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The Sheffield culture guide written by in-the-know locals

Meet the Locals: Yorkshire Artspace

Sheffield is home to a huge number of artists’ studios, and many of them can be found within Yorkshire Artspace – either in the light-filled spaces of the purpose-built Persistence Works or the six-floor art deco Exchange Place Studios.

Each November over a hundred ceramicists, jewellers, furniture makers, printmakers, painters and sculptors have a little tidy, before opening their studio doors to a large and curious audience. Open Studios is a fantastic opportunity to see inside the working spaces of some of our city’s most creative residents, and maybe make some headway with your Christmas shopping.

Get to know some of the members of the Yorkshire Artspace community in our interviews below.

And we insist you visit yourselves this November, to smell the ink, wood and paint, see the presses, looms and potters wheels, and, most importantly, to meet all the other artists who are continuing Sheffield’s proud tradition of making.

Seiko Kinoshita

Working at her huge dobby loom, Seiko creates yarn sculptures inspired by nature that are full of calm and beauty.

Neil Woodall

A loveable and inky t-shirted aquatint pro, working in the most incredible studio we've ever stepped foot in.

Penny Withers

A ceramicist based at Yorkshire Artspace, creating "vessels with heart".

Jennie Gill

Precious stones and metals glimmering in all directions – Jennie's jewellery workshop is a delight!

Anthony Bennett

The Showman Sculptor with a huge collection of cast figures lining his studio walls.

Sarah Waterhouse

Peek inside fabric designer and screen printer Sarah's Yorkshire Artspace studio, shared with pugs Lola and Ethel.

Chris Boland

Jeweller Chris constructs his bold and unusual rings from the most beautiful stones.

Paul Evans

A background in philosophy and archeology and a love of climbing inform Paul's art practice.

Clee Claire Lee

A sculptor working with wire, welding and weaving it into ethereal forms and bringing in light and sound to create immersive installations.

Jo Peel

Capturing stories of cities in paint.

Roanna Wells

In her monochrome embroideries, Roanna substitutes people with stitches to create stunning, often dramatic, new perspectives on human gatherings. Crowds never looked so pleasing.

Alison J Carr

A creator of photography, film and performance art exploring glamour and gilded architecture, and asking audiences to reflect on entertainment and the ways in which women display themselves.

Ashley Holmes

An artist with a multitude of interests – music, film, visual arts, archiving – investigating social and political histories, and exploring the ways that stories of Black people in Britain are told.

Siân Williams

An artist based at Bloc, whose practice references the feminine and sees seeming irreverence jostle with political poignance.

Kedisha Coakley

Inspired by African and Caribbean cultures, artist Kedisha Coakley invites people on a mesmerising journey of childhood memories, cultural symbols and spiritual iconography.

Theresa Bruno

Mixing ready-made objects with new media, artist Theresa Bruno plays with power structures and consumer trends.

Lucy Vann

Lucy Vann is an artist preoccupied with small-scale weirdness and the surreally mundane. From her studio she works with video, sculpture, performance and installation.

Eddy Dreadnought

An artist working across performance, writing, drawing, video, and photography, aiming to ask questions about the world in a sensory, open and poetic way.