Arts Press Releases

Sunny Bank Mills has unveiled one of its most ambitious and joyful exhibitions yet. The Magic Show has taken over its Gallery in Farsley, Leeds until 27th September, bringing together disabled, neurodivergent and learning-disabled artists in a vibrant celebration of creativity, collaboration and imagination.

Created in collaboration with Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre and Pyramid, the exhibition reimagines the Gallery through an immersive collection of paintings, sculpture, textiles, installations, ceramics and mixed media works revealing what magic means to each artist.

Developed over six months of collaborative workshops, studio exchanges and creative experimentation, The Magic Show demonstrates the transformative power of inclusive artistic practice and challenges traditional perceptions of disability in the arts.

Visitors can expect a colourful, playful and thought-provoking exhibition where everyday materials become extraordinary, familiar spaces are transformed and imagination takes centre stage. Alongside the exhibition, a specially curated shop features handmade artworks and gifts created by participating artists.

The exhibition marks a significant partnership between three organisations committed to creating more inclusive opportunities for artists whose work is often underrepresented in mainstream galleries, and is the first time Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre and Pyramid have worked together.

Anna Turzynski, Arts Director at Sunny Bank Mills, said: “The Magic Show started as a small, speculative invitation to two groups of artists and has grown into a giant cultural shift here at Sunny Bank Mills. I am so excited for audiences to experience the Gallery reimagined by artists from Henshaws and Pyramid. Especially during a time where we could all use some magic in our everyday lives.”

Alice Clayden, Pyramid Creative Programme Coordinator, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Sunny Bank Mills and Henshaws on this exciting gallery takeover. Our member artists have fully embraced and explored the magic-inspired theme of this exhibition, creating unique and imaginative works that we hope will inspire, surprise and engage visitors.”

“The Magic Show has provided a fantastic opportunity for our artists to connect, collaborate, and build communities across borders. One example is Heather’s crochet granny square blanket, which brings together more than 300 handmade granny squares contributed by makers from across the UK and around the world. Projects like this demonstrate the power of creativity to bring people together and create something truly special.”

“It’s important that artists with learning disabilities and autism are given more meaningful platforms like this exhibition to showcase and celebrate their talent and creativity in established and respected institutions. This collaboration with Sunny Bank Mills is a brilliant example of what can be achieved when organisations work together to create inclusive opportunities.”

Artists from Henshaws and Pyramid spent months visiting one another’s studios, sharing creative processes and exploring the exhibition theme together. The result is a show built on genuine collaboration, mutual learning and friendship.

Sharon Hockin, Workshop Leader at Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre said: “The art makers at Henshaws were so excited to be asked to be part of a collaborative exhibition with Pyramid and Sunny Bank Mills. Working alongside another local disability arts organisation in a major contemporary art gallery has been fantastic and we wish there were many more opportunities like this. We have had over 40 art makers involved in making and creating work for the exhibition and the shop.

She continued: “We felt it was important to work with the Pyramid artists from the start to enable a truly meaningful exchange of ideas, skills and lived experience. Exchange visits took place over 6 months as the artists explored each other’s studios, workshop spaces and all things magical!”
For the artists themselves, the exhibition is an opportunity to challenge perceptions and celebrate creativity on equal terms.

Artist Debra from Henshaws said: “We want you to know that we are a mixed group of disabled, visually impaired and neurodivergent artists. This is the best exhibition EVER. The collaboration has been a fantastic way to connect with other artists, and the exhibition will show what we can do. This show is about capability not disability.”

Through bold artworks, shared experiences and a spirit of wonder, The Magic Show invites visitors to see the world differently while celebrating the extraordinary talent of these artists.

During this 3-month long exhibition there will be creative workshops and performances from both Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre and Pyramid.

