street Arts, The Watchmaker and How to Speak Hip
FREE – Everyone is welcome.
Join South Square and our friends at Fountain St Arts, The Watchmaker and How to Speak Hip for a gathering in our garden featuring mindful activities and music.
Mindfulness is the practice of being present and fully engaged in the current moment without distraction. It involves learning to pay attention to thoughts, emotions, and sensations in a non-reactive way which can help reduce stress and improve focus.
SCHEDULE:
It Ain’t That Deep: A Meditation Toolkit // Starting at South Square – 12pm
Join Amy Roller (Fountain Street Arts Project) as she shares her journey into mindfulness in a relaxed and accessible format. She’ll discuss what mindfulness means to her, and lead you through a very chilled, non-structured, mindful talk.
Mindful Walk Q&A // Starting approx 1pm
Following a very chill chat, join Amy on a mindful stroll along the Thornton Viaduct, exploring presence and any questions that arrive along the way.
Motanka dolls – dolls made out of fabric or yarn // South Square 3pm – 6pm
Join artist Olha Zhydetska in the garden for this drop-in workshop where you will learn to make your own Motanka Doll. They are one of the most ancient folk toys, symbolising women’s wisdom and serving as family amulets. The name of this type of folk art comes from the concept of “winding,” and the general appearance of such a doll is a figure of a person, typically a woman or a child, crafted from pieces of fabric or yarn. The body parts of such a doll were knotted and wound.
The colours and knots used to create the doll represented specific symbols, forming a code through which the craftswoman conveyed her wishes for the child.
Easy Open Decks // 3pm onward // Garden
How to Speak Hip returns to host another laid-back open decks session in the sunny garden at South Square.
Bring a song along or just enjoy what others are sharing! Dust off your revered LP collection and listen to your playlist outside in the glorious setting under the sun (hopefully). Bring your mellow tempos and laid-back funk for a mindful vibe.
If you want to bring your own vinyls and have a go at DJ-ing, or just bring your own vinyls for the DJ to play – let us know to add you to the list. Email [email protected]
EXHIBITIONS
Where are you from originally? / Main Gallery
Running till Sunday 31st May
‘Where are you from originally?’ takes its title from a question that is often framed as casual curiosity, yet carries the weight of assumption, belonging, and exclusion.
For many, it is a question that refuses a simple answer. The artists in this exhibition respond not by offering fixed origins, but by revealing identity as layered, shifting, and deeply personal. Here, identity is explored through race, religion, language, memory, and lived experience.
Curator Domino Panton-Oakley assembles Yorkshire-based artists of mixed global identities, all of which use identity as a theme in their work. ‘Where are you from originally?’ invites viewers to reflect on how questions of origin are asked, and who is expected to answer them. Who gets to belong without explanation, and who is repeatedly asked to justify their presence? Through textiles, sculpture, photography, moving image, and painting, the artists explore their relationship to this question and its significance to their own identities.
Townscapes by Caroline Rilatt // Plenty at the Square
Running till Sunday 31st May
Caroline is an artist based in Bingley known for her captivating detailed drawings of local townscapes. Inspired by her surroundings, she is drawn to, and loves to draw, the unique architecture and landmarks that shape the places around her. She likes to capture the contrast between old and new buildings that tell a story about a town’s history and its current day life.
more
May 23, 2026 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm(GMT+01:00)
South Square Centre

