School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies

Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo. Photo by Ding Musa and João Musa.

From São Paulo to Leeds: Museums, Access & Inclusive Arts Practice

📅 10 December, 2pm

📍 Roger Stevens LT 21
University of Leeds

Hosted by Dr Jade French, this event welcomes Dr Viviane Sarraf & museum practitioners Gabriela Gotoda, Amanda Santos & Leonardo Sassaki

ahc.leeds.ac.uk/fine-art/eve...

Black and white illustration of a grand town hall building with columns and clock tower.

Drawing of a collection of red brick buildings, some with spires and archways, and one with a huge stained glass window.

Watercolour of purple abbey ruins surrounded by trees and shrubs next to a river.

Black and white illustration of a fancy manor house with double staircase and formal gardens out front.

Question:
What do you value about the heritage of Leeds?

It's a big question we know, but we (and our heritage pals across the city) are really interested in what matters to you - the physical objects, buildings, and landscapes, and the intangible stories, festivals, traditions, and beliefs...

In Conversation: ‘Notions Of Care’ – A Response to Turner Prize 2025 The theme of care in art is explored by a panel of artists, curators and academics, with reference to this year’s Turner Prize and artists connected to West Yorkshire.

How do artists embody care within the creative act of making? 🧑‍🎨🖼️

In a week's time we have In Conversation: 'Notions of Care', a panel discussion with artists, curators and academics about the ethics of care in and of art ⚖️

Hybrid. Online tickets still available
library.leeds.ac.uk/events/event...

Time Will Tell – Fine Art Open Studios

📅 26 November, 5-7pm

📍 School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies
University Road
University of Leeds

Our final year undergraduate #fineart students are opening up their studios to present their mid-year work:

ahc.leeds.ac.uk/fine-art/eve...

White text on a bright yellow background reads "[uz], [uz], [uz]: Artists from Working-Class Backgrounds 19 Nov 2025 - 6 June 2026"

Challenge your expectations in this landmark group exhibition

Coming next in The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery...

💛 [uz], [uz], [uz]: Artists from Working-Class Backgrounds 💛

Featuring over thirty modern and contemporary artists who were born in or have significant connections to Yorkshire.

In Conversation: ‘Notions Of Care’ – A Response to Turner Prize 2025 The theme of care in art is explored by a panel of artists, curators and academics, with reference to this year’s Turner Prize and artists connected to West Yorkshire.

We're delighted to be hosting...

In Conversation: ‘Notions Of Care’ – A Response to Turner Prize 2025
Thursday 27 November
17:30 - 19:30
Treasures of the Brotherton
library.leeds.ac.uk/events/event...

Beyond Redemption is a provocative solo show by graduating MA Fine Art student Kirstin Harvie, exploring the boundaries of crime, justice and identity.

Open until 2 November at the Hunter Saville Cumbrae Studio & Gallery on the Isle of Cumbrae.

Find out more 👇

ahc.leeds.ac.uk/fine-art/new...

Light Night Leeds 2025: A Midnight Hop by fine art graduate Anya Thompson

📅 22 & 23 October, 6-10pm

📍 Michael Sadler Building
@universityofleeds.bsky.social

Journey through an enchanting dreamlike landscape of glowing rabbits darting across a starry night sky:

openup.leeds.ac.uk/events/a-mid...

Image of person admiring art light installation of a lit up flower. Text on graphic says: Light Night Leeds at the University of Leeds 22-23 October Free Discover what's on - openup.leeds.ac.uk

Leeds’ annual arts and light festival @lightnightleeds.bsky.social will be taking place across Leeds City Centre on Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 October!

Find out more ➡ www.lightnightleeds.co.uk

This year there will be 16 installations and activities held on campus, here's some more information 👇

Photo shows Hannah Guy in her studio at Assembly House, Leeds. Photo © Hannah Guy.

A new exhibition featuring photography by fine art @leedsalumni.bsky.social Hannah Guy opens at Assembly House on 16 October

Catching Forty Winks showcases work by #HannahGuy #ReeceKelly & #AlegriaRepilaSmith – all Accelerator Bursary recipients for 2025

More info👇

ahc.leeds.ac.uk/fine-art/new...