The Magic Show is open in the Gallery, Sandsgate Building, Sunny Bank Mills, Farsley, LS28 5UJ, Tuesday-Sunday 10am-4pm until 27th Sept. Closed on Mondays. FREE ENTRY. For more information on The Magic Show visit: https://www.sunnybankmills.co.uk/arts/gallery/the-magic-show/

Sunny Bank Mills is one of the most exciting and respected cultural and community hubs in the Yorkshire region. It is home to an acclaimed contemporary Art Gallery, a large artists’ studio community, a textile Museum & Archive, and with many other creative independent businesses on site. It’s situated in the heart of the thriving village of Farsley in West Leeds.

About Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre
Henshaws is a Northern England-based charity that has been supporting people living with sight loss and other disabilities for over 180 years. Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre is the Knaresborough branch of the organisation, enabling people living with a range of disabilities to discover their talents, put them into practice, and realise their full potential through a wide range of creative workshops. The Centre is proud to offer arts and crafts for people with disabilities in a supportive and inspiring environment.

Find out more about Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre at: https://www.henshaws.org.uk/arts-crafts-centre/

About Pyramid
Pyramid is a Leeds-based organisation that invests in people with a learning disability, autism, or both, through the discovery, development and disruption of the arts. Its goal is to help people discover the arts and develop their talents to become world-class artists by disrupting the social and institutional barriers that prevent them from being recognised, supported and celebrated.

Pyramid do this through collaborative art groups, including a programme for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities, as well as providing one-on-one creative support and professional development opportunities.
Find out more about Pyramid at: https://pyramid.org.uk/

 

A powerful new exhibition exploring the emotional ties between textiles, memory and human connection has opened at Sunny Bank Mills, bringing together contemporary textile art and treasured archival objects in a moving celebration of love in all its forms.

For the Love of Textiles examines the entanglement between love and textiles, centring on love as an active force, something practised, nurtured and sustained over time. Through works that range from deeply personal to joyfully exuberant, the exhibition expands the idea of love beyond romance to encompass family, memory, creativity, grief and community.

Visitors can expect to encounter heartbreak, adoration and soaring emotion through an extraordinary collection of textiles and garments, including contemporary artworks, childhood keepsakes, handmade quilts, knitted football jerseys and archival pieces never publicly seen before. At the heart of the exhibition is a striking collection of wedding attire.

Anna Turzynski, Arts Director at Sunny Bank Mills, said: “I love this exhibition. Mainly because it has been a labour of love, pulling in favours from neighbours, friends and colleagues to create the centrepiece collection of wedding outfits. But also, because it has seen us work with textiles in a new way.

“Not only have we never displayed so many garments before, but we are also exhibiting archival pieces for the first time. I am so honoured to display so many treasured items and feel so grateful to everyone for trusting us.

“I hope visitors to the exhibition will find a way into the concept of love and textiles being entangled, either through the time taken over a 12ft x 13ft quilt, the sight of someone’s childhood toy or the delight of a knitted football jersey.”

The exhibition also includes a significant contribution of a wedding dress and bridesmaid’s outfit, from Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange (Leeds GATE), a charity and membership organisation for Gypsies and Travellers in West Yorkshire. Their involvement coincides with Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month in June.

Rachel Trafford, Communications Team Leader at Leeds GATE, said: “Being part of For the Love of Textiles exhibition is a brilliant opportunity to continue our cultural heritage work in the region and the timing couldn’t be better.

“Being able to showcase an aspect of Gypsy and Traveller culture in a member-led way, that has previously been exploited and turned infamous – their weddings – at such a special time in the year, felt really meaningful to us.

“A member and her family in Wakefield very kindly donated their wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses, which have been used as a centrepiece of the entire exhibition. The media and cultural environment that divides and vilifies certain groups meant that though she was happy to take part, she did not want to share anything identifiable.

“This member is brave and brilliant for doing so. We thank her and her family for their kind generosity. We hope people can see these dresses for what they are; treasured items that represent personal and beautiful memories of love and family.”