Tuesday 26th May 2026, 10:30am - 12:30pm FREE Kids Craft Drop-In invites you to come and play and get crafty! We
Tuesday 26th May 2026, 10:30am – 12:30pm
FREE Kids Craft Drop-In invites you to come and play and get crafty!
We will set up a craft table full of paper, pencils, scissors, glue, cardboard, strings and more, all for you to build, make and create, and let your imagination run wild!
This is a great way for kids to take some time to play and make. And for the adults? Want a coffee whilst the kids are crafting? No problem! You can grab a cake and coffee from the onsite cafe, Plenty at the Square, which you can have served in the Community Room.
All materials are free. Suitable for all ages.
South Square is a charity, so a suggested donation of £3 helps us continue to offer free events and workshops like this.
Please note – a guardian / adult should be with the children at all times.
Book your free place here
Accessibility:
The session will be in the community room, this is on the first floor. If anyone needs step free access we have a stair lift that can be used. Chairs will also be provided for anyone that would prefer to be seated during the session.
Location and access:
The session will be held in the upstairs community room at South Square Centre, Thornton Road, BD13 3LS.
A chairlift is accessible to the Community Room.
The centre can be accessed easily via public transport. There is free on street parking around the centre. There is an on-site vegetarian café, Plenty, where refreshments and lunch can be purchased.
Contact
Any questions please call South Square on 01274 834737 or email us at [email protected] , we will be happy to help you!
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28may11:00 am12:30 pmKids Clay Portraits WorkshopMake your own portrait clay sculpture!

Thursday 28th May 11am - 12:30pm - £16 per ticket Join local artist Jess Swift in this fun, hands-on workshop where children will create their
Thursday 28th May
11am – 12:30pm – £16 per ticket
Join local artist Jess Swift in this fun, hands-on workshop where children will create their own air-dry clay portraits inspired by the exhibition “Where are you from originally?”
Using clay, children will design and build their own portrait plaques, adding features, symbols, patterns, and textures that represent who they are. This might include:
We will begin the workshop by having a look around the exhibition, getting inspiration from some of the works. We will then create our own portrait which can be then taken home and decorated at home once dry.
Please come in clothes you don’t mind getting messy!
*Please note – the air dry clay we will be using has nylon fibres inside*
Click here to book – £16 per ticket
Accessibility:
The session will be in the community room, this is on the first floor. If anyone needs step free access we have a stair lift that can be used. Chairs will also be provided for anyone that would prefer to be seated during the session.
Location and access:
The session will be held in the upstairs community room at South Square Centre, Thornton Road, BD13 3LS.
A chairlift is accessible to the Community Room.
The centre can be accessed easily via public transport. There is free on street parking around the centre. There is an on-site vegetarian café, Plenty, where refreshments and lunch can be purchased.
Contact
Any questions please call South Square on 01274 834737 or email us at [email protected] , we will be happy to help you!
more
28may6:00 pm8:00 pmClay Workshop, Pinch Pot VasesClay pinch pot workshop with artist Jess Swift

Thursday 28th May6pm - 9pm - £25 per ticket Join local artist Jess Swift for a relaxed, hands-on workshop exploring the art of pinch potting
Thursday 28th May
6pm – 9pm – £25 per ticket
Join local artist Jess Swift for a relaxed, hands-on workshop exploring the art of pinch potting using air-dry clay.
In this friendly, sociable pottery session, you’ll learn simple techniques to shape and form your own unique vases by hand. Starting with the basics, Jess will guide you through the process of turning a lump of clay into your own handmade vase!
You will take home your creations at the end of the workshop to dry at home, and you can either leave them plain or decorate them!
No experience needed, just come in clothes you don’t mind getting a little messy!
*Please note – the air dry clay we will be using has nylon fibres inside*
*Also note – Since we are using air dry clay, these vases will be decorative or home plastic plants only*
We are offering 3 clay workshops all covering different techniques, book one, two or all three! Find more information about the other workshops on our website.