There’s still time to register for our Autumn Open Days 🍂

If you’re thinking about studying at Leeds, make sure to join us on Saturday 4 or 18 October 📅

Here’s some top tips from some of our current students to help you make the most of your day ✅

Register now 👇

www.leeds.ac.uk/undergraduat...

And the winner is...

At a packed prize-giving event, we announced Alice Boot as the winner of the Friends of University Art and Music Graduate Art Prize 2025 🏆

📷 Alice Boot, ‘Sweeping Fibre’, 2025. ©The Artist.

Bernadette Lynch and Helen Graham

Last chance to book for 'Museums and participation: What is it, exactly, that we’ve been doing?' with speakers Bernadette Lynch and Helen Graham.

📅 Thursday 16 October, 14:00 – 15:30

📍 Online

Find out more & book your place 👇

ahc.leeds.ac.uk/fine-art/eve...

Close up of an architectural model of a block of flats. Behind it there are lights hanging from the ceiling, a large hessian sculpture, and a group of people listening to a talk.

Only 6 hours until we find out who has won the 2025 FUAM Graduate Art Prize 🥁

Voting has now closed for the People's Choice Award - tonight we'll also be finding out who YOU chose

If you're joining us later, do check your inboxes for a full schedule

If not, best keep an eye on our socials...

Professor Abigail Harrison Moore will speak about ‘Whose Power? Learning from Leeds Museum’s Preservative Party’ at the John Roles Memorial Lecture 2025

📅 Thursday 9 October, 18:00–19:30

📍 Leeds Museum
Millennium Square
Leeds LS2 8BH

Book your place 👇

www.leedsphilandlit.org.uk/shop/john-ro...

Poster design for Carried Over exhibition by Caitlín O’Doherty. Photograph by Olympia Kopiec.

Carried Over is an exhibition of student work shaped by a year abroad.

📅 8-10 October, 12-4pm

📍 Project Space
School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies
University Road
@universityofleeds.bsky.social
Leeds LS2 9JT

Find out more 👇

ahc.leeds.ac.uk/fine-art/eve...

Heritage Show + Tell - speakers announced!

7 three-minute talks have been confirmed so far for the return edition of Heritage Show + Tell on 9 October at Leeds Central Library.

Full details including how to book your place 👇

ahc.leeds.ac.uk/fine-art/eve...

Zine Library at the Many Hands exhibition, Sunny Bank Mills, Leeds. Photo by Harry Meadley.

BA History of Art student Robin Stones is one of 27 artists to have work displayed in a new #Zine Library at the #ManyHands exhibition @sunnybankmills.bsky.social

Created in collaboration with Working Class Creatives, the exhibition runs to 5 October.

More info 👇

ahc.leeds.ac.uk/fine-art/new...

Image shows augmented reality in action at the Pictures of Tilling and Weaving exhibition in Project Space. Photo courtesy of Rob Knifton.

Last chance to see the current exhibition in our Project Space – Pictures of Tilling and Weaving by Dr Louise Atkinson.

Open today until 4pm in the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies @universityofleeds.bsky.social

Free, all welcome! 👇

ahc.leeds.ac.uk/fine-art/eve...

A scene of tea production from the wallpaper at Harewood House. Image credit: Harewood House Trust.

Join us at this symposium to explore the meaning, materiality and making of Chinese export wallpaper throughout history, organised as part of the #IfWallsCouldTalk project

📅 26 Sept, 12:30–19:00

📍 Newlyn Building @universityofleeds.bsky.social

Book your place:

ahc.leeds.ac.uk/fine-art/eve...

Pictures of Tilling and Weaving – a new exhibition by Dr Louise Atkinson – is now open!

📅 Open weekdays 12-4pm until 3 Oct (except 26 Sept)

📍 Project Space
School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies
@universityofleeds.bsky.social

Find out more 👇

ahc.leeds.ac.uk/events/event...

Leeds University Library Galleries Highlights from Cultural Collections & Galleries at the University of Leeds Free and open to all. Visit us at The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery, Treasures of the Brotherton, and Brotherton Research…

Direct from emerging creatives, hear from all of our FUAM Graduate Art Prize Finalists. Watch the full videos on our YouTube channel bit.ly/LULGYouTube

And pick your winner for the People's Choice Award - the art prize that's chosen by you!