Among the featured contemporary artists is embroiderer Nicole Chui whose work explores lived experience and emotional expression through stitch.

Nicole Chui said: “It’s great to see the love of textiles embraced in a location where there is a profound legacy, and I’m proud to be adding a new chapter to it.

“My work as an embroidery artist is about more than just technique; it’s about making room for the beautiful mess of raw expression and embracing lived experiences through the form of embroidery.

“I’m proud to stand in this space as a voice for the contemporary wave, showing that while textiles have a deep history, their future is still being written in every raw, honest stitch.”

Blending contemporary practice with community stories and historic collections, For the Love of Textiles invites visitors to reflect on the emotional power of the objects we live with, wear, make and treasure, and the many ways love becomes stitched into everyday life.

A vibrant celebration of cloth, craft and creativity returns to Leeds as Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley hosts its much-loved Threads Textile Festival from Saturday 16 – Sunday 17 May 2026.

Across the historic mill buildings, visitors can immerse themselves in a rich programme of exhibitions, talks, workshops and a bustling makers’ market, making Threads one of the region’s most exciting weekends for textile lovers.

At the heart of the Festival, the iconic 1912 Mill will host a lively market featuring 50 independent makers and textile businesses each day. From beautifully curated fabrics and haberdashery to yarns, kits, clothing and handcrafted homewares, it’s a chance to shop directly from artists and suppliers from across the UK and to meet the people behind the work including emerging makers giving them a platform to connect with new audiences.

Festival-goers are invited to take part in the popular Me-Made-May sewing competition, celebrating handmade fashion. Visitors can have their photo taken in their self-made outfits, with the public voting for their favourites. Winners will be announced the following week, with prizes including textile books from Batsford Books, a pattern voucher from The Fold Line, and a Sunny Bank Mills workshop voucher.

Art takes centre stage throughout the Mills, with four exhibitions offering diverse perspectives on contemporary textiles. The acclaimed 62 Group of Textile Artists return with Touchlines: The Delicate Boundaries of Care and Cloth (1–31 May) on the 3rd floor of the 1912 Mill , exploring the emotional and physical edges of textile practice. For the Love of Textiles (until 28 June) in the Sunny Bank Mills Art Gallery in Sandsgate explores the deeper emotional connections between textiles and making.

In the Spinning Mill Loft, Ellie Sanders presents Interchange, an interactive installation inviting visitors to handle handmade hagstones crafted from clay, yarn, beeswax and pigment, and even take one away. There’s also an exhibition of new work to discover from textile students at Bradford College on the 2^nd floor of the 1912 Mill.

A dynamic talks programme offers rare insight into the world of textile art and design. Highlights include The Narrative Thread with Michele Carragher, whose intricate embroidery has featured in productions such as Game of Thrones, The Crown and Peaky Blinders, sharing her journey into film and television. Quiltmaker Jessie Cutts will demystify her intuitive approach in Free-form Quiltmaking, while textile artist Hannah Lamb explores the balance of control and chance in her practice in A Quiet Unfolding.

Alongside the talks, a packed programme of hands-on workshops runs across the weekend, offering visitors the chance to learn new skills and create something of their own. From weaving onto found objects and trying a traditional dobby loom, to natural dyeing with plant-based colour, needle felting, embroidery and textile basketry, there’s something for every level of experience. Whether crafting scrappy fabric sculptures, stitched charms or embellished florals, participants can enjoy relaxed, small-group sessions led by expert makers with many workshops suitable for beginners and young people.

The Sunny Bank Mills Museum & Archive will also be open across the weekend, offering visitors the chance to explore the site’s rich textile heritage including the display of WOVEN’S stunning Calico Dress. See the dress on display, find out more about the project and have a go at creating a textile patch.  In the neighbouring Bobbin Room, there’s even more to discover, with a special focus on the National Lottery-funded Dyevolution project, an inspiring three-year exploration of colour, cloth and collaboration.