Accessibility:
The session will be in the community room, this is on the first floor. If anyone needs step free access we have a stair lift that can be used. Chairs will also be provided for anyone that would prefer to be seated during the session.
Location and access:
The session will be held in the upstairs community room at South Square Centre, Thornton Road, BD13 3LS.
A chairlift is accessible to the Community Room.
The centre can be accessed easily via public transport. There is free on street parking around the centre. There is an on-site vegetarian café, Plenty, where refreshments and lunch can be purchased.
Contact
Any questions please call South Square on 01274 834737 or email us at [email protected] , we will be happy to help you!
more
june

Launching Friday 5th June, 4pm - 6pm Last date to view, Sunday 5th July Community Room
Come down for the highly awaited Year 10 Art show at Beckfoot Thornton school!
Students from year 10 art classes at Beckfoot Thornton have been working on a variety of different projects this year.
For this show, students have expressed themselves through three different themes; Recyclable, Abstract, and Monument.
With the chance to do anything desired to respond to chosen themes, students have created work in a variety of ways. Please explore our sculptures, paintings and many more.
Please feel free to sign the visitors book to let us know what you think!
more
June 6, 2026 10:30 am - july 5, 2026 3:00 pm(GMT+01:00)

Friday 5th June, 6pm - 9pm Join us for the launch of the South Square Centre Collage
Join us for the launch of the South Square Centre Collage Club Exhibition!
South Square Collage Club emerged from an online collage workshop during a socially restricted Covid period in May 2021 for World Collage Day. People all over the world joined in supported by remote hosts in South Square Centre and Exeter.. The local participants decided to continue in person once that was possible. Four years later there’s a lively evolving group who gather monthly in South Square Centre on a Saturday morning. The participants include people who are new to making art and people who have spent their lives creating. There’s usually a theme linked to our interests but following it is entirely optional. There’s a big selection of resources and a huge welcome to all.
This exhibition at Plenty of the Square includes a wonderful mix of the work the club have been creating over the past few weeks.
Last dater to view is Sunday 12th July.


more
June 6, 2026 10:30 am - july 12, 2026 3:00 pm(GMT+01:00)

Saturday 5th June - Sunday 30th August 2026 Main Gallery In collaboration with Impressions Gallery
Costing the Earth aims to highlight the negative and damaging environmental effects of fast fashion on our planet and the small actions we can do to make a positive difference.
Costing the Earth is a group show presenting artwork of artists Mandy Barker, Alice Fox, Hannah Lamb and Atiyya Mirza, amplifying different ways artists are tackling the climate crisis. The four artists work with recycled or sustainably sourced materials to create photographic images, sculpture and textile artworks.
The cornerstone to Costing the Earth is Mandy Barker’s Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Imperfections, a homage to the work of pioneering botanist and photographer Anna Atkins (1799-1871) using a Victorian photographic process. Through this body of work Barker hopes to raise awareness of fast fashion, synthetic clothes, and the harmful effect of microfibres in the oceans.
Mandy collected fragments of disregarded synthetic clothing from 121 beaches, from John o’ Groats to Land’s End, highlighting that no coastline is exempt from plastic pollution. The items found range from jackets to dressing-up outfits, football shirts to underwear, salvaged from beaches, rockpools and directly from the sea. The items are representative of millions of tonnes of clothes manufactured and discarded each year.
Mandy Barker says, “It is my intention that conversation around Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Imperfections will lead to action and a shift within the fashion industry, with the aim of achieving an impact that will go on to change the world.”
Alice Fox looks at technical innovation while also revisiting ancient and Indigenous technologies that could shape a more sustainable future. Alice’s artwork explores the idea of creating a safety net for the world, using different materials for net making, from repurposed polyester fabric to hand twisted string from allotment grown plant fibres.
Great Women Chilling, a playful textile piece by Atiyya Mirza, explores womanhood, empowerment, independence and identity, inspired by the women in Mirza’s family. Atiyya uses scrap fabrics she has collected over many years and found materials, exploring ways of working sustainabily when creating artwork.
Fragments of a Dress draws from the precious scraps of clothing associated with the Brontë family, especially Charlotte Brontë, in the collection at the Brontë Parsonage Museum. Hannah Lamb invited visitors to the museum to share stories about a significant item of clothing that they treasure, leaving a hand written note about the item and what it means to them. These touching and highly personal responses have been carefully embroidered onto silk organza, overlapping and layering a mesh of memories.
Hannah Lamb says, “Textiles and clothing can hold powerful memories, reminding us of people, places and special moments in our lives. Today, despite living in world of ‘fast-fashion’ and disposable attitudes to clothing, many of us still keep hold of things that help us to remember.”
The four artists have been invited to present existing work that reflects the exhibition’s broader vision of encouraging reuse, repurposing, and recycling.
Costing the Earth is an Impressions Gallery offsite exhibition in partnership with South Square Centre, part of Impression’s Summer of Sustainability.
Curated by Jane Hiley.
Image credit top: Gigartina Sunday, Photographs of British Algae, Cyanotype Imperfections © Mandy Barker
more
June 6, 2026 10:30 am - august 30, 2026 3:00 pm(GMT+01:00)

Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th June 2026 The third Thornton Art Trail takes place over the weekend of 6 - 7th
Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th June 2026
The third Thornton Art Trail takes place over the weekend of 6 – 7th June 2026. Visitors will find a huge variety of art and activities in a range of venues. There’s art in private houses, workshops in galleries, open studios, open-air art demonstrations and much more. The trail can be started at any point. The total distance of a circuit is around a mile.
Find out more about the whole event here: THORNTON ART TRAIL
What are South Square doing at Thornton Art Trail?
Open Studios //
Many of the artists and creators onsite at South Square will have an open doors to their studios. Come in, take a look at their work, chat directly to the artists, and see their creative spaces.
Costing The Earth – Curators Talk with Jane Hiley // Main Gallery
Join curator Jane Hiley in discussing the exhibition in the Main Gallery, Costing The Earth.
12pm – 2pm
Art Doctors // South Square and around Thornton
The Art Doctors think creativity can be good for you. They playfully break down barriers to participation in the arts and explore the positive role of creativity in all our lives.
Through playful conversation and consultation, they prescribe art works and creative activities that might make you feel better, help you to navigate the challenges of creative endeavour, and feel more confident talking about contemporary art.
They’ll be in and around South Square, helping all you patients in need of some art medicine!
Times TBC confirmed
Charlotte Brontë – Senseless Trash tour // Sapgate Gardens to Brontë Birthplace
Join Charlotte Brontë on a phonic field trip over the Yorkshire Moors and listen in to the sounds that shaped the Brontë sisters’ lives. The howling winds at Top Withens, tranquil trickling of nearby waterfalls and the angelic tones of…Beyoncé will accompany you on your journey. Senseless Trash from beginning to end – don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Oh, and keep your wits about you, for there are beasts on those moors…
This event is held in partnership with The Brontë Birthplace.
Age guidance 12+. Audiences use silent disco headphones. Some walking/moving required (around 0.1 mile)
Times: 11am (Book for 11am) and 1:30pm (Book for 1:30pm)
Location: Meet at Sapgate Gardens
Performance by Philip Codd – In The Stone Tree Shadows // Garden
Philip Codd is a filmmaker and composer. As a composer he works with any combination of instruments and electronics, often creating audio works using musique concrète techniques in which short audio samples are edited and manipulated.
In The Stone Tree Shadows uses audio clips created by scanning Patrick Whitehead’s prints of Bradford mills. These clips are then mangled and modified to create a sonic landscape of differing textures, rhythms and sonorities, with elements of the piece suggesting Bradford’s industrial past. The work will be performed using live electronics and fed through a surround sound diffusion speaker system.
Performances are in the garden at the back of South Square at 11:30, 13:00 and 14:30 on Saturday 6th and 12:30 and 14:00 on Sunday 7th June. The piece is 20 minutes in duration.
To visit Philip’s website click here
More details to be shared soon!
more
June 6, 2026 11:00 am - june 7, 2026 4:00 pm(GMT+01:00)
South Square Centre

