Leeds theatre company creates open air art gallery of residents' work
and live on Freeview channel 276
Leeds theatre company Slung Low has opened the LS11 Art Gallery on lampposts in Beeston and Holbeck - so all can enjoy the exhibits despite the Covid-19 lockdown.
The gallery features paintings, drawings and photographs by artistic residents, of all ages, who live in both wards.
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Hide AdAlan Lane, artistic director of Slung Low, said: "We’re about telling stories here and the story that LS11 Art Gallery absolutely tells clearly is that Holbeck and Beeston are full of amazingly creative people.
"The quality of the art that we are getting is wonderful and the response of people seeing the art on the lamp posts is so powerfully positive and unusual in these strained times.”
Among those who submitted art was Neil Morgan, 41, of Wesley Street, who has drawn as a hobby for the past 20 years.
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Hide AdHis picture of a crow, in black ink, is on display on Lady Pit Lane in Beeston.
He said he feels "very proud" to have had his work chosen for the gallery, adding: "I've never had anything on display before as I mainly draw for my own satisfaction. To think that other people may be taking a passing interest and are wondering why there is artwork in their street is very pleasing. It's a great idea."
Neil, who is currently on furlough from his job distributing drinks to pubs, is putting his artistic skills to good use during the lockdown by teaching youngsters how to draw.
He said: "I have about 10 youngsters - my nieces, nephews and children of friends - who are following my guidance. In lockdown, it gives them something to do on a rainy day. I'm finding that really useful and rewarding."
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Hide AdAnother budding artist whose work is on display is Katie Ward, five, who impressed the theatre company with her picture of a girl with rainbow hair, which is now on a lamppost on Domestic Street.
Mum Anne-Marie Ward, 30, of Holbeck, said: "She's chuffed to have it up. We asked if it could be near our house because we've only been walking from our house so we went to go and look at it and she was chuffed. It's nice to feel part of it and she is enjoying seeing the different ones around too - she says 'oh look, there's someone else's picture'."
Slung Low said the LS11 Art Gallery will be open in Holbeck and Beeston for the "foreseeable future".
As well as organising the street art project, the company's members are also currently Covid-19 volunteers for Beeston and Holbeck.
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Hide AdSlung Low was founded in 2000 and specialises in making theatre productions in non-theatre spaces, often with large community performance companies at its heart.
The company recently relocated to The Holbeck in South Leeds, the oldest working men’s club in Britain.
It runs the bar as a traditional members’ bar and the rest of the building as an open development space for artists and other theatre companies to present their work.
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