Dr Sarah Gaunt, Threads Textile Festival Director, said:
“Threads is a unique opportunity to experience the breadth and richness of contemporary textile practice in one extraordinary setting. From exhibitions and talks to workshops and our bustling market, there’s something here for everyone whether you’re an experienced maker or simply curious to explore.”

She added: “It’s always inspiring to see people connecting with textiles in different ways, learning new skills, meeting artists, and leaving with ideas for their own creative projects.”

With its mix of heritage, innovation and hands-on creativity, Threads Textile Festival promises a weekend to get lost in the textures, stories and possibilities of textiles.

Sunny Bank Mills is one of the most exciting and respected cultural and community hubs in the Yorkshire region. It is home to an acclaimed contemporary Art Gallery, a large artists’ studio community, a textile Museum & Archive, and with many other creative independent businesses on site. It’s situated in the heart of the thriving village of Farsley in West Leeds.

For more information about Threads: https://www.sunnybankmills.co.uk/arts/gallery/threads-textile-festival-2026/

Image: By Joanne Crawford.

Sunny Bank Mills is delighted to present Komorebi, a striking new outdoor installation by artist Amelia Bowles, curated by Senem Cagla Bilgin-Keys. Installed across the sculpture garden, the work will be on public view from 9 May 2026 to May 2028.

Komorebi transforms the site of former weaving sheds into an immersive experience of light, colour and movement. Set within the colonnade, the installation responds directly to the architecture and history of the Mills, inviting visitors to explore the site’s industrial past in a completely new way.

The title Komorebi comes from a Japanese phrase describing the delicate effect of sunlight filtering through leaves. Bowles translates this fleeting natural phenomenon into sculptural form, using lightweight, paper-like structures that interact with sunlight throughout the day.

As the sun moves, so does the artwork. Light passes through the structures, casting shifting shadows and colours that change with time and viewpoint. Visitors are encouraged to walk through and around the installation, experiencing how it evolves from moment to moment, at times appearing solid and monolithic, at others dissolving into lines, colour and light.

The sequence of large-scale sculptural elements respond to the rhythm of the day, echoing the changing qualities of natural light from the cooler tones of morning and evening to the warmer hues of midday. Their vivid colours are intentionally heightened, creating a bold visual contrast against the historic mill setting.

At its heart, Komorebi is about slowing down and becoming more aware of our surroundings. It invites visitors to notice the passage of time, the movement of light, and the relationship between the built environment and the natural world.

Artist Amelia Bowles said: “My work weaves patterns of shifting luminosity, shaped by weather, movement, and perspective, to evoke a bodily sense of time and place. I was touched by the history and industrial past of the Mills and when placed in dialogue with the Colonnade, Komorebi, takes on an almost archaeological depth where light and shadow mirror rhythms of industry and collectivity. I’m thrilled this series of works will be on public view at Sunny Bank Mills. It’s such an exciting place, where community engagement drives new ways to encounter arts and culture.”

Anna Turzynski, Arts Director at Sunny Bank Mills, said: “Komorebi is a beautiful and immersive work that transforms the way we experience the Mills’ site. It connects our industrial heritage with something much more atmospheric and universal – light, time and perception. Amelia Bowles has created an installation that feels both delicate and powerful, encouraging visitors to slow down, look closely and see the Mills in a completely new way.”

By bringing together past and present, industry and nature, Komorebi offers a fresh perspective on Sunny Bank Mills not just as a historic site, but as a living, changing landscape shaped by light, space and human experience.

The installation is free to visit and open to the public until May 2028.

Sunny Bank Mills is one of the most exciting and respected cultural and community hubs in the Yorkshire region. It is home to an acclaimed contemporary Art Gallery, a large artists’ studio community, a textile Museum & Archive, and with many other creative independent businesses on site. It’s situated in the heart of the thriving village of Farsley in West Leeds.