Thursday 25th June6pm - 8pm - £25 a ticket Join local artist Jess Swift as she guides you through the technique of coil building with
Thursday 25th June
6pm – 8pm – £25 a ticket
Join local artist Jess Swift as she guides you through the technique of coil building with air dry clay.
In this pottery session, Jess will show you how to create your own decorative bowl or planter using simple coiling techniques. Building up your form layer by layer, you’ll learn how to shape, refine, and personalise your piece, infusing it with your own choice of shapes, patterns, and textures.
You will take home your creations at the end of the workshop to dry at home, and you can either leave them plain or decorate them!
No experience needed, just come in clothes you don’t mind getting a little messy!
*Please note – the air dry clay we will be using has nylon fibres inside*
*Also note – Since we are using air dry clay, the bowls or planters will be decorative or home plastic plants only*
We are offering three different workshops, all exploring different clay techniques. Find more information about the other workshops on our website.

Accessibility:
The session will be in the community room, this is on the first floor. If anyone needs step free access we have a stair lift that can be used. Chairs will also be provided for anyone that would prefer to be seated during the session.
Accessibility:
The session will be in the community room, this is on the first floor. If anyone needs step free access we have a stair lift that can be used. Chairs will also be provided for anyone that would prefer to be seated during the session.
Location and access:
The session will be held in the upstairs community room at South Square Centre, Thornton Road, BD13 3LS.
A chairlift is accessible to the Community Room.
The centre can be accessed easily via public transport. There is free on street parking around the centre. There is an on-site vegetarian café, Plenty, where refreshments and lunch can be purchased.
Contact
Any questions please call South Square on 01274 834737 or email us at [email protected] , we will be happy to help you!
more
july

Launching Friday 5th June, 4pm - 6pm Last date to view, Sunday 5th July Community Room
Come down for the highly awaited Year 10 Art show at Beckfoot Thornton school!
Students from year 10 art classes at Beckfoot Thornton have been working on a variety of different projects this year.
For this show, students have expressed themselves through three different themes; Recyclable, Abstract, and Monument.
With the chance to do anything desired to respond to chosen themes, students have created work in a variety of ways. Please explore our sculptures, paintings and many more.
Please feel free to sign the visitors book to let us know what you think!
more
June 6, 2026 10:30 am - july 5, 2026 3:00 pm(GMT+01:00)

Friday 5th June, 6pm - 9pm Join us for the launch of the South Square Centre Collage
Join us for the launch of the South Square Centre Collage Club Exhibition!
South Square Collage Club emerged from an online collage workshop during a socially restricted Covid period in May 2021 for World Collage Day. People all over the world joined in supported by remote hosts in South Square Centre and Exeter.. The local participants decided to continue in person once that was possible. Four years later there’s a lively evolving group who gather monthly in South Square Centre on a Saturday morning. The participants include people who are new to making art and people who have spent their lives creating. There’s usually a theme linked to our interests but following it is entirely optional. There’s a big selection of resources and a huge welcome to all.
This exhibition at Plenty of the Square includes a wonderful mix of the work the club have been creating over the past few weeks.
Last dater to view is Sunday 12th July.


more
June 6, 2026 10:30 am - july 12, 2026 3:00 pm(GMT+01:00)