Room shot of the FUAM 2025 exhibition, a large white room with hanging brown textiles, warm lampshades, a grey architectural model, and ceramics on a wooden table.

Now open!

FUAM 2025: The Friends of University Art and Music Graduate Art Prize 🎨🏆

Discover the freshest talent from Leeds’ art scene!

Each year a panel of judges select 4 finalists from @fahacs.bsky.social and School of Design @universityofleeds.bsky.social

[1/6]

Who doesn’t love Paula Rego? Meet FUAM 2025 finalist, Esme Mclean ⭐️

Hear how she infuses family memories into miniature ceramic scenes as she explains the influences behind her artworks 🏠

It's a personal insight into creative practice and studying @universityofleeds.bsky.social @fahacs.bsky.social

Image features ‘Georgian? hourglass’ from the Wellcome Collection. License: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).

📣 Heritage Show + Tell is back!

And there's still time to change the future of heritage in Yorkshire in just three minutes!

Last seen in 2018, we are returning rested and refreshed on 9 October. Find out more about our call for speakers & how to book your place:

ccsmgh.leeds.ac.uk/events/herit...

Fibres, fishing nets, and our final FUAM 2025 finalist... It’s Alice Boot! ⭐️

Explore scavenged sculptures, inspired by the seashore, as they explain the influences behind the artworks 🐚

It's a personal insight into creative practice and studying
@universityofleeds.bsky.social @fahacs.bsky.social

Two people stood near Beech Grove Plaza, University of Leeds. One of them is holding an Open Day booklet in their hand.

Considering studying at Leeds? 🎓

Join us for our Open Days on Saturday 4 and 18 October to learn about your course and get a feel for campus life.

You can also explore ⬇

🏋️‍♀️ The Edge gym and sports centre
📚 Libraries
👥 Leeds University Union
🌐 HELIX, our digital innovation space
🏠 Accommodation

The front cover of a book. The title reads Deconstituting Museums: Participation's Affective Work. The image is of old rope, enwtined for strength but now fraying.

The image is primarily text. The text reads: Over the past 30 years, museums have turned to participation in the hope that direct involvement of non-museum staff would serve their claims to be accessible, inclusive, representative and diverse. And yet, adding participation to museums has often generated conflict, disappointment and anger. Deconstituting Museums argues that the difficulties produced by adding participatory practice arise from political incompatibility. In the representational liberal logics that underpin museum decision-making, trustees and professionals make decisions ‘on behalf of’ future generations and the public. This is a political infrastructure the book names ‘museum constitution’. Conversely, participation arises from ideas and practices from direct and horizontal political traditions, drawing those who act as facilitators into new relationships and expanding political imaginations. Through sustained engagement with theories of affect, materialism, and feminist and decolonial praxis, Helen Graham identifies techniques for deconstituting museums. She uses experimental writing as a method to turn away from the desire to right institutional wrongs and towards relational and directly negotiated ways of organising. In doing so she locates participation not as engagement but as a mode of governance that is enabled by, and enables, variant political ontologies. This is an alternative named ‘participatory worlding’. The affective work of facilitating participation has long tugged at and frayed museums’ constitutional liberal logics. Deconstituting Museums envisages how participation and its affects might be activated in reworking the politics of heritage.

I'd had quite a bit of trouble working out why facilitating participation in museums was tricky so I wrote a book about it. @uclpress.bsky.social @fahacs.bsky.social

The front cover of a book. The title reads Deconstituting Museums: Participation's Affective Work. The image is of old rope, enwtined for strength but now fraying. Cover art by Clifford Hayes.

A new book by @helengraham.bsky.social – Deconsituting Museums: Participation’s Affective Work – has been published by @uclpress.bsky.social

Dr Helen Graham’s book explores why participation – the direct involvement of non-museum staff in museums – has been so hard.

ahc.leeds.ac.uk/fine-art/new...

Congratulations to the five graduating #MA #FineArt students who presented an amazing degree show last week @universityofleeds.bsky.social

Find out more about the #exhibition and the artists in this new article on our website:

ahc.leeds.ac.uk/fine-art/new...

Photos by Mark Bickerdike.