For more information about Komorebi: https://www.sunnybankmills.co.uk/komorebi/

Bios

Amelia Bowles’ multidisciplinary practice intersects sculpture, painting, and architecture, creating works that explore the interplay of light, colour, form, and shadow to evoke perceptual and cognitive experiences. Her multi-layered artworks operate as three-dimensional frameworks that shift with the viewer’s movement, functioning as dynamic systems of interaction rather than static objects, and inviting embodied forms of sense-making and perception. Bowles’ practice is informed by a sustained interest in how light and environmental conditions shape human perception and well-being, drawing inspiration from natural phenomena, architectural structures, and engineering forms to create contemplative and spatially responsive experiences.

She graduated from City and Guilds of London Art School (MA Fine Art, 2023) and was the recipient of the Leverhulme Scholarship (2023). Recent solo exhibitions include Wayfinding at Ione & Mann (London, 2024) and Komorebi at 100 Bishopsgate, curated by AWITA and Brookfield Properties (London, 2024). Upcoming projects include a new site-specific public artwork commissioned by Landsec Group and Hive Curates (London, 2026).

Senem Cagla Bilgin-Keys is an independent curator, arts advisor, and founder of Art Elsewhere. Her curatorial practice focuses on environmental and social issues, including ecology, migration and identity. Drawing on her academic background in Art History and Curating, she brings a research-driven and conceptually rigorous approach to both exhibition projects and strategic advisory for galleries, collectors, and artists across Europe and West Asia.

Her curatorial work spans solo and group exhibitions, including Pei-Yi Tsai [insert] at SLQS Gallery, Amelia Bowles’ sculpture installation ‘Komorebi’ at Sunny Bank Mills, ‘Unity’ in collaboration with Arebyte Gallery and Trinity Buoy Wharf, group exhibitions, ‘In the Heart of the Heart of Another Country’, Art Elsewhere, ‘Planetary Dysphoria’ Generation & Display and most recently ‘When Is Now?’ and ‘What Will Not Bend, Will Break’ Vision London in 2025. Since 2013, she has worked alongside leading galleries and collectors including Tate Patrons, Lehmann Maupin (London) and Podbielski Contemporary (Milan).

An important new exhibition opening in the 1912 Mill at Sunny Bank Mills this April will use weaving, paper making, oral history, ceramics and poetry to explore the hidden legacy of unmarried Irish women and their children who were sent from Britain to Ireland’s mother and baby institutions.

Running from 24 April to 3 May 2026, Rendition is a powerful collaboration between Yorkshire artist Fiona Cahill and Fréa Renewing Roots, bringing together art, lived experience and community storytelling to confront a history that remains deeply relevant today.

Created by Fiona Cahill, Rendition draws on her grandmother’s, mother’s and her own family experience to examine the deportation of unmarried Irish women and their babies, and the lasting trauma caused by secrecy, shame and institutional abuse.

Fiona Cahill said:
“The British State refuses to apologise for its historic treatment of unmarried mothers. I hope that by recognising ongoing harms we can create space for communal grief and help facilitate the apology my mum asked for.”

The exhibition will also feature work created in collaboration with Fréa Renewing Roots, including oral history extracts, ceramics and poetry from members of Crann Sailí, the organisation’s arts for wellbeing group. These voices and creative works will be shared publicly in Yorkshire for the first time.

Natalie Hughes-Crean, Specialist Case Worker at Fréa Renewing Roots, said:
“These voices were silenced and ignored for decades. This is not just history — its impact is still felt today. We hope this exhibition offers recognition, as well as a message of strength and hope for the future.”

Set within the historic mill, Rendition will include a loom installation at the centre of the exhibition, reflecting Fiona’s background in weaving and the connection between memory, place and healing.