Saturday 5th June - Sunday 30th August 2026 Main Gallery In collaboration with Impressions Gallery
Costing the Earth aims to highlight the negative and damaging environmental effects of fast fashion on our planet and the small actions we can do to make a positive difference.
Costing the Earth is a group show presenting artwork of artists Mandy Barker, Alice Fox, Hannah Lamb and Atiyya Mirza, amplifying different ways artists are tackling the climate crisis. The four artists work with recycled or sustainably sourced materials to create photographic images, sculpture and textile artworks.
The cornerstone to Costing the Earth is Mandy Barker’s Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Imperfections, a homage to the work of pioneering botanist and photographer Anna Atkins (1799-1871) using a Victorian photographic process. Through this body of work Barker hopes to raise awareness of fast fashion, synthetic clothes, and the harmful effect of microfibres in the oceans.
Mandy collected fragments of disregarded synthetic clothing from 121 beaches, from John o’ Groats to Land’s End, highlighting that no coastline is exempt from plastic pollution. The items found range from jackets to dressing-up outfits, football shirts to underwear, salvaged from beaches, rockpools and directly from the sea. The items are representative of millions of tonnes of clothes manufactured and discarded each year.
Mandy Barker says, “It is my intention that conversation around Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Imperfections will lead to action and a shift within the fashion industry, with the aim of achieving an impact that will go on to change the world.”
Alice Fox looks at technical innovation while also revisiting ancient and Indigenous technologies that could shape a more sustainable future. Alice’s artwork explores the idea of creating a safety net for the world, using different materials for net making, from repurposed polyester fabric to hand twisted string from allotment grown plant fibres.
Great Women Chilling, a playful textile piece by Atiyya Mirza, explores womanhood, empowerment, independence and identity, inspired by the women in Mirza’s family. Atiyya uses scrap fabrics she has collected over many years and found materials, exploring ways of working sustainabily when creating artwork.
Fragments of a Dress draws from the precious scraps of clothing associated with the Brontë family, especially Charlotte Brontë, in the collection at the Brontë Parsonage Museum. Hannah Lamb invited visitors to the museum to share stories about a significant item of clothing that they treasure, leaving a hand written note about the item and what it means to them. These touching and highly personal responses have been carefully embroidered onto silk organza, overlapping and layering a mesh of memories.
Hannah Lamb says, “Textiles and clothing can hold powerful memories, reminding us of people, places and special moments in our lives. Today, despite living in world of ‘fast-fashion’ and disposable attitudes to clothing, many of us still keep hold of things that help us to remember.”
The four artists have been invited to present existing work that reflects the exhibition’s broader vision of encouraging reuse, repurposing, and recycling.
Costing the Earth is an Impressions Gallery offsite exhibition in partnership with South Square Centre, part of Impression’s Summer of Sustainability.
Curated by Jane Hiley.
Image credit top: Gigartina Sunday, Photographs of British Algae, Cyanotype Imperfections © Mandy Barker
more
June 6, 2026 10:30 am - august 30, 2026 3:00 pm(GMT+01:00)

Wednesday 15th July 20261:00 pm - 4:00 pm Explore the art of traditional glass painting in this workshop led by South Square Studio holder, Samantha
Wednesday 15th July 2026
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Explore the art of traditional glass painting in this workshop led by South Square Studio holder, Samantha Yates
This hands on workshop running from 1-4pm introduces the techniques of traditional glass painting used in medieval and historic stained glass. Participants will explore tracing, matting and shading with vitreous paint working directly onto glass.
Work can be fired in the kiln and collection/postage arranged for a later date. The focus is on the process and material understanding giving you the opportunity to develop confidence through making.
Suitable for beginners. All materials and equipment provided . Please note access to the studio is down a flight of steps.
To book your space, click here
more

Thursday 23th July 2026 6pm - 8pm - £25 a ticket Join local artist Jess Swift in this pottery and sip session. Spend the evening learning
Thursday 23th July 2026
6pm – 8pm – £25 a ticket
Join local artist Jess Swift in this pottery and sip session. Spend the evening learning the basics of slab building with clay. You’ll roll out clay, cut shapes, and piece them together to create your own wall hanging.
Once the form is made, you will then create decorations using previously learnt pottery building techniques. The freedom is yours to create your own decorations, with Jess on hand to advise and help.
You will take home your creations at the end of the workshop to dry at home, and you can either leave them plain or decorate them at home!
No experience needed, just come in clothes you don’t mind getting a little messy!
*Please note – the air dry clay we will be using has nylon fibres inside*
*Also note – Since we are using air dry clay, these vases will be decorative or home plastic plants only*
We are offering three different workshops, all exploring different clay techniques. Find more information about the other workshops on our website.