The exhibition is free to attend during 24 April – 3 May, 10am – 4pm,

A series of free public workshops will also take place throughout the exhibition, giving visitors the chance to create handmade paper and explore autocartography under Fiona’s guidance. Advance booking is required via Eventbrite.

Exhibition Details

Rendition x Fréa Renewing Roots
Dates: 24 April – 3 May 2026
Venue: 1^st Floor – 1912 Mill, Sunny Bank Mills, 83–85 Town Street, Farsley, Pudsey, LS28 5UJ

What three words: ///olive.nests.jazzy

Free exhibition admission during 24 April – 3 May, 10am – 4pm

Workshop bookings:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fiona-cahill-8507694885

Booking enquiries:
natalie.hughes-crean@frea.org.uk

More information:
Fiona Cahill: https://www.renditionaveformaria.com/
Fréa Renewing Roots: https://frea.org.uk/about-renewing-roots

 

One of Yorkshire’s most prestigious annual art exhibitions, Ones To Watch, now in its 13th year, closes in just 4 weeks’ time. See it at the Sunny Bank Mills Art Gallery in Farsley, between Leeds and Bradford, before it disappears for another year.

Celebrating 36 talented emerging artists and makers who are based in, or originally from, Yorkshire, Ones To Watch brings together an exciting cross-section of contemporary practice. The exhibition spans painting, sculpture, jewellery, textiles, photography, ceramics, design and more, with much of the work available to purchase. A further 14 artists are represented in the Ones to Watch Zine Library.

For new and seasoned collectors alike, the exhibition offers an accessible entry point into collecting original art, with prints and limited editions available at affordable prices. Buying from the show directly supports artists at a pivotal stage in their careers.

Sunny Banks Mills Arts Director Anna Turzynski said: “This is our 13th year of Ones To Watch and whilst it may be an unlucky number for some, it has been an exceptional year for the exhibition. We’ve extended its duration to reflect its value and central position within our Arts programme, and we’re delivering an even broader programme of events alongside it, including our Performance Night, Overtime Art Club and our first-ever Creative Skills Day.

She continued: “My intention is for this annual exhibition to be an act of encouragement and support for artists at a time when it can feel as though the world is telling them not to pursue this path. I want to thank every artist who applied this year for continuing to make, experiment and express themselves despite the challenges. Please keep going.

“This exhibition includes self-taught artists, practitioners returning to a new phase of their work, and those who have applied multiple times. There is so much joy, good humour and raw talent in this show. Please visit before it closes, and don’t forget to vote for your favourite piece to help us decide the winner of The People’s Choice Award.”

Two of the artists taking part in Ones To Watch are Cassy Oliphant and Pooja Mistry.

Cassy Oliphant is a Leeds-based community artist based at Sunny Bank Mills, whose practice moves between painting, textiles, and photographic processes including cyanotype. She uses the symbolic language of animals in myth and folklore as recurring figures through which to explore transformation, migration, and belonging.

Cassy commented: “I’ve taken an unconventional path through the arts. I didn’t go to arts school but instead have been working as a freelance community artist for the last 20 years so being chosen for this year’s Ones to Watch was an amazing moment. I felt seen as an artist and my work understood. My piece Islands uses a mix of old family photos, traditional Singaporean embroidery and mythical images to express ideas about identity and belonging.”

She continued: “Part of my development has been getting my own studio space at the Mills. I absolutely jumped at the chance when more studios became vacant last year. Having a physical space away from my family home and really using my time there as part of my working week, has expanded my practice very quickly. Since joining Sunny Bank Mills, I’ve been shortlisted for the Scott Creative Arts Foundation Prize, made work for Westminster City Hall and Islands will be travelling to the New Art Exchange in Nottingham later in the year.”

Pooja Mistry is a third-year illustration student at Leeds Arts University whose practice explores the value of imperfection, playfulness and instinctive mark making. Working across drawing, printmaking and sketchbook-based experimentation, she creates expressive, “wonky” animal forms that sit somewhere between observation, imagination and joyful distortion.

She said: “Being part of Ones to Watch feels incredibly affirming, especially as an emerging illustrator whose practice is rooted in experimentation and play. My work explores imperfect, childlike drawing as a way of letting go of control and reconnecting with joy, curiosity and intuition.

She continued: “This exhibition feels important because it values process as much as outcome and embraces work that is exploratory rather than resolved. To be included among other artists who are testing ideas, materials and visual languages feels both encouraging and motivating, and reinforces my belief that there is space for imperfection, humour and vulnerability within contemporary illustration.”

Alongside the main exhibition is a programme of events including a Performance Night by Ones To Watch artists on 7^th March, Over Time Art Club workshops and a Creative Skills Day on 25^th March.

Ones To Watch is open in the Gallery, Sandsgate Building, Sunny Bank Mills, Farsley, LS28 5UJ, Tuesday-Sunday 10am-4pm until 29^th March. Closed on Mondays. FREE ENTRY.

For more information on Ones To Watch 2026 at Sunny Bank Mills, visit: https://www.sunnybankmills.co.uk/arts/gallery/ones-to-watch-2026/

Sunny Bank Mills’ much-loved annual Print Festival is back, taking over the iconic 1912 Mill on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th March 2026 for a vibrant weekend celebrating the very best in traditional and contemporary printmaking and bookbinding.

At the heart of the Festival is Leeds’ largest Print Fair, bringing together more than 60 printmakers, bookmakers, collectives and studios each day. Visitors can explore and purchase an extraordinary range of work — from screenprints and monoprints to risographs, collographs, zines and beautifully hand-bound books — created by emerging and leading artists from across the UK including Kristyna Baczynski, West Yorkshire Print Workshop, Lucy Hook and Tall Paul Kelly.

As always, the Festival is designed to be welcoming and hands-on. Ironbridge Fine Arts will be on the 3rd floor of the 1912 Mill, where they will be showcasing techniques including photopolymer, etching, lino and woodblock printing and selling a range of high-quality printmaking supplies. There will be free family-friendly drop-in workshops alongside a large programme of pre-bookable half-day sessions on bookbinding and printmaking for a range of ages incl Lego Relief Printing, Block Printing on Textiles, and Avocado Ink Notebook Making. Workshop places are selling fast.

Arts Director at Sunny Bank Mills, Anna Turzynski said: “We’re thrilled that our Print Festival returns in just three weeks’ time. It’s always such a special weekend — bringing together artists, collectors, families and anyone with a love of print. There’s something incredibly exciting about seeing traditional techniques alongside bold contemporary approaches all under one roof. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back to the Mills for this annual celebration of creativity.”

She continued: “In addition to the Print Festival, I’m encouraging everyone to explore the full cultural offer across Sunny Bank Mills.  Drop into our  Artists’ Open Studios in the Twisting, Spinning Mill and Red Lane Mill Studios – come and see what 48 talented artists and makers do all day and buy work direct from them. You can also take part in our family friendly studio print trail designed by artist Catherine Pape and take home your very own limited edition print! You can explore the Gallery’s  annual emerging artist exhibition, Ones to Watch 2026, bringing together work by 36 Yorkshire artists from across disciplines, and drop-in to the textile Museum & Archive which houses 200 years of Mills’ history with its  unique and nationally significant collection.”

“ The Fair’s Craft Café will be open for refreshments as well as the Mills retail and delicious food and drink outlets. So why not make a day or even a weekend of it at the Mills!”

For event details: https://www.sunnybankmills.co.uk/arts/print-festival-2026/

Sunny Bank Mills is one of Yorkshire’s most exciting and respected cultural and community hubs. Located in the heart of the thriving village of Farsley in West Leeds, it is home to an acclaimed contemporary Art Gallery, a large artists’ studio community, a textile Museum & Archive, and a dynamic mix of creative, independent and retail businesses.