Accessibility:
The session will be in the community room, this is on the first floor. If anyone needs step free access we have a stair lift that can be used. Chairs will also be provided for anyone that would prefer to be seated during the session.
Accessibility:
The session will be in the community room, this is on the first floor. If anyone needs step free access we have a stair lift that can be used. Chairs will also be provided for anyone that would prefer to be seated during the session.
Location and access:
The session will be held in the upstairs community room at South Square Centre, Thornton Road, BD13 3LS.
A chairlift is accessible to the Community Room.
The centre can be accessed easily via public transport. There is free on street parking around the centre. There is an on-site vegetarian café, Plenty, where refreshments and lunch can be purchased.
Contact
Any questions please call South Square on 01274 834737 or email us at [email protected] , we will be happy to help you!
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august

Saturday 5th June - Sunday 30th August 2026 Main Gallery In collaboration with Impressions Gallery
Costing the Earth aims to highlight the negative and damaging environmental effects of fast fashion on our planet and the small actions we can do to make a positive difference.
Costing the Earth is a group show presenting artwork of artists Mandy Barker, Alice Fox, Hannah Lamb and Atiyya Mirza, amplifying different ways artists are tackling the climate crisis. The four artists work with recycled or sustainably sourced materials to create photographic images, sculpture and textile artworks.
The cornerstone to Costing the Earth is Mandy Barker’s Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Imperfections, a homage to the work of pioneering botanist and photographer Anna Atkins (1799-1871) using a Victorian photographic process. Through this body of work Barker hopes to raise awareness of fast fashion, synthetic clothes, and the harmful effect of microfibres in the oceans.
Mandy collected fragments of disregarded synthetic clothing from 121 beaches, from John o’ Groats to Land’s End, highlighting that no coastline is exempt from plastic pollution. The items found range from jackets to dressing-up outfits, football shirts to underwear, salvaged from beaches, rockpools and directly from the sea. The items are representative of millions of tonnes of clothes manufactured and discarded each year.
Mandy Barker says, “It is my intention that conversation around Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Imperfections will lead to action and a shift within the fashion industry, with the aim of achieving an impact that will go on to change the world.”
Alice Fox looks at technical innovation while also revisiting ancient and Indigenous technologies that could shape a more sustainable future. Alice’s artwork explores the idea of creating a safety net for the world, using different materials for net making, from repurposed polyester fabric to hand twisted string from allotment grown plant fibres.
Great Women Chilling, a playful textile piece by Atiyya Mirza, explores womanhood, empowerment, independence and identity, inspired by the women in Mirza’s family. Atiyya uses scrap fabrics she has collected over many years and found materials, exploring ways of working sustainabily when creating artwork.
Fragments of a Dress draws from the precious scraps of clothing associated with the Brontë family, especially Charlotte Brontë, in the collection at the Brontë Parsonage Museum. Hannah Lamb invited visitors to the museum to share stories about a significant item of clothing that they treasure, leaving a hand written note about the item and what it means to them. These touching and highly personal responses have been carefully embroidered onto silk organza, overlapping and layering a mesh of memories.
Hannah Lamb says, “Textiles and clothing can hold powerful memories, reminding us of people, places and special moments in our lives. Today, despite living in world of ‘fast-fashion’ and disposable attitudes to clothing, many of us still keep hold of things that help us to remember.”
The four artists have been invited to present existing work that reflects the exhibition’s broader vision of encouraging reuse, repurposing, and recycling.
Costing the Earth is an Impressions Gallery offsite exhibition in partnership with South Square Centre, part of Impression’s Summer of Sustainability.
Curated by Jane Hiley.
Image credit top: Gigartina Sunday, Photographs of British Algae, Cyanotype Imperfections © Mandy Barker
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June 6, 2026 10:30 am - august 30, 2026 3:00 pm(GMT+01:00